Multilingualism in Nigeria. a Blessing or a Curse
TITLE PAGE MULTILINGUALISM IN NIGERIA: A BLESSING OR A CURSE?
PREFACE
Multilingualism is an issue that has become a subject of discussion in a variety of language related disciplines. Some researchers discuss multilingualism as a sociolinguistic concept through which issues of language contact and the status of the mother tongue can be interrogated. Others see multilingualism as a political matter, that is, an issue which requires solutions to language problems from the policy makers who are political authorities in a multilingual nation, and as an economic problem, because, as Jahr (1998) states, chaotic language differences are determinants of economic disadvantage whereas well planned language differences are considered to be resources. Many studies on various multilingual societies have been conducted by among others Cuvelier, Du Plessis, & Teck (2003) on multilingualism, education and social integration in Belgium, Europe, South Africa and Southern Africa; Deprez & Du Plessis (2000) on multilingualism and government in Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, former Yugoslavia and South Africa; Emenanjo (1990) on multilingualism and language policy in Nigeria.
This work shows that as much as multilingualism in Nigeria is a blessing, it is also a curse.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page
Preface
Table of contents
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Definition of the key word “Multilingualism” 1.2 Patterns of Historical development of Multilingualism
CHAPTER TWO: MULTILINGUALISM IN NIGERIA
2.1 Merits of Multilingualism
2.2 Demerits of Multilingualism
CHAPTER THREE: MULTILINGUALISM IN NIGERIA: A BLESSING OR A CURSE?
CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSIONS
REFERENCES
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Multilingualism refers to the existence of many languages in a society, that is, language pluralism. This phenomenon is more prevalent in Asian and African countries because of the merging of many ethnic groups (with different languages) to form individual countries. This was done
PREFACE
Multilingualism is an issue that has become a subject of discussion in a variety of language related disciplines. Some researchers discuss multilingualism as a sociolinguistic concept through which issues of language contact and the status of the mother tongue can be interrogated. Others see multilingualism as a political matter, that is, an issue which requires solutions to language problems from the policy makers who are political authorities in a multilingual nation, and as an economic problem, because, as Jahr (1998) states, chaotic language differences are determinants of economic disadvantage whereas well planned language differences are considered to be resources. Many studies on various multilingual societies have been conducted by among others Cuvelier, Du Plessis, & Teck (2003) on multilingualism, education and social integration in Belgium, Europe, South Africa and Southern Africa; Deprez & Du Plessis (2000) on multilingualism and government in Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, former Yugoslavia and South Africa; Emenanjo (1990) on multilingualism and language policy in Nigeria.
This work shows that as much as multilingualism in Nigeria is a blessing, it is also a curse.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page
Preface
Table of contents
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Definition of the key word “Multilingualism” 1.2 Patterns of Historical development of Multilingualism
CHAPTER TWO: MULTILINGUALISM IN NIGERIA
2.1 Merits of Multilingualism
2.2 Demerits of Multilingualism
CHAPTER THREE: MULTILINGUALISM IN NIGERIA: A BLESSING OR A CURSE?
CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSIONS
REFERENCES
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Multilingualism refers to the existence of many languages in a society, that is, language pluralism. This phenomenon is more prevalent in Asian and African countries because of the merging of many ethnic groups (with different languages) to form individual countries. This was done
References: Agbedo, C.U. (2000). Problems of Multilingual Nations: The Nigerian Perspective. Appel.R, and P. Muysken. 1987. Language contact and bilingualism. London: Edward Arnold. Cenoz, Jasone and Genesee, Fred, (eds) Cenoz, Jasone and Jessner, U. (2004). Globalization and Multilingualism. International Journal of Multilingualism Emenanjo (1990). Multilingualism and language policy in Nigeria. Romaine, S. (2000). Language in Society: An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. New York Trudgill, P Uguru,J.O. (2008). A Common Nigerian Language: A Prerequisite for National and Development Valdes, G. (2003). Multilingualism LSA Fields of Linguistics: Stanford: Stanford University. Wardhaugh, R (2006). An Introduction to Sociolinguistics (5th edition). Oxford: Blackwell Publishers limited Wardhaugh, R. (2004). An Introduction to Sociolinguistics (4th ed.). Weinrelch, U. (1974). Languages In Contact The Hague: Mouton. Wolff, Ekkehard (2000). Language and Society. In: Bernd Heine and Derek Nurse (Eds.) African Languages - An Introduction, 317