The Effect Of Nigerian Pidgin English On Students Of Tertiary Institutions

The Effect Of Nigerian Pidgin English On Students Of Tertiary Institutions

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Introduction:

The ability of man to talk and be able to communicate in a way that other people can comprehend is one of the key differences between an animal and a human. The universal acceptance of the populace to react to a specific sound code makes language comprehension possible in any community. For instance, the meaning of the term “water” is understood by all languages that speak English. According to Akindele and Adegbije, language is a phenomenon that only humans are capable of and that takes the shape of phonetic units (phonemes), words, morphemes, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs or discourse (1).

It is clear from that definition why language has been deemed to be man’s most outstanding quality. Humans are able to grasp and transmit reality from one generation to the next through the use of language. Blakar, who claims that “we actually live and behave in a world of language” (4), supports this point of view. Noam Chomsky was reported by Victoria Fromkin and Robert Rodman as saying: “When we study human language, we approach what some might call the human essence.” the mental abilities that are, as far as we can tell, exclusive to humans. (1).

The primary method of human communication is language, which Oyewo Yinka defines as “the medium or vehicle for conveying ideas, a system of arbitrary vocal symbol based on social cooperation; the totality of meaningful utterance in any given society” (15).

The main subject of this study is how Nigerian Pidgin English affects students. The history of linguistic interaction, subsequent borrowing, and code-mixing in Pidgin varies. The first contacts between multilingual coastal populations and Portuguese traders—who were later joined by the Dutch and the English—are said to be the source of Nigerian pidgin. Nigerian Pidgin English is actually rising to prominence across the nation, particularly at secondary schools and universities, as well as in official events and in workplaces. It serves as a unifying language for the nation’s many ethnic groups in terms of social integration.

Pidgin English from Nigeria has advanced to the point where it is used for literary communication. “Dis Nigeria Sef,” a poetry by Ken Saro-Wiwa, “No Food No Country,” a play by Tunde Fatunde, and “Grip Am,” a play by Ola Rotimi are a few examples of works that use Nigerian pidgin as a means of expression, albeit some people think it has a poor social rank. As the primary language used for communication among the many diverse speakers in Nigeria, Nigerian Pidgin is here to stay. According to Jowitt, pidgin is currently in great demand as a means of interethnic communication, particularly in the south and in major towns with sizable populations of non-native people (such as Bendel, Benin, Port Harcourt, etc.).(13)

In this scenario, the normal linguistic pattern has been altered but is nevertheless widely used to communicate meaning. The language is not only constantly changing; it also developed through a fusion of various tongues. Experiences have demonstrated that Nigerian Pidgin English has achieved a wider audience among the students for whom this work was intended in all sectors of the economy, especially the educational sector.