Use of Language As A Tool For Harnessing Human and Material Development in Nigeria

Citation: Abdulmumini Isah (2017). Use of Language As A Tool For Harnessing Human and Material Development in Nigeria. Yobe Journal of Language, Literature and Culture (YOJOLLAC), Vol. 5. Department of African Languages and Linguistics, Yobe State University, Damaturu, Nigeria. ISSN 2449-0660

USE OF LANGUAGE AS A TOOL FOR HARNESSING HUMAN AND MATERIAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

By

Abdulmumini Isah (Ph.D)

ABSTRACT

Nigeria as a nation is naturally endowed and blessed with abundance of both human and material resources. These made the country to be one of the most recognised countries in the world. However, Nigeria could have been categorised among the highly developed nations of the world, but mismanagement and corrupt practices have for long, been staining the reputation of the country. Taking all these as mediocrities, this paper tries to examine the possibilities of inculcating good morale through managing our human and material resources especially the teacher, whose expectation of imparting knowledge to younger generation through the use of better language teaching is capable of preserving the nation’s resources in a search for better future.

1.0 INTRODUCTION

It is always clear to all human beings that language is the gift of God, which is the best way of communicating ideas, feelings, interests, opinions and aspirations. Therefore language is an instrument of public relation, medium of imparting knowledge, means of national and international business and political interaction. Not only that, among its numerous importance, language also serves as a warehouse for storing and presenting the moral values and cultural heritage of any given society. No wonder, we find that in almost every culture, language serves as the only means through which a people articulate and transmit the love and heritage of their emergent generations. For instance, the agent of interaction between the newly born baby and the immediate neighbours in the maternity wards in the form of ‘crying’ has no other name than language.

To many scholars, language goes beyond mere verbal expression and its graphic presentation in writing in the way the users of a particular language think and perceive their environment thereby relate with one another. Language therefore, permeates in all facets of human existence. It is therefore pertinent to say that language teachings helps in promoting and attaining effective delivery of social responsibilities and moral discipline in Nigeria.

1.1 LANGUAGE TEACHING

By definition, teaching could be said to be an act or practice or way of imparting knowledge or giving of instructions. It is also “a means of guiding pupils, students, towards securing the amount of quality and quantity of experience which will promote the optimum and quality of their potentials as human beings (Pulliar and Young, 1977).

Equally, Joyce and Well (1980) see teaching as a process by which teacher and students create a shared environment which includes sets and values.

Language teaching could either be formal, informal or non-formal that take place in a different environments. This implies that teaching occurs in environments which bring an individual and another individual or a particular group into a process of sharing ideas; and a group exchanging ideas on issues which are paramount importance to both. Consequently, it is usually a process which is share by teachers and learners in school, while the same experience is shared by lecturers and students in advanced institutions of higher learning. Language teacher as human resources, at the process of discharging his duties alongside with his students, needs a conducive atmosphere in terms of infrastructural facilities, will automatically affect the teaching and learning process.

It is believed that since teaching a language is more or less a communication process between an individual and a group, the communication should be such that will encourage both the teacher and his students. In process of communicating, there are certain elements that the teacher needs and uses. These help to facilities better explanation in the class room situation. These facilitators are therefore referred to as educational materials. Relatively, it is there material coupled with the provision of adequate infrastructure will managed environment, that will help the language teacher as a human resource, to explain and interpret concepts clearly. Bearing these in mind, effort has been tried in this paper, to examine the problem of mismanagement of human and material resources as it relates to education in Nigeria today, with the hope that tackling it could bring a greener future to Nigerian education, especially in the field of language.

1.2 HUMAN AND MATERIAL RESOURCES IN LANGUAGE TEACHING

In the words of Harbison (1973) human resources are “the energies, skills, talent and knowledge of people which potentially can or should be applied to the production of goods or rendering of services.” In terms of composition, “human resources are made up of heterogeneous parts which comprises, “men, women, boys, girls and children of different ages, skills, ability, knowledge and talent and are spread over a geopolitical landscape (Olanrewaja, 1993).This is to say that the size and stock of each component of the human resource in any given country could be small or large, depending on the country’s fertility, morality and the rate of migration into the country. Since the primary aim of producing goods and services for any given country is to satisfy human needs or wants, this variable could be controlled by the human beings themselves. When human resources are developed, one discovers that there is an increase in their capability to manage the material resources of the country, thereby achieving the highest level of output of goods and services meant to satisfy the increasing wants of the country’s populace.

Every country in the world whether developed or underdeveloped, is naturally endowed with some sort of resources. These resources are made up of human and material resources which comprises of land, water and mineral deposits. For the development of any country to be effective, the human resources have to be combined with some or all of the other natural resources to create value resources or development resources such as capital, financial, energy and manpower. All these are counted for development of a nation. According to Harbsion (1973) the term “human resources” connotes “Man in relation to the world of work, and such work, involves producing things and providing services of all kinds in social political, cultural and economic development of nation”.

By this, it means that human resource development includes the teaching of skills and acquisition of knowledge. Language teaching and learning therefore, comprise both human and material resources that can be employed to promote learning. Material resources include audio, visual and audio-visual aids.

For material resources to be effectively used, the quality of the teacher counts a lot, because the aids be employed in teaching cannot on their own impart the knowledge to the students. Only an efficient teacher can employ the use of materials wisely so as to enhance the quality of instruction to his students. The qualification of a teacher is a determining factor that influences the academic performance of his students. By implication, this means that, a teacher can only teach according to the quality of material resources and skills he possesses. If he is well qualified in his subject, his out-put will automatically he high, but if he is not adequately trained or academically bankrupts to his students, thereby teaching or imparting wrong concepts/knowledge to students would be evidence. Therefore it would be very difficult to correct later, this definitely affect their learning process seriously. The effectiveness of instructions will depend largely on the qualification of the teacher and his ability to manipulate, direct and utilize the available resources.

Many scholars believed that, the quality of existing teachers for programmes determine the quality of products of the programme and its success. The national policy on Education (1981) states that no Educational systems that can rise above the quality of its teachers.

This idea is analysed by Onwuchekwa (1988) as follows:

If the quality of teachers in education system is high, then the quality of the products would equally be high,

If the reverse is the case then the products from the educational systems would be half based on individuals.

We can therefore, summarized that it is both the quality of the teacher and his ability to use his resources skilfully at his disposal that determines how well he teaches a particular language (subject) and how was and fast his students comprehend his teaching.

1.3 LANGUAGE AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

 National development comprises the amalgamation of different tribal contribution to nationhood upon the agreement under experiment of federalism to hide in one umbrella as one political entity. A nation cannot be talked about in isolation without language, so it is within such geographical and political arrangement that we talk about possible national development. Therefore, the place of language to national development is very crucial and important so much that it defiles resistance or overlooking.

Therefore, language informs, educates and identifies the nation and value of existing man-power and material resources, like mineral and agricultural resources which can be used to develop a nation. Obviously, knowledge of the presence of these materials comes through language as an instrument and communication. Hence Fafunwa (1974) put it that:

“African traditional Education was generally for an immediate induction into society and preparation for adulthood, African education prepared the individual for social responsibility, job orientation, political participation and spiritual and moral values”.

The individual scientist, philosopher, agriculturalist as teacher, policy makers, engineers, doctors, veterinarians, and the  like are all informed, and well quipped about these material resources through the medium of language. And indeed the research makes and worth however scientific or empirical or historical if language is completely ignored.

Therefore, in relating language to national development, it implies that studies in language even to the research level, is seriously imperative. This however indicates that the executors of national planning must equally be well informed, well educated, well equipped with language in its meaningful path.

National development according to Aziza (1993) is a gradual and advanced improvement of growth through progressive changes in the body politics of the nation and in the life of an individual. It also refers to the growth of a nation in terms of unity, education, economic well-being, mass participation in government, as indicated by (Elugbe, 1990). In simple and clear terms one can say that a well built and developed nation has a good welfare programme for its citizens. It has well planned educational, political and economic programme for its people.

Generally speaking, language is the string for nation building, against this, Aziza (1998:263) buttresses that:

Language is the most important tool with which society is organised and it is hardly possible to talk of national development without including the language with which the people formulate their thoughts, ideas and needs.

Issues of national development has already been summarized by Aziza (1998) which implies effort towards achieving good education, good government, technological advancement, civil conduct, politeness, peace among citizenry, secured health programme, fairness, firmness and equality with other several aspects of life. In the whole world today, no nation can claim complete achievement of all the above enumerated aspirations. However, such countries with nearly complete achievement of the above features are referred to as developed nations while those with vigorous pursuit of the same expectations are termed developing and numerous others with zeal of attaining such positions, but handicapped due to lack of good managers are pulled together under the sincere umbrella – under developed countries.

1.4 CONCLUSION

Language carries the needs of the society because it makes a meaningful whole of the people’s culture. Certainly, if any other discipline in school can claim to carry the needs of the society, then language is in the highest position. The history of the people, the literature, the vegetation, the trade, the ecology and the industry are better communicated from one generation to the next through the use of language. When our human and material resources are properly utilized and managed, it enhances better development of our dear country Nigeria. Furthermore, the relationship between the past, present and future is a transparent working of language unto the future development of the nation. Therefore, the place and power of language towards management of our human and material resources, in the productive life of the nation needs to be seriously developed and utilized for a better of the national development.

1.5 RECOMMENDATION

Government is to encourage both indigenous and foreign languages teachers (e.g English and Arabic) by providing all the necessary supports. This could be done through intensive training and adequate finding.

The citizens should also cooperate with teachers so as to actualize this dream.

Language teachers on their parts should double their effort by working tirelessly to achieve their development equally, students whose this plans are designed for, must cooperate with their teachers and dedicate fully in all language training programmes.

REFERENCES

Aziza, R.O (1988). Nigerian Languages and National Development in Nigerian Languages for National Development and Unity, Oyewole Drohummalase, (ed), Ibadan: Loyem Communications.

Elugbe, B.O (1990). “National Language and National Development. In Emanenjo”, E.N. (ed), Mulilingualism, Minority Languages and Language Policy in Nigeria. Agbo: Central Books Ltd.

Fafunwa A.B. (1974). History of Education in Nigeria. Great Britain, Clark, Doble and Brendon Limited.

Federal Republic of Nigeria (1981): National Policy on Education. (Revised) Yaba Lagos: NERC Press,

Harbison, F.H. (1973). “Human Resources As the Wealth of Nations”. In Olanrewaju J.F. (1973). The Role of Human Resource Development in the informal sector: contributions of Government training Agencies and private Organisation. ITF 12^th National Training Conference Proceedings.

Joyce, B. and Well, M. (1980) Models of Teaching (2^nded). In Aremu, G.B. (2000).“Art Teaching in College of Education in Nigeria: Problems and Prospects” Obudu Journal of Educational Studies.(OBUJES), Vol.5 No. 1.

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Onwuchekwa, T.O. (1988). In Saleh, Y.D. “Towards Improving the Qualities of Language Learning: A Case for Hausa Language”, Unpublished paper presented at the Annual National Conference of the Association for the Promotion of Studies in Arts Social Sciences. F.C.E. Zaria, 29^th July to 1^st August.

PulliasE.and Young J. (1977). A Teacher is many Things: In Aremu, G.B. (2000). “Art teaching in Colleges in Nigeria: Problems and Prospects”. Ubudu Journal of Educational Studies, Vol. 5 No. 1.