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Place of Bilingualism in Nigeria

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Place of Bilingualism in Nigeria
The Practice of Bilingualism in Nigeria: Factors That Encourage Bilingualism – Before, During and After the Colonial Era
A Term Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements of the Course:
ENG 503: Bilingualism and Multilingualism
June 2010
By
Emmanuel U. Dimike
2009026016F
Dimike, 2
INTRODUCTION
In the world today, the number of people who use more than one language is greater than the number of people who use only one language. This study focuses on these people with more than one language, especially in Nigeria – Do such people exist in Nigeria? What factors encourage the use of more than one language by individuals in Nigeria?
BILINGUALISM
People who use more than one language are said to be “bilinguals”. Where such people use more than two languages, they are called “multilinguals”
What is Bilingualism?
According to Anyanwu, “the term „bilingualism‟ means the existence of two languages in the repertoire of an individual or a speech community.” Whenever two languages come in contact within an individual or a community such an individual or host community inevitably becomes bilingual (Crystal). This means that bilingualism exists at two different levels: the level of the individual and the society. This study will consider both individual and societal bilingualism.
Ogunkeye sees a bilingual as an individual who can use at least two languages comfortably, with varying degrees of competence (6). A bilingual is therefore a person who understands a second language in addition to his first language.
Dimike, 3
Effects of Bilingualism
In the first place, it should be noted, “languages in contact are often languages in competition and there is no language contact without language conflict” (Igboanusi & Oha 125). With this knowledge in mind, it should not surprise us to learn that in the past, many linguists concluded that bilingualism had a negative effect on the language capabilities of bilinguals. Bernstein posits, “A bilingual is always at a disadvantage


Cited: Achebe, Chinua. Arrow of God. London: Heinemann, 1964. Adegbija, E. E. Language Attitudes in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Sociolinguistic Overview. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters Ltd, 1994. ---. “The National Language Question and Minority Language Rights in Africa: A Nigerian Case Study.” Eds. Cohen, G. Hyden and W. Nagan. Human Rights and Governance in Africa. Gainesville: UP of Florida, 1993. 191-214. Awobuluyi, O. The New National Policy on Education in Linguistic Perspective. Ilorin: U of Ilorin P, 1979. Crystal, David. The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Language, Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1997. Federal Republic of Nigeria. Ministry of Information. Federal Republic of Nigeria Revised National Policy on Education. Lagos: Federal Ministry of Information, 1989. Grimes, B.F., ed. Ethnologue: Languages of the World. 14th ed. SIL International, 2000. Igboanusi, Herbert, and Isaac Oha. “Language Conflict in Nigeria: the Perspective of Linguistic Minorities.” Language Attitude and Language Conflict in West Africa. Ed. Herbert Igboanusi. Ibadan: Enicrownfit, 2001. Ihemere, Kelechukwu. A Tri-Generational Study of Language Choice and Shift in Port Harcourt. Port Harcourt: Universal Publishers, 2007. Lyons, J. Language and Linguistics: An Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1981. Odumuh, Adama. Nigerian English. Zaria: Ahmadu Bello UP, 1987. Wolf, Ekkehard H. “Language and society.” African languages: An introduction. Eds. B. Heine and D. Nurse. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2000. 298-347.
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