EFFECTS OF THE USE OF PIDGIN ENGLISH ON SPEAKING COMPETENCY OF STUDENTS OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL

Abstract

The use of Pidgin English in the Nigerian context has gone beyond verbal communication to become more of a mode of behaviour as its expression has moved from informal conversation to formal situations. This above scenario necessitated this study which investigates effects of the use of pidgin English on speaking competency of students of senior secondary school in Kwara state. Using the descriptive research design and the questionnaire as the research instruments, data were collected from a sample of 200 students and 35 teachers from four selected secondary schools in Kwara state. Selected students were analysed to complement results from the questionnaire. Findings reveal that the use of Pidgin English is traceable to the students’ homes. However, the finding that students do not use Pidgin English when communicating, the students which also reveal an adverse effect of Pidgin on Standard English both in spelling and contextual usage. The researcher, therefore, concludes that the use of Pidgin English creates a form of identity among students and hence recommends that constant monitoring and evaluation of language use in teaching and learning in Nigeria will help check the trend of usage of Pidgin English which will guide policy making aimed at addressing this ugly trend.

Chapter one

Introduction

1.1Background of the study

The English language has attained an international acceptance due to globalization. Most of the learners need to write and speak English fluently and accurately in the general and academic domains. To use English effectively, it is important to master the four language skills, namely listening, speaking, reading and writing (LSRW) of all the four language skills, writing is considered a complex process and the most important skill for the second language learners to master. The ability to communicate ideas and information effectively through the global network is crucially dependent on good writing and speaking skills. Although, learning of another language, referred to as second language acquisition (SLA) can take place either in the classroom or in a more ‘natural’ exposure situation Gass, Torres and Jose (2015) found that the complexity and abstractness contribute to the differential effects on language areas, where learners make use of externally driven enhancement devices.

 Language in multilingual societies such as Nigeria has always been a matter of concern to educators, educational planners and parents especially with regard to its appropriate use in communication. The English language is the medium of instruction in all Nigerian educational institutions at all levels. This is the basis for Olaore (2012) comments, in the countries language policy, the fact that for a long time to come, English will continue to play a prominent role in the socio-economic and political development in Nigeria as the language of administration, politics, industry, education, science and technology is of paramount importance,’ (Abdullahi-Idiagbon, 2010).

The English language, to a large extent, functions as a second language in Nigeria. Although Nigeria is believed to have more than four hundred (400) languages with over two hundred and fifty (250) ethnic groups, (Emenanjo, 2010), the English language is the only language used for all forms of official transaction. Despite the central role the English language has been playing in communication process nationwide, the language excludes the majority of uneducated Nigerians who live in rural communities. Some Nigerian communities have more than six distinct but mutually unintelligible languages. This makes communication amongneighbours difficult. Emenanjo cited in Otagburuagu and Okorji (2003)notes that Nigerian linguistic geography is so complex that language communities can fall into small language groups called chontonolects. The convolutions in the Nigerian linguistics ecology as Otagburuagu (2003) noted, has made the use of Nigerian Pidgin a more universal and inconclusive language, inevitable in both formal and informal domains.

Tracing the history of Pidgin English, Quirk et al (2013) pointed out that“ Pidgin historically began as simply a language marked by traditional interference used chiefly by the prosperous and privileged section of a community represents by the unskilled and illiterate class of the society”(Wardhaugh, 2010). This situation, however, is not so with the Nigeria Pidgin. Studies have shown that the Nigeria Pidgin began as an English-based Pidgin and later metamorphosed into various forms and patterns in its usage, Aziza, (2010);Elugbe (2015) and Egbokhare (2013). Nigerian Pidgin English is seen as aversion of English and ethnic Nigerian languages spoken as a kind of Lingua Franca across the country especially among students. In an attempt to define Nigerian Pidgin English, Elugbe and Omamur (2011), see it as ‘some kind of marginal language that arises to fulfill specific communication needs in a well-defined circumstance.’ Furthermore, Nigerian Pidgin is a somewhat pejorative label used by native speakers of English to describe the often hysterical violations of the basic rules of Standard English syntax by non-native speakers of the language. Kperogi, (2019) further describes Pidgin as a technical term in linguistics that refers to a “contact” or “trade” language that emerged from the fusion of foreign, usually European, language and indigenous, usually non-European languages. Here, the European language provided most of the vocabulary and the indigenous languages produce the structure of the language. The cultural language which language emanates from has far reaching influences on its predominant usage as is the case with Nigerian Pidgin. Its variation, no doubt is not unconnected with the culture of its users. It is in the light of this that Abdullah – Idiagbom (2010) in his study on “The Sociolinguistic of Nigerian Pidgin (English) on University Campus” quoting Brooks, N (1969) Posits: ‘It is through the magic of language that man comes eventually to understand to an impressive degree the environment to which he lives and still more surprising, gains an insight into his own nature and his own condition.’

The teachers and students are victim of these observations about Nigerian Pidgin. And perhaps the cultural influence of the native language on the teacher is largely reflected on the students since no student is believed not to be greater than his/her teacher. In view of this, Akujobi and Chukwu(2012), quoting Ashby submitted that ‘the quality of English used in the classroom is such that all pupils are to a serious disadvantage. It cannot be doubted that thousands of the most gifted are unable to further their education because they were not taught well the language in which they were examined.’ They further pointed out that ‘according to the canons of the discipline for language pedagogy, the more the difference between the system of the target language, the more difficult learning invariably be comes and the smaller the difference, the easier the learning.’

The above assertion gives credence to the difficulty faced by students who grew up in an environment where native language is widely used than Standard English in teaching and learning. This will make their learning of the Standard English a herculean task. Students’ daily use of their native language in communication within and outside the school has further enhanced the use of Nigerian Pidgin which is derived from a blend of the morphology of the native language and the syntax of the Standard English in its usage. In real sense, no language is inferior or superior to the other. But what enhances its continuous usage is the specific communication needs that it serves and competence attained by its users over a long period of time which also makes it a norm among a well-defined group of users. It is also true that where two or more speech communities come in contact, a lingua franca or common language of communication tends to emerge (Stockwell, 2012). The distortion which Nigerian Pidgin has on the Standard English is in vary in degree and magnitude. Looking at this Nigerian Pidgin sentence: “Wetin deyhapun nau?” one knows that it is a derivative of the Standard English equivalent – “What is happening now?” Now we see that the expression“ Wetin dey’ is a distortion of “What is”; “hapun” is also another distortion of “happening” while “nau” is a corruption of “now”

Interestingly, Nigerian Pidgin is characterized by a simple, often anarchic and rudimentary grammatical structure, a severely limited vocabulary and issued for the expression of really basic thought processes (Kperogi, 2019). The above situation is a result of the fact that Nigerian Pidgin emerged more as “emergency” language for casual, shot-term linguistic encounters. Hence, it cannot be used to express high-minded thought processes and are usually not anybody’s primary or first language.

Statement of the problem

There is a general belief among students that Pidgin English serves as a variety of English that facilitates communication though it is a deviation from the norm. The above assumption provided the basis for the use of Pidgin especially among students. The use of Pidgin goes beyond verbal communication and has become more of a verbal behavior as its expression has moved from the boundaries of informal conversation to formal situations. Scholars have called for the urgent consideration and pronouncement of Nigeria Pidgin as co-official language with English. ‘Nigerian Pidgin plays a very important role in communication in Nigeria. If it will be recognized as a co-official language with English, it will enhance the participation of all citizens in the economic, social and political development of the country.’ Party to this assertion are Elugbe and Omamor (2011) who want the use of Pidgin in the classroom especially in Edo and Delta states where virtually everybody speaks the language with proficiency. Now, it is a known fact that what one reads regularly influences the way one speaks and writes. Students regularly exposé themselves to songs with lyrics written in Pidgin, magazines and jokes written in Pidgin as well as movies with Pidgin as their predominant language of communication. All these influence students’ predominant language of communication especially among themselves within and outside the school. ‘The argument,’ some scholars ‘in favour of Pidgin as a compromise language and that which could foster unity among the diverse ethnic groups has some surface attraction but many have not paused to consider the possible negative effects on the standard usage of English among pupils and students in Nigerian schools.

It is an established fact that Pidgin English exists in Nigeria which linguists call the Nigerian pidgin and that studies have been carried out on its effects on Standard English (Oko, 2013; Agbo, 2008) among others. The researcher observes that no special attention has been given to assess the level of the damage done on students’ use of the Standard English by constant use of Nigeria Pidgin English. The problem which this research therefore seeks to investigate is the effects of the use of pidgin English on speaking competency of students of senior secondary school

Objective of the study

The objectives of the study are;

1.  Find out the extent of Pidgin English usage among secondary schools in Kwara state.
2.  Determine the factors that inform students’ usage of Pidgin in secondary schools in Kwara state.
3.  Ascertain the extent of harm done by Pidgin English on the speaking competency of secondary school students in Kwara state.
4. . Find out ways to mitigate the effects of Pidgin English on Standard English usage among secondary schools students in Kwara state.

Research Question 

The following research questions were formulated;

1. To what extent is Pidgin English spoken by students in secondary schools in Kwara state?
2. To what harm done by Pidgin English on the speaking competency of secondary school students in Kwara state?
3.  What can be done to mitigate the effects of Pidgin English on Standard English usage among secondary school students in Kwara state?

Significance of the study

Professionally, the findings from this study will serve as a useful guide to language planners and policy makers on the educational sector to trace the trend and come up with a policy framework to enrich the use of Standard English as against Nigerian Pidgin.  To the academia, the study will serve as a springboard upon which further research can be carried out, possibly to explore new ways where Nigerian Pidgin can be a useful learning tool. Also the findings in this study will further enrich the body of knowledge already tapped on the use of Nigerian pidgin and its effects. Students will use the findings and recommendation from this study to examine the extent of the danger which the use of Pidgin have meted on their usage of the speaking competent and ways and approaches to avoid further harm. The teacher on the other hand, will use the findings to evaluate their method of teaching and interaction with the students. This they will do when they read from the findings the dangers Pidgin English usage have done on their writing and speaking skills.

Scope of the study

The scope of the study covers effects of the use of pidgin English on speaking competency of students of senior secondary school. The study will be limited to selected secondary schools in Kwara state.

However, in the course of this research, the following constraints were encountered thus:

1. Non-availability of enough resources (finance): A work of this nature is very tasking financially, money had to be spent at various stages of the research such resources which may aid proper carrying out of the study were not adequately available.
2. Time factor: The time used in carrying out the research work is relatively not enough to bring the best information out of it. However, I hope that the little that is contained in this study will go a long way in solving many greater problems.

Definition of terms

Pidgin English: A pidgin, or pidgin language, is a grammatically simplified means of communication that develops between two or more groups that do not have a language in common: typically, its vocabulary and grammar are limited and often drawn from several languages

Speaking competency: it is related to the speaking, so it can be defined that speaking competence is being able to speak something well. It means that the competence of human focuses on the speaking how they communicate to one another.

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