Lack of Interest in Indigenous Languages Among Youths in Niger Delta
Chapter One
Research Objectives
- To evaluate the extent of lack of interest on indigenous languages among youths;
- To find out the extent to which the government, public and private sectors are working to revive the indigenous languages in Niger Delta
- To determine if English will become Nigeria’s overall language/identity.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
This chapter discusses some of the initiatives that have been taken in the name of revitalizing indigenous languages in Nigeria where English is widely spoken. The review is built around important issues like the struggle for language and identity, the national language issue, the position of English in Nigeria, the position and struggle of the indigenous languages of the Niger Delta, and the fight for status recognition in the language of Nigerian literature, especially fictional prose.
Preference for Foreign Languages/Culture
Since English is the de facto and de jure language of officialdom, Adegbija (1994, 15-24, 96; 2004: 125-129) reveals the most widespread attitudes toward indigenous, exoglossic, and exo-endoglossic languages in Africa and Nigeria. Nigerians and Africans in general strongly favor and prefer English. He goes on to explain why the employment of foreign languages in Nigerian education is preferred over indigenous languages, especially at the tertiary level. He points out that many Nigerians claim English as their mother tongue. According to Omole (2011), this is further supported by the fact that many parents who find it difficult to speak proper English even coerce their kids into giving up their native tongues in favor of learning English. Additional evidence that many Nigerian children are unable to speak their native languages comes from a recent survey by the Nigerian Television Authority.
Similar to how teachers discipline students for speaking indigenous languages at school, Babajide (2001:1-3) and Omogui (2005) claim that most parents forbid their children from speaking indigenous languages at home. It is not permitted for teachers to use native tongues in the classroom. To promote the teaching and study of these languages versus indigenous languages, parent-teacher associations hire foreign language teachers. Also supporting this are Oyetade (2001) and Mowarin (2004). These attitudes are all a result of the roles that have been given to the English language. According to a study by Owusu-Ansah and Richard (2013), Ghanaians have a negative attitude about their native tongues as a result of the roles that English is used for.
According to Babajide’s (2001) study, which sought to understand how often respondents used English over other languages, including their home tongue, and how they felt when they were addressed in English, the Ibos used English more frequently than the Yorubas and Hausas virtually constantly. But aside from the fact that a study of this size left out the lower class, which makes up the greater population that should be investigated in terms of linguistic attitudes, only 80 copies of the questionnaire were distributed to such a huge and diverse Nigerian community. In a similar line, Oyetade’s (2001) assessment of language attitude studies reveals that English is used more frequently in public settings and has enjoyed significant support from Nigerians ever since the colonial era. Since attitudes are not a continuous variable, he nonetheless gathered information about them from earlier research without conducting a specific scientific study that was fairly current (Adegbija, 2004).
In a multilingual and multicultural setting, Igboanusi and Ohia (2001) investigated language conflict among linguistic minority groups in Nigeria. Their research shows that a significant portion of Nigerians are aware of the government’s directive that every secondary school student in Nigeria learn at least one major Nigerian language. The tri-modal language strategy is seen favorably by Nigerians as a way to foster national unity. Yet, a higher percentage of respondents prefer talking in English rather than any of the other Nigerian languages out of concern about ethnic dominance and the negative impact of the major language on their local languages.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
In this chapter, we shall evaluate different language theories and state the one chosen for this study. We shall further describe the methods to be used for the study.
Design of the Study
A research design is said to be a logical model of proof that allows the researcher to draw inferences concerning casual relations among variables under investigation. Ogenyi agrees with Blaxter, Hughes, and Tight who cite Hutton as saying that survey research is the method of collecting information by asking a set of pre-formulated questions in predetermined sequence in a structured questionnaire to a sample of individuals drawn so as to be representative to a defined population (122).
Therefore, this research is a survey study since it is concerned with the evaluation of the status struggle between the English language and the indigenous languages in Niger Delta, with a view to determining the language that will emerge the winner.
Population of the Study
The population of the study is composed of youths from the Niger Delta in Nigeria. The reason why form three classes are included is because the language which they speak now helps in determining the outcome of the indigenous language sustenance. Using the adult population will help to get a general view on the changes which the indigenous languages have undergone. However, the population of this study is limited to three hundred (300) persons.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
Introduction
This chapter deals with the presentation, analysis and interpretation of data collected. The researcher uses the tabular form to analyse the data generated from the respondents; brief analysis is made below so as to aid in understanding the table.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Summary
Language has been seen as a cultural tool for the easy identification of a people. The English language has been seen to be standing against the indigenous languages in Niger Delta; Ibibio, Urhobo, Ikwerre. The fact remains that the English language is not a native language in Nigeria, but recent studies reveal that due to the functional load it carries and the process of grooming the younger generation in the language, it is becoming a native language. The prediction of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation about indigenous languages has initiated a lot of struggle to dethrone the English language and win their rightful place in the affairs of the nation and the lives of her people.
We therefore base our findings on the theoretical framework that has been adopted for the study. Adopting rationalism as the approach to this study, it will help to bring the argument to a logical conclusion and presentation. It will also help to identify if the efforts being made on and by the indigenous languages are guided with a logical aim or a misguided one. We should recall what we stated in chapter four that since rationalism is the “quality or state of being reasonable based on facts or reason, arational decision is one that is not just reasoned, but is also optimal for achieving a goal or solving a problem”. The researcher therefore believes that the information gathered for this study is adequate enough in making decision.
The indigenous languages have engaged in a serious struggle to “dethrone” the English language and win back their rightful place in political, social and economic aspects of Nigeria. It is evident from the data collected that the indigenous languages have suffered serious influence at the presence of the English language which has expanded its status from official language (achieved status) to a mother tongue (ascribed status). However, the efforts put in by the indigenous languages to restoring their original position in the lives of the citizens of Nigeria seem not to be yielding much fruit. It is also revealed that the indigenous languages are leaving their original “ascribed status” to “achieved status” because their speakers do not see their values in the affairs of the nation or what good it could bring to them afterwards.
The act of grooming the children in the English language is one of the places where the indigenous languages have also engaged in struggle against the English language. However, further findings from the analyses reveal that the act of grooming the children in the English language cannot be stopped or curtailed. It has even increased to the extent that some of them can understand when one speaks the indigenous languages but cannot reply in it, while others cannot understand nor reply at all. This therefore undermines the initial definition of the mother tongue as the language of one’s parents or immediate environment. At this, the efforts of the indigenous languages seem to be very weak and unlikely to yield a positive result.
Although the most of the citizens are becoming aware of the danger the English language looms on the indigenous ones, the findings from the data collected reveal that their efforts are undermined as the government does not show serious implementation of its policies and programmes on the indigenous languages’ revitalisation. Therefore, their efforts seem to be baseless since it does not have a veritable place like the English language in national affairs.
Consequently, as most scholars are concerned with the revitalisation of dying languages, it was revealed that Nigerians do not show interest in reading, writing and publishing works in the indigenous languages. In the findings, only 22% of Nigerians can boast of reading in full, 1-5 indigenous language literature. One would ask, what happened to 78% of the population? One may also wonder what the fate of these languages would look like in the future. This too undermines the efforts put in the struggle since the English language is seen as the lord of easy understanding and conveyance of information among Nigerians. In this, the researcher holds onto the fact that no one would want to associate with a failure.
On the issue of a language marking one’s identity, it was revealed that a total of 62% of Nigerians share the view that the language one speaks marks one’s identity. Only 33% disagree with that idea. The reason for this 33% disagreement from the respondent is based on the view that even though that they are English speakers, the still have the blood of Nigeria flowing in their veins. They fail to understand the psychological effect this has on the indigenous languages of their fatherland. Therefore, this shows that the indigenous languages are completely losing the struggle as most Nigerians are said to have become English speakers. Consequently, they have no language of their fatherland to transmit to their wards or their future generation.
Most Nigerians, especially scholars, believe that the teaching, speaking and utilisation of the indigenous languages at the helm of Nigeria’s affairs will go a long way in limiting the rate at which some Nigerians surge after the English language. This they believe will strengthen their indigenous languages. Therefore, they have engaged in the struggle to “dethrone” the English language from most areas it has run the indigenous languages down. However, it is observed that the English language is not moved or shaken as the indigenous languages struggle to outshine it. In the interview section, it was revealed that the national language policy on education, to use the indigenous languages in teaching has not been implemented. It was also observed that some parents, mostly of the urhobo speaking zone, consciously prevent their children from speaking their native languages. It is also a fact that most of their wards have not visited their hometown ever since they were born.
Conclusion
The study has, to an extent, discussed the status struggle between the English language and the indigenous languages in Niger Delta. It has been revealed that the indigenous languages are indeed endangered due to the attitude of their speakers and the process of grooming the younger generation in the English language. However, the awareness of this has made indigenous language to struggle with the English language.
However, this research proposed to find out, between the English language and the indigenous languages, which side will win in the struggle. It is believed from the evaluation that despite the struggle, the efforts put in by the indigenous languages are not adequate enough to pull them through. Therefore, adopting rationalistic theory in this study, the researcher asserts that the English language stands to win because even if the indigenous language should fight its way back to regaining its status, little or no serious attention is paid to it in the affairs of the nation. In addition to that, the indigenous languages do not contribute to one securing a white collar job. Nigerians rate poorly in writing and publishing in the indigenous languages. Furthermore, Nigerians show little or no interest in reading works that are published in the indigenous languages. The students only learn the indigenous languages in order to pass examinations and do not engage in any form of research exercise using it. Some parents do not even want their children to be identified in the language. Therefore, since these ones do not have foundational \base knowledge in the indigenous languages, to inculcate or pass it on to their children will almost be an impossible thing to do.
It is therefore hoped that the recommendations above be seriously taken by all concerned. From that, the generations after will not be biased on who and what language(s) their ancestors or sources spoke.
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