ABSTRACT
The subject matter of this research work is to examine the influence of the Nigerian Pidgin English On Senior Secondary Students' Usage Of Standard English In Composition Writing The main objective of this research work was to find out the impact of Nigerian Pidgin English on Students' Usage Of Standard English In Composition Writing. The design used for the study is a descriptive survey method. The numbers of students used are one hundred and twenty-five (125) senior secondary school. Four research questions were formulated to guide the study, from which the questionnaire was designed. From the analyzed data, it showed that students frequently use Pidgin in their daily communication within the school premises, lack of effective usage of English language has prompted student to use Pidgin in their communication and the use of Nigeria pidgin by male and female students has encourage wrong use and expression of English language. It was recommended that Staff and students in tertiary institution across the federation should engage the use of Standard English language in the communication rather than use of Nigeria Pidgin. In addition, the use of Nigerian Pidgin by students during official communication should be discouraged by implementing laws that can combat wrong use of English Language in the school environment.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Attitudes towards language or language behavior implicate social meanings relative to social norms in a given speech community. Akande (2008). As demonstrated in the literature, language attitude study is not only a way of understanding how language is used, for example, as a symbol of identity or in-group membership, it also helps to illuminate the social importance of a given code or language (Adegbija, 1994; Ihemere 2006; Salami 1991). Attitudinal studies of language are also important to linguistics because they could help to explain language maintenance and shift, which are apparently influenced by whether the change or maintenance is favored or disfavored by members of the speech community (Mann 1993; 1998).
In Nigeria, Nigerian Pidgin used to be seen generally as the code of the non-literate as well as a bastardization of English and its use was, therefore, considered a mark of the level of one’s proficiency in English. Akande (2008) has noted, the sociolinguistic reality in Nigeria today is such that Nigerian Pidgin is spoken by university graduates, professors, lawyers and journalists. It has also been demonstrated that Nigerian Pidgin is not used only in informal settings but also in offices and other formal settings (Akande 2008). In other words, the claim that Nigerian Pidgin is the code of the non-literate does not seem to have validity as there are a lot of educated speakers in Nigeria who can use both Standard English and Nigerian Pidgin proficiently (Akande 2008).
It is quite interesting to note that what actually started as a contingency language between the white merchants, who later turned colonial masters, and their black traders has now become an elitist campus language-spoken among the teeming population of the Nigerian students in higher institutions of learning. Thus, at common rooms, kiosks, gossip centres, viewing centres, play grounds, rally grounds, relaxation joints, movie grounds and a host of other meeting points where and when students are relieved of their academic routines, they are seen interacting lively in Nigeria pidgin.
Nigeria as a multilingual nation is made up of different speech communities and diverse ethnic groups. Past studies on linguistic situation in Nigeria have brought to the fore the complexity of the native languages in the country. Bamgbose and Okike cited in Ndiemele(2) puts the figures of Nigerian indigenous languages to three hundred and seventy-four (374) and four hundred (400) languages respectively.
Adegbija claims that there are over five hundred (500) languages spoken in Nigeria. The glaring fact, therefore, is that Nigeria is a community made up of different ‘tongues’, and this, to a great extent, necessitated the adoption of the English language, a colonial legacy, as both the official and second language of the country. Predominant among these languages are Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa and Nigerian Pidgin/Creole. Apart from the first three major languages, Pidgin/Creole is very popular in Nigeria. Ndimele estimates that Nigerian Pidgin now serves as a native language to approximately three to five million people in Nigeria and it is a second language (L2) for another 75 million people (4). Jowit confirms the popularity of Nigerian Pidgin thus: “The situation today is that pidgin flourishes as a medium of inter-ethnic communication, especially in the large cities with many non-indigenous residents (Bendel, Benin, Port Harcourt e.tc) or throughout states with small many ethnic groups.
Furthermore, it could be argued that Nigerian Pidgin has enhanced the propagation of national ideas, socio-cultural, linguistic and political developments as well as peace and unity in the country since it is the only language that both the educated and the uneducated, irrespective of their ethnic affinities, can identify with. The use of Nigerian Pidgin by Nigerians, however, has led to the growing status of the code in the country. In other words, Nigerian Pidgin has remained one of the languages with vitality in the society despite its unofficial recognition. Nonetheless, it has been observed that a large number of people across various sectors of the society including particularly those parents who are highly placed government officials, teachers, students in the universities tend to express disgust at its use by youths at home and school premises.
Pidgin is a contact language, and like all contact languages comes into being under conditions of interaction among people of different linguistic backgrounds. Pidgins usually evolve from the fusion of foreign languages and indigenous languages. Crystal explained that most of the present day pidgins grew up along the trade routes of the world especially in those parts where the British, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch built up their empires. At the outset of pidgin, it has few words and few simple constructions. Interestingly, the syntax of pidgin can be quite unlike the languages from which terms were borrowed and modified
The objective of the study is to find out the extent to which Nigerian Pidgin is used or spoken among the secondary school students in Kano state.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Students discuss or communicate very often among themselves just as lecturers do while imparting knowledge. In the university campuses therefore, a lot of communication take place. The language of communication is also as diverse as the many tribes of students that are present. It will be expected therefore that different mother tongues will be employed in so doing. It is however known that students often make use of peculiar means of communicating such as the use of Nigerian Pidgin, code-switching and code-mixing which results from their bilingual nature.
To solve these lingering problems of the use of Nigerian Pidgin among students in higher institution, there is need to limit the use of Nigerian Pidgin in official communication which affects academic performance. The study will exploit how students use Nigeria Pidgin in their communication and studies.
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
To guide this study, the following questions will be answered;
1. How frequently do secondary school students use Nigerian Pidgin English in Gwale local government area, Kano state?
2. Under what circumstances do secondary school students frequently use Nigerian Pidgin English?
3. To what extent do Nigerian Pidgin inluence English composition writing in Gwale local government area, Kano state?
4. Is there a gender difference in the use Nigerian Pidgin among secondary school students?
1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
This work intends to examine how frequent secondary school students use Nigerian Pidgin and under what circumstances do secondary school students frequently use Nigerian Pidgin. Also the study seeks to find the extent secondary school student’s use of Nigerian Pidgin Nigerian Pidgin in English composition writing in Gwale local government are, Kano state.
1.5 SIGNIFICANT OF THE STUDY
This study is important because its results can go a long way to finding out the causes of students’ negative or positive academic performance and if Nigerian Pidgin contributes negatively or positively to the students social interaction.
This work will in no doubt contribute to one’s knowledge and it will highlight some issues in educational planning. It will be a guide for the Federal Government in planning for an effective educational system.
1.6 SCOPE AND DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
The scope of this project is on ‘The impact of pidgin English composition writing of students of senior secondary schools in Gwale local government are, Kano state.’ It will assess the extent secondary school students use Nigerian Pidgin English in English composition writing. This research is limited to secondary schools in Gwale local government area, Kano state.
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