Consequently, this paper sought to highlight the roles the english language performs in the building. However, a variety of english called the nigerian pidgin has developed to accommodate the heterogeneous nature of the populace. Abstract this article examines the role of english in nigeria as a medium of communication, political activitiessocial and academic guidance from its historical perspective, and the duration of gradual transition to the present status of. Nigerian english, also known as nigerian standard english, is a dialect of english spoken in nigeria. This unifying role and its allied issues are discussed in this paper with a view to showing that the imposition or adoption of any language apart from english as the nations official language will lead to a chain of sociopolitical crisis that could threaten the corporate existence of nigeria. Literature and english language teaching and learning.
It demands a personal response from the learners and. The history of language dates back to many thousands of years. Oluwole abstract this paper discussed the challenges which are associated with the teaching and learning of english grammar in nigeria secondary schools. In nigeria where english is a second language it is imperative for the teaching and learning implications to be properly addressed in such a diverse l2 classrooms. Consequently, the education ordinance and codes of 1882, 1896, 1918 and 1926 were enacted for english language to be as the official language.
Language situation at the colonia era when britain took over as the colonial power in nigeria, english became the tool with which the new territory would be administered. Korea such as the methods of learning and teaching english language in korea, and policy makers impact on the way english language is being taught and learnt in korea. As a language of wider communication lwc, english is used for phatic communion, ceremonial purpose, instrument of keeping records, information. The process heightens the district ela staffs, building administrators, central. It is only a language which the peoples of nigeria can use to relate with one another that can be used to build the nation. Importance of english language in nigeria free essays. Nigeria s bestknown writers are wole soyinka, the first african nobel laureate in literature, and chinua achebe, best known for the novel things fall apart 1958 and his controversial critique of joseph conrad. Challenges associated with teaching and learning of english grammar in nigerian secondary schools akinbode, j. The significant role of english language in the linguistic, educational, socioeconomic and cultural settings of nigeria is not in doubt. The korean government does not use english as an official language, but it provides english service on the web. The languages in nigerian sociopolitical domains eric. The english language occupies a very significant role in the formation of national values and integration of the nigerian nation. I think that english is an important language for different reasons in different moments.
Quantitative indicators from cameroon, nigeria, rwanda, bangladesh and pakistan the findings of this study were developed through primary source interviews across a wide cross section of. Aug 10, 2019 in accordance with the nigeria constitution first written in 1963 when nigeria became a republic was heavily based on the us constitution. The unifying roles of english in nigeria english is the language of integration in nigeria as our previous discussion shows. English is used to perform official and national functions, while the various indigenous languages are used for interaction in their respective.
The focus on education is, of course, manifest in the cliched emphasis on the role of language in education. One of the ways through which feedback can be obtained from the learners on what the teachers had taught them is evaluation. It shows how english occupied an influential role in the formation of the. English as a global language and its role in japan in fulfillment of the requirements of the sociolinguistics module submitted on december 2005 university of birmingham matefltesl open distance learning andrew rolnick yamane heights 201, ouchino machi 84 maizuru shi, kyotofu, japan 0773751988 1. Mothertongue interference on english language pronunciation of senior primary school pupils in nigeria. Background status of languages in africa the purpose of this paper is to explore the increased demand for english language education. English is the language through which nigeria is heard outside her borders united nations, common wealth e. Going by this historical position, it is safe to conclude that english predates colonization in nigeria. Secondary schools in aniocha south local government area of delta state nigeria augustine o evue school of general studies delta state polytechnic delta state abstract this study examines the challenges facing the teaching of english language in secondary schools in aniocha south local government area of delta state nigeria. Language, literature, education and democracy in nigeria. This means that this language has a role to play in maintaining and improving on media literacy in nigeria. English was thus used as a supplementary language and not a primary pidginised one as was the case in west africa for many speakers.
A public library is a nonprofit institution, usually funded by public resources and the government for use by the public. The certificate is the basic qualification for teaching. English language is a worldwide language, and its the means of communication in over. The role of libraries in education information science today. An evaluation of the english language curriculum of the. The status of english in nigeria and the world nicom iplan. It appears to be the second language in lots of countries. What are the status and functions of the english language. The role of english as a world language publish your master. This study evaluates the use of instructional materials in teaching english language as a second language among secondary school students.
Another source says, the method of human communication, either in spoken or written. Language and literature in education for a better society. Pdf the use of the english language in nigeria dates back to the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century when british merchants and christian. Roles of english language in nigeria english language is the interconnecting language amongst nigerians from different geopolitical zones and different ethnicities.
This paper examines the role of english language in media literacy. The official language of nigeria is english, the former language of colonial british nigeria. Nigerian citizens have authored many influential works of postcolonial literature in the english language. Language, food, culture, linguistic diffusiondiversity, lexicon and transformation introduction this paper periscopes the interplay among language, food and culture in the society. The benefits of the english language for individuals and. A survey john povey english, once the only dialect of south britons, has become the language of the world. English is the official language of the federal republic of nigeria, a country that hosts over 270 indigenous languages. The importance of english language cannot be overemphasized, due to its role in social, political economical, and environmental development.
Nigeria is a lingua franca in view of its geographical spread couple with its over 450 languages, and the number of their speakers. Why are more african countries adopting english as an official language. Implications for pedagogy 282 of this population, it is assumed that 30 million are students. What does such a trend mean for the future of english in africa. However, studies have shown that hausa language is spoken by fourteen million people in nigeria, niger, and the sudan. Professional diary entries written by the researcher during a one year english language teaching experience in korea provided the core data for this research. Effects of english language on national development. Second language refers to the language a person learns on top of his first or nature language. The english language is the language of education in nigeria ndimele 2006.
English language functions as a vehicle of interaction and an instrument of communication. As of october 2008, the official government website for foreigners the provides 8 foreign language services including english, french, spanish, arabic, vietnamese, russian, chinese, and japanese. The place of english language in the development of nigeria. As english plays a dominant role in almost all the fields in the present globalized world, there is a need to discuss its role as a global language. More than a decade after decolonization of nigeria, english contin.
Why are more african countries adopting english as an. The status of english language in nigeria library gurus. What are the status and functions of the english language in. The study of languages spoken around the world is becoming more and more popular.
Two main modern pronouncements on language policy in nigeria merit our attention, to wit the national policy on education 1977, revised in 1981, and the 1979 constitution, which is more cited than its 1989 reincarnation. Pdf the functions of english in nigeria from the earliest times to. The role of indigenous languages in national development. The benefits of the english language for individuals and societies. Patrick plonski, asratie teferra, and rachel brady. The english language and sustainable development in nigeria. Though the constitution has been revised in 1979, 1993, and 1999. But the development of the writing medium and later the printing system went a.
A second language is one that comes after ones primary language. Based on these assertions, the author studied the current linguistic situations in nigeria and found that native languages play fundamental role on issues such as democracy, technology, metalanguage and linguistic globalization. English language readily becomes acceptable for this role since the missionaries had already introduced the language to serve the purpose of communication. Effect of english language proficiency on students. Lead editor of several books, he is the author of the ecology of language evolution. Hausa is the predominant language of the northerners, igbo of the. Jul 15, 2017 the status of english in nigeria and the world in nigeria, english is the language of official communication. Department of educational foundations, faculty of education, university abakaliki, ebonyi state nigeria. This paper discussed the importance of english language as official language of communication in nigeria. English language is a worldwide language, and its the means of communication in over 30% of all countries in the world.
Unit, emmanuel alayande college of edu, oyo abstract. Importance of english language in nigerian schools. The importance of instructional materials in teaching. Education helps men and women claim their rights and realize their potential in economic, political and social arenas. There are however some challenges in the optimum utilization of these mother tongues. This role falls on the english language which is the nations official and second language, as well as her lingua franca. In a typical nigerian classroom, one finds students from diverse cultural backgrounds and mother tongues igbo, yoruba, hausa, efik, echie, to mention but a few who.
It cultivates the critical abilities of the students. Grammar is the spinal cord of any language and the users. Togo, and igbo, also by five million people but spoken only in nigeria gregersen 1977 see linguistic map of nigeria. Even the nomadic education has to be done in english language because the concept to be used in teaching at a higher level right after primary three has to be provided in the english language. The word nigeria itself was coined from an english phrase niger area, i. The role of the english language in nigeria borisova. Chapter i importance of language in society language is basically a system of communication where sound or signs convey objects, actions and ideas. In the field of education in particular, english language plays a dominant role. Amidst the compounding complexities of nigeria especially in relation to the language question, the only language that indexes the spirit of togetherness is english. Chapter 10 curriculum development and implementation. The role of english as a world language kristina eichhorst term paper english language and literature studies linguistics publish your bachelors or masters thesis, dissertation, term paper or essay.
Jan 17, 2019 the english language is nigerias second language. As the language for education and by extension the target language, the success or failure of formal education, to a large. The colonial and precolonial eras in nigeria this project is based on the goal of explaining an event in the relatively recent past by working progressively further into the past to uncover more and more information that seems to bear on the issues. Jan 31, 2018 the word nigeria itself was coined from an english phrase niger area, i. Teaching and learning english language in nigerian schools. Mothertongue interference on english language pronunciation. History and importance of english language in nigeria. Language, being a potent vehicle of transmitting cultures, values, norms and beliefs from generation to generation, remains a central factors in determining the status or nature of any nation.
Ironically, it is also nigerias dominant language, with the use of english being taught at various levels of the nigerian educational system prenursery schools, nursery schools, primary schools, secondary schools and tertiary institutions of learning. The functions of english in nigeria from the earliest times to the present day article pdf available in english today 2502. While english is the official language, there are more than 500 indigenous languages in nigeria. English language is the official language of nigeria. How english language came into nigeria, its role and why english langauge is called the second language in nigeria what do we mean by second language. Indisputably it is the vehicle for most international communication. This chapter started by presenting the views held by different educationists and scholars on the concept of education.
Pdf media literacy and the role of english language in. What is the role of english language in student life. The country provides free, governmentsupported education, but attendance is not compulsory at any level, and certain. The article examines the role of the english language in nigeria, a major west african country with a highly diverse ethnic composition of the population and a very complex linguistic situation. Pdf on jan 1, 20, oreoluwa solomon and others published history of english language in nigeria find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. What are the functions of english language in nigeria. Underlying these all is the use of english language as the vehicle for the transmission of ideas, meaning and literacy. The origin of english language in nigeria is connected with the colonial period. Communication in the english language is much more popular in the countrys urban. As reported in 2003, nigerian english and nigerian pidgin were spoken as a second language by 60 million people in nigeria. Students who have low english language use skills might find it difficult. The importance of english language learning and teaching in. The role of english language in nigeria people and interests.
The uniqueness of a public library is that it is free from the harnesses of race, culture, age, religion, gender, language, disability and status of employment and economic. Additionally, loanwords and collocations have emerged from the native languages of nigeria, which come from the need to express concepts specific. The procedure for developing a districtwide english language arts ela program phi. Deficient english language use skills could affect academic performance of students in a country like nigeria where english language is a second language. The government of nigeria firmly recognized that english is. English has been widely used in the propagation of education in nigeria and this is used in all facets of education. Image that a student wants to travel around the world and he or she also has to communicate with other people, in which language do you think theyll be spea. This article examines the role of english in nigeria as a medium of communication, political activitiessocial and. English language dominance and the fate of indigenous. Role of english language in nigeria decades after decolonisation, english being the language of the colonial masters still enjoys primacy through its significant role in the integration of the nigerian nation that is made up of three different regions of north, east and west. English as a language of education we had earlier remarked the large number of different languages spoken in nigeria. Challenges associated with teaching and learning of english. The poor performance of nigerian students in external english examinations has continued to be a source of worry to parents, educational. A second language learner thinks in his language, tires to express himself in the second language which results to conflicts, and this conflict is as a result of mothertongue interference.
English language is the interconnecting language amongst nigerians from different geopolitical zones and different ethnicities. This article examines the role of english in nigeria as a medium of communication, political activitiessocial and academic guidance from its historical perspective, and the duration of gradual transition to the present status of bilingualism and its democratization of language in conformity with national unification. Today the english language could be named as one of the most widely used languages in the world. There are over 500 native languages spoken in nigeria. This treatise is a pilot study that evaluated the implementation of the english language curriculum of the nigeria certificate in education at a college of education in ogun state, nigeria. Media literacy and the role of english language in nigeria.
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