CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background to the Study
Language is
a human phenomenon that goes way beyond it’s immediate semiotic possibility to
be a diverse sociological factor in which the people’s historical, political,
cultural memory and behaviour is encapsulated. From a certain language use one
can tell another’s social and cultural background and also the strings of
events that has shaped the persons personality. For this reason, it is seen
that language affects the people as much as the people affect a language.
Usually,
the longer the event experienced by the said language users the more solidified
the affects on them are by language and the clearer it is evident in the
language. In a more political event like colonialism which always goes beyond a
political factor to shaping the people’s attitude to life but also shaping the
people’s attitude to their own native language especially to the point of
disadvantaging the native language.
This
disadvantage is as a result of the social significance the new language has
come to stand for thereby relegating the native language to the backgrounds and
imbuing it with low social standing and associating it’s ardent users with the
perception of lacking in culture. It is no wonder that when an event like
colonialism goes side by side with formal education or a new form of education,
those who are not exposed to it and who often clings to the older world views
and cultural orientation are seen as unlearned and prejudiced. Because of the
position of the new language, in this our case- English, the people often tend
to disassociate themselves from it thereby positioning the native language to it’s
demise through disuse.
1.2
Statement of the Problem
A
relationship between two language always is not an equal one. There are
internal convolutions which always defines them. Surprisingly, these internal
working are usually user based than the language based in that the users
perception of the two languages often shape this relationship and it’s outcome.
In Nigeria, the English language is the language of the media, education,
formal relations and the language of the intellectuals. This has conferred on
the language the status of high social class alongside it’s fluent users to the
disadvantage of the native language. The younger the users the more the hold
the language has on him or her while those who are not so fluent in the English
language are associated with lack of education and the entire prejudice that
comes with such social judgement. The motivation of this present research work
is to study the presence of English Linguicism and language loss as it pertains
to the Yoruba language with students of Obafemi Awolowo University and Adeyemi College
of Education as a case study.
1.3 Research
Questions
1.
Is
there a manifestation of English Linguicism in the Yoruba speaking parts of the
country?
2.
Is
there a possible indication of the situation to a total loss of Yoruba language
with time?
3.
What
political factors exacerbate the situation?
1.4 Objectives
of the Study
1. To
determine if there is a manifestation of English Linguicism in the Yoruba
speaking parts of the country.
2. To
determine if there is a possible
indication of the situation to a total loss of Yoruba language with time.
3. To
examine the political factors that can exacerbate the situation.
1.5
Significance of the Study
The work
will significantly help in the resuscitation of the language and motivate
campaigns that are geared towards the boosting of the use of the Yoruba
language especially among the younger generation. So far, the discussions on
the issue going on presently are always around academic circles which the
younger generation who are mostly affected by the English Linguicism are not
relatable to. The study carried out here will reinvent the posture and methods
of the conversations around the issue so that a more practical approach will be
adopted in the tackling of the issue.
1.6
Research Hypothesis
Ho: The manifestation of English
Linguicism in the Yoruba speaking parts of the country is not statistically
significant.
H1: The manifestation of
English Linguicism in the Yoruba speaking parts of the country is statistically
significant.
1.7
Scope of the Study
The
research is limited to the campuses of Awolowo university and Adeyemi college
of education and is focused on the manifestations of English Linguicism as it
pertains to the students of those tertiary institutions with the exception of
their staff members.
1.8
Limitations of the Study
Time
majorly is the limiting factor for this research as there are many literature
to be sifted through in understanding the nature of English Linguicism in the
Yoruba language in the case studies.
1.9
Definition of Terms
Linguicism
This refers
to the discrimination of an individual based on his or her language use or
entirely his language. It also manifests in the overall judging of a person’s
academic achievements, social status, character and wealth based simply on his
or her language use or the eloquence or the lack of it in a particular
language.
Language Loss
This
refers, in the worst case scenario, to the death of the last native speaker of
a particular language like is the case with Latin and many other languages. It
also refers to the absorption of a minor language by another through
politically motivated disuse of the former.