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INVESTIGATING NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' PERCEPTION TOWARDS ENGLISH LANGUAGE DOMINANCE OVER THEIR INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES

Year 2016, Volume: 5 , 206 - 213, 01.09.2016

Abstract

The language policy in
Nigeria granted English language the status of being the sole official
language, and the language of instruction in the country. This approach
influenced the educated people's competence, and subsequently, attitudes
towards English and their native languages respectively. The study aims to
investigate the perception of the Nigerian university students regarding the
dominance of English over their indigenous languages and the role of the
language policy of the country in this concern. The qualitative data collected
by interviewing eight students from two universities in the Northern side of
Cyprus answers the following questions: 1) what is the Nigerian university
students' perceptions of the dominance of English over their national languages?
2)How do the Nigerian university students evaluate the language policy in their
country and what they think about its potential effect on their national
languages?The findings revealed that Nigerian university students use English
frequently for both formal and informal contexts in their daily conversations.
They also felt that their native language competence decreases gradually while
their English mastery develops constantly. Although they hold positive
attitudes towards English as the official language of Nigeria, they feel the
need to reconsider the language policy and adopt the main national languages as
official languages in addition to 
English. This study contributes to our understanding of multi-lingual
people`s attitudes towards their heritage language and supports the research
literature which shows that personal connection to the heritage language plays
a significant role in individuals` attachment to the language rather than the
actual proficiency of speakers.

References

  • Adegbite, W. (2003). Enlightenment And Attitudes Of The Nigerian Elite On The Roles Of Languages In Nigeria. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 16(2), 185-196. doi:10.1080/07908310308666667 Akinnaso, F. (1993). Policy and experiment in mother tongue literacy in Nigeria. International Review of Education Int Rev Educ, 39(4), 255-285. Bamgbose, A. (1991). Language and the nation: The language question in Sub-Saharan Africa Edinburgh University Press. Bell, J. (2013). Language attitudes and language revival/survival. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 34(4), 399-410. Danladi, S. S. (2013). language policy: Nigeria and the role of English language in the 21st century. European Scientific Journal, 9(17) Giles, H., Bourhis, R. Y., & Taylor, D. M. (1977). Towards a theory of language in ethnic group relations. Language, ethnicity and intergroup relations, 307348. Hemàndez-Chávez, E., Burt, M., & Dulay, H. (1978). Language dominance and proficiency testing: some general considerations. NABE journal, 3(1), 41-54. Igboanusi, H. (2008). Mother tongue-based bilingual education in Nigeria: Attitudes and practice. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 11(6), 721-734. Kanana, F. E. (2013). Examining African Languages as Tools for National Development: The Case of Kiswahili. Journal of Pan African Studies, 6(6), 41. Myers-Scotton, C. (2005). Multiple voices: An introduction to bilingualism. Wiley-Blackwell. Ng, D. F., & Zhao, J. (2014). Investigating Cantonese speakers' language attitudes in Mainland China. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, (ahead-of-print), 1-15. Phillipson, R. (1996). Linguistic imperialism: African perspectives. ELT Journal, 50(2), 160-167. doi:10.1093/elt/50.2.160 Ricento, T. (2013). The consequences of official bilingualism on the status and perception of non-official languages in Canada. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 34(5), 475-489. Rooy, C. V. (2013). Afrikaans in contact with English: Endangered language or case of exceptional bilingualism?. International journal of the sociology of language, 2013(224), 179-207. Tajfel, H. E. (1978). Differentiation between social groups: Studies in the social psychology of intergroup relations. Academic Press.
Year 2016, Volume: 5 , 206 - 213, 01.09.2016

Abstract

References

  • Adegbite, W. (2003). Enlightenment And Attitudes Of The Nigerian Elite On The Roles Of Languages In Nigeria. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 16(2), 185-196. doi:10.1080/07908310308666667 Akinnaso, F. (1993). Policy and experiment in mother tongue literacy in Nigeria. International Review of Education Int Rev Educ, 39(4), 255-285. Bamgbose, A. (1991). Language and the nation: The language question in Sub-Saharan Africa Edinburgh University Press. Bell, J. (2013). Language attitudes and language revival/survival. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 34(4), 399-410. Danladi, S. S. (2013). language policy: Nigeria and the role of English language in the 21st century. European Scientific Journal, 9(17) Giles, H., Bourhis, R. Y., & Taylor, D. M. (1977). Towards a theory of language in ethnic group relations. Language, ethnicity and intergroup relations, 307348. Hemàndez-Chávez, E., Burt, M., & Dulay, H. (1978). Language dominance and proficiency testing: some general considerations. NABE journal, 3(1), 41-54. Igboanusi, H. (2008). Mother tongue-based bilingual education in Nigeria: Attitudes and practice. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 11(6), 721-734. Kanana, F. E. (2013). Examining African Languages as Tools for National Development: The Case of Kiswahili. Journal of Pan African Studies, 6(6), 41. Myers-Scotton, C. (2005). Multiple voices: An introduction to bilingualism. Wiley-Blackwell. Ng, D. F., & Zhao, J. (2014). Investigating Cantonese speakers' language attitudes in Mainland China. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, (ahead-of-print), 1-15. Phillipson, R. (1996). Linguistic imperialism: African perspectives. ELT Journal, 50(2), 160-167. doi:10.1093/elt/50.2.160 Ricento, T. (2013). The consequences of official bilingualism on the status and perception of non-official languages in Canada. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 34(5), 475-489. Rooy, C. V. (2013). Afrikaans in contact with English: Endangered language or case of exceptional bilingualism?. International journal of the sociology of language, 2013(224), 179-207. Tajfel, H. E. (1978). Differentiation between social groups: Studies in the social psychology of intergroup relations. Academic Press.
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Journal Section Articles
Authors

Mohamed M. Adriosh This is me

Ozge Razi This is me

Publication Date September 1, 2016
Published in Issue Year 2016 Volume: 5

Cite

APA Adriosh, M. M., & Razi, O. (2016). INVESTIGATING NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION TOWARDS ENGLISH LANGUAGE DOMINANCE OVER THEIR INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES. The Eurasia Proceedings of Educational and Social Sciences, 5, 206-213.