ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of
Pidgin English on student English language writing skills in Ebonyi State
University. The Study adopted the survey research method using
self-administered questionnaire. The data gathered from the questionnaire
revealed that Pidgin English is spoken widely among the students.
The negative influence of
Nigerian Pidgin on the use of English language by our respondent requires
urgent and concerted effort to help the situation. The samples used for the
study were 100 students.
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of study
According to (Akwanya, 2010), language has often been
identified as the most unique attribute of man and without language, there is
no society. Language does not only bring meanings to the world, it also shape
one’s cognitive process. Such as perception, interpretation and judgment. Also
according to William (1992) he agrees that language embodies the spirit of
people who speak it also that grammatical forms have influence on the
development of ideas.
Although English language is the country’s
official language, it is also a second language because Nigerians already had
their first language that is their mother tongue (li) before the invasion of
the foreign language “English language” into the country. English language did
not come to Nigeria on its own. Its movement into Nigeria was caused by a lot
of factors like trading, slavery colonization and missionary activities and
this also led to the existence of pidgin language23 that is rampart all over
the world but mainly in Nigeria.
The
origins of Pidgin English
Pidgin English or broken English (as it is called)
originated during the slave trade era as a means of communication between the
Europeans and the Africans. It was the language used in their business
transaction in the seventeenth century. It is a continuousseries of English
Pidgins and creoles spoken by other West-African countries such as Cameroon,
Sierra Leone and Ghana.
In the 19th century, undocumented laborers from
China, Portugal, Japan, the Philippines, Korea, and many other nations were
brought to work on plantations, alongside Hawaiians that were owned and
operated by Caucasian North Americans. Pidgin Hawaiian was the first Pidgin to
develop on plantation in the 19th century, for Hawaiian was the main
language of interethnic communication in schools and society until 1875, when
the Reciprocity treaty with the United States was signed. Due to their
spontaneous adaptability, Pidgins are unlike other languages in that they can
be as structured or as unstructured as needed. Pidgins are not used as mother tongues, although over time
and generations, the language evolves is adopted and changes gradually to
become first language for new generation
Historically this occurs in situations where native
language is seen as coordinate, or banned in the case of slavery, and is the
point where Pidgin arguably moves to become a creek, or a normalized language.
Scholars debated up till now, to what point can Pidgin language evolve to
become a Creole and replace a native language over the generations. Complicated
staff for such a seemingly simple language set.
The Nigerian Pidgin English is a version of English and
Ethic Nigerian languages spoken as a kind of lingua Franca across Nigeria and
is referred to as “Broken English” or even Broken bottle” it is estimated that
Nigerian Pidgin English is the native language of approximate 3 to 5 million
people and is a second language for at least another 75 million people. English
introduced to Nigeria during the colonial era, was chosen as Nigeria’s only
official language. However not all the English spoken in Nigeria is the
Standard English recognizable in most English-speaking countries. A new way of
speaking and interacting among non-native speaker has developed with its own
unique pronunciation and vocabulary. This form of communication is Nigerian
Pidgin English also referred to as Pidgin by the speakers. Although Pidgin English has been badly
misunderstood by many English language experts as being dirty. It doesn’t stop
anybody who speaks it to. ICONS like felaAnikulapa- kuti have been
misunderstood but that didn’t stop him from singing all his afro beats with
Pidgin English.
A1though
pidgin is not recognized in national development, Pidgin English has been
growing fast since its inception. In essence, two languages spoken commonly in
Nigeria especially in inter-ethnic situations are English language and Pidgin
English (Gani-Kilama, 1992). In the case of English language even though it is
found in every part of the country it is restricted to those who have formal
education. As for Pidgin English, not only is it found in every part of the
country but it is also spoken by people of all classes weather they are
illiterates or formally educated. Elugbe and Omamar (1991) discuss the use of
Pidgin English in academic by some lecturers and students.
The
problem of most writers is direct translation of their mother tongue while
writing. Writing skill is a higher order skill and it has to be taught formally
in the school. In writing, the following are to be considered:
• Grammar
• A range of vocabulary
• Punctuation
• Mechanical accuracy
• Using a range of
sentence structure
• Linking of ideas
across sentence to develop a topic
• Developing and
organizing the contents
The
above mentioned items which are to be considered while writing cannot be
achieved without speaking this is because writing cannot be achieved without
speaking. Most people assume that one writes what one speaks. According to
Ogbueli (2003) he enumerated some factors which language learners contend with.
These factors include; the interference phenomenon, unavailability of spoken
medium, conflicting theories of English as a second language and use of pidgin.
Another factor is the unavailability of the spoken medium. The students are not
exposed to the spoken medium of the language. Learning a language is expedient
when a learner begins with the spoken variety. The variety carries all
emotional and cultural nuances of the language and therefore, makes creativity
in the writing medium easier.
1.2
Statement of Problem
Pidgin is a language of
its own just as Standard English language. Though Nigerian pidgin appeared to
be the most popular means of communicating with some groups and its easier to
learn than any other language in the country. It is generally known that pidgin
is not the suitable language to use in formal setting. Therefore, its use in
formal setting is usually not accepted, contrary to the situation above,
learners use pidgin while interacting with each other and at the same time
adopts the socio-linguistic behavior of code-switching. Code switching is a
linguistic process whereby an individual switch from one language to another
within a single speech event. This seems to influence the English language
writing skills of Ebonyi State University students. These Pidgin English has
deprived plenty of students the ability to be conversant with the Standard
English that is indispensable among Nigerian students. Every student needs a
proper understanding of the English language in order to perform in any courses
of study excellently.
1.3
Purpose of Study
The general purpose of
the study is to examine the influence of pidgin language on student’s English
language writing skills.
Specifically, the study
intends to find out:
1. Influence of Pidgin
English on students understanding of grammatical rules of Standard English.
2. Influence of Pidgin
English on student use of standard written English.
3. Influence of Pidgin
English on students style of writing Standard English.
1.4
Significance of the Study
The
study of the influence of Nigerian pidgin on Ebonyi State University students.
English language writing skills will be of benefit to the student, the English
teacher, the curriculum planner and the government also the society. It is
expected to improve the ability of the students to interact effectively in
their written English language. The teaching of GST 101 should be looked into
in other to enhance/improve good English and to create awareness for the
student and the lecturer about the endangerment and harm pidgin language is
causing in our society and schools.
Curriculum
planners are expected to develop curricula that will tackle/solve the problem
of code mixing pidgin with Standard English language by students: The society
will see the need to improve in English language by embarking on intervention
programme or seminar necessary to enable the students handle the Nigerian
pidgin differently from the standard English language.
1.5 Scope of Study
This study intends to
investigate the influence of Nigeria pidgin on Ebonyi State University students.English
language writing skills. Owing to constraints of time, this study is restricted
to only the student of Ebonyi State University While the content scope of this
study in the influence of Pidgin English on Ebonyi State University students English
language skills.
1.6
Research Questions
1. What is the effect
of Pidgin English on students understanding of grammatical rules of Standard
English?
2. To what extent does
Pidgin English influence the students performance in the use of standard
written English?
3. To what extent does
Pidgin English influence students style of writing standard English.
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