CHAPTER 1
Introduction:
One of the most important differences between man and animal is man’s
ability to speak and make others understand him. Language is only
possible because within each society, people agree to understand a
particular pattern of sound in a particular way. For instance, all
English speaking countries understand the meaning of the word ‘water’.
According to Akindele and Adegbije, language is:
A human phenomenon
that has form which can be described in terms of units of sound
(phonemes), word, morphemes, phrases, sentences and paragraphs or
discourse (1).This definition shows that language has often been
identified as the most unique attribute of man. It is through language
that human beings grasp and understand reality and transmit it from one
generation to another. This view is buttressed by Blakar who asserts
that “we actually live and behave in a world of language” (4). Victoria
Fromkin and Robert Rodman quoted Noam Chomoky as saying that:
When
we study human language, we are approaching what some might call the
human essence. The distributive qualities of mind that are so far as we
know unique to man. (1). Language, which Oyewo Yinka describe as
“the medium or vehicle for conveying ideas, a system of arbitrary vocal
symbol based on social cooperation; the totality of meaningful utterance
in any given society” (15) is by far the most important means of human
communication. The effects of Nigerian Pidgin English on students is the
focus of this research work. Pidgin has their different histories about
language contact and subsequent borrowing and code-mixing. The origin
of Nigerian pidgin can be traced to the contact which was established
between multilingual coastal communities and Portuguese merchants, who
were joined later by the Dutch and the English. Nigerian Pidgin English
is in fact becoming very popular in the country, especially in the
secondary schools and in the universities; even at public function as
well as in the offices. It is a lingua franca for social integration
among diverse ethnic groups in the country. Nigerian Pidgin English has
developed to the extent that it is utilized for literary communication.
Some of the works which Nigerian pidgin is employed as a medium of
expression are “Dis Nigeria Sef” a poem written by Ken Saro-Wiwa,
No Food No Country a play by Tunde Fatunde, and
Grip Am a
play by Ola Rotimi; though some people consider it to be a low social
status. Nigerian Pidgin has come to stay as the major lingua franca
adopted for communication among the many different speakers in Nigeria.
According to Jowitt:
The situation today is that pidgin flourishes
as a medium of inter-ethnic communication, especially in the south, and
especially in the large cities with many non-indigenous residents
(Bendel, Benin, Port Harcourt, etc) or throughout States with small many
ethnic groups…(13) Nigerian Pidgin in this case is a situation
where normal language pattern is altered, but generally accepted to
convey meaning. The language does not only evolve but also has its
origin from a mixture of other languages. Experiences have shown that
among the students for which this work was conceived, Nigerian Pidgin
English has gained a wider audience in all sectors of the economy,
especially the educational sector.
Background to The Study: The
term pidgin is used to refer to a language which develops in a
situation where speakers of different languages have a need to
communicate but do not share a common language. Once a pidgin has
emerged, it is generally learned as a second language and used for
communication among people who speak differently. Language is the most
creative and unlimited instrument for social communication and it helps
us to understand the deep seated social relevance, culture involvement
and the human relatedness of language. Having said this, we can
therefore agree that pidgin is a language of its own and not just a
supplementary tongue as some people see it, since it serves as an
unlimited instrument of social communication especially in a
multilingual community as Caritas University. According to R. Linton he
states that “the culture of a society is the way of life of its members,
the collection of ideas and habits which they learn, share and transmit
from generation to generation” (12). These cultures, ideas and habits
can only be transmitted from generation to generation through language.
In linguistic, every language is considered adequate to represent the
communicative needs of its people and as such should not be made to
suffer any biases. This cannot be said of Nigerian Pidgin – even though
it is a language – because various attempts have been made by different
faction to eradicate the use of Nigerian Pidgin English. These attempts
have however been unsuccessful because of the significant value the
language has to its users. It is a language that has brought people
together in spite of their differences in ancestral culture and language
by creating a local culture for itself which blends ideas from
different cultures.
Statement of Research Problem: Nigerian
Pidgin is a language just as English and there is enough room for both
language to co-exist and be mutually enriching. Despite this – and the
fact that Nigerian Pidgin English appears to be the most popular means
of communication among diverse groups and is easier to learn than any
other language in the country today – it is generally asserted that it
is not the suitable language for use in formal setting and its use in
such setting is usually frowned at. This research work will explore the
potentials of Nigerian Pidgin English as a language. If Nigerian Pidgin
English does have this potential, why is its usage and status
denigrated? Also, does the speaking of Nigerian Pidgin affect the
student’s academic performance? Answers to these questions will enable
us make useful recommendations for future studies.
Purpose of the Study: This
work intends to look into the effectiveness and status of Nigerian
Pidgin English. It is inherent that for a long period of time that
Nigerian Pidgin English has been the means of communication among
students in the higher institutions. This research will bring into light
if the use of Nigeria Pidgin English has any effect on the students and
their academic performance in Caritas University. The finding will be
regarded to be generic, affecting also students in other institutions
who equally exalt Nigerian Pidgin English above standard English.
Significance 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. If
Nigerian Pidgin English has contributed negatively or positively to the
students. This work will in no doubt contribute to one’s knowledge
especially in the department of English, Caritas University, Enugu as it
will highlight some issues in educational planning. It will be a guide
for the federal government in planning for effective educational
system.