The Communicative Implications Of Nigerian English Usage

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study

Current thinking on the global role or status of the English Language reveals that English is no longer the exclusive property of Britain, America, Canada etc.(Oluikpe 15), Barber 235). The profuse diffusion of the language to the various corners or regions of the world today raises the status of the English language as a world language or an international language. Akwanya affirms that “English is probably the language with the greatest rate of spread worldwide” (25).
Nigeria is one of the countries affected by this diffusion of the English language being one of the British colonies. Historically, therefore,
the English language in Sub-Sahara Africa in general and in Nigeria in Particular was implanted following colonial activities. Ker (114) writes that “European commercial interests began in Nigeria in the 15th century and there also began the use of English in Nigeria.” Consequently, British scramble for and acquisition of territories and subsequent institution of colonial rule led to the imposition of the English language on those territories particularly in Nigeria. (Baldeh 1 – 2),(Uzoezie 163), Oluwole 89) Ever since then English has come to stay in Nigeria notwithstanding her ethno-linguistic diversities. Today the language has attained the status of an official language. As an official language, its relevance in education, politics, legislative process and law, commerce and industry, science and technology cannot be over stated. Seweje cited in Adedeji sums up the crucial role of the English language in the education of the Nigerian child. He states that “The Nigeria child’s access to the cultural and scientific knowledge of the world is largely through English” Adedeji further states that “English is the main language of literacy as it is the major medium of instruction in Nigerian educational system” (74).

Despite government official declaration or policy statements on the status and role of the English language in Nigeria such as the one cited
above, the language is still a second language in the country. This implies that every Nigerian user of English already possesses a first language whose linguistic codes are already entrenched in the brain of the individual speaker. Akindele and Adegbite affirm that “Before the incursion of the Europeans into various African States, a kaleidoscopic linguistic diversity was already in existence” (58). In other words multiple vernacular languages numbering over four hundred are spoken nationwide in Nigeria.
The peculiarities of these indigenous languages tend to have direct influence on the quality of the English language spoken in the country.
The branding of this variety as “Nigerian English” is however highly contentious. Banjo (209) confirms that It [English] has been localized and
nationalized by adopting some language features of its own, such as sounds, intonation patterns, sentence structures, words, expressions. Usually it has also developed some different rules for using language in communication.

The same idea is further highlighted by Kachru (1983) cited by Akindele and Adegbite (52) when he describes ESL as “an institutionalized variety” Akindele and Adegbite go on to state that: The indigenous variety has some ontological status. Its features are: it has extended range of uses in the sociolinguistic context of a nation where it is used; extended register and style range; it undergoes a process of nativization of the register, and styles have taken place in both formal and in contextual terms; and a body of nativized English literature (52) Still in support of Nigerian variety of English, a renowned phonetician argues that “the development of regional or local varieties of any language
resulting from its domestication in non-native environments has been found to be a socio-linguistic reality”. (Uzoezie 162). Uzoezie further
explains that “English in Nigeria is continuously undergoing process of naturalization, domestication and acculturation, both at the national level and within the ethno-linguistic context.” David Jowitt and Charles Barber are among the native speakers of English who did an extensive study of the variety of English spoken in