From Bode Durojaiye, Oyo.
A professor of English at the Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, Olatunde Ayodabo, has expressed concern over thriving of street variety of Nigerian English, saying the language should be used in a way that brings out messages, without altering it to the extent of losing its value as a medium of international exchange.
Ayodabo gave the advice in his first inaugural lecture of
the institution titled, ENGLISH IN NIGERIA; PRAGMATICS OF A VEHICULAR
LANGUAGE.
He said no matter the efforts put in place street variety of English
cannot be eradicated because various Nigerians of different ethnic,
educational, socio-economic and political backgrounds and persuasions
will need English as a cross-border language to fulfil different
functional needs.
‘’What of our hip-hop musicians and Nollywood industry practitioners
that produce what they desire and not what experts vet in terms of
linguistic standard? The rural/urban drift does not help matters, as well, since the urban areas hold the promise of the elite variety of any language. That drift has further increased the utility value of Nigerian English [whatever the quality].
The don asserted that no Nigerian possesses ninety-percent competence
and efficiency in both the spoken and written English, simply because
contrastive linguistics has taught thatwhere differences exist in the
systems of two or more languages, such differences will inhibit the
proficiency and mastery of a target language.
‘’Here, the most proficient target language in Nigeria, today is
English. English as a second language in Nigeria will continue to be
a phenomenon that is examined and re-examined continually, due to the
historical , political and social contexts of its use, apart from its
indispensable utility value.
Ayodabo further explained that a language may be defined as
‘vehicular’ when it is adopted for communication between members of
different linguistic groups ,adding that the prevalence of the use of
certain vehicular languages over others, at a given time or in a given
field, depends on linguistic, cultural and economic factors of
predominance.
English in Nigeria, the don said, is therefore a vehicular language,
given the multi-lingual nature of the country and the dynamics of our
daily life in several fields.
The colouful event was attended by eminent personalities across the country, including Justice Babatunde Garba of the Kwara State High Court, the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Olanipekun Larooye 11 and Chairman,
House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education,
Zakari Mohammed.
