Citation: Jibril Aminu JIBRIL & Ali MODU (2018). Nigerian English and Curriculum Development: Challenges and Prospects. Yobe Journal of Language, Literature and Culture (YOJOLLAC), Vol. 6. Department of African Languages and Linguistics, Yobe State University, Damaturu, Nigeria. ISSN 2449-0660
NIGERIAN ENGLISH AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS
Jibril Aminu JIBRIL
and
Ali MODU
Abstract
Language is an instrument through which cultural
identities are realized. Therefore, a foreign language used in a nation must
reflect the culture of the nation. Due to this, the paper examines Nigerian
English’s unique characteristics as a variety that reflects sociocultural and
sociolinguistic realities of Nigeria. The features that distinguished Nigerian
English as a variety are identified in its phonology, syntax and semantics. The
paper establishes that standard Nigerian English is based on the criteria of
local acceptability and international intelligibility. The theoretical
frameworks are conservative and progressive forces that established common
core, interference and norm developing as factors that determine Nigerian
English. The roles of English language and challenges of Nigerian English
variety in curriculum development are highlighted with solution proffered.
1.0 Introduction
English in Nigeria is a second language, a
lingua franca, language of government, language of education, language of
media, commerce and industries and language of international communication. A
foreign language that dominates Nigerian indigenous languages needs to be
adjusted to suit the culture of its new users instead of that of its native
speakers’ since language and culture are inseparable (Ekpe, 2010). A language
must be used to reflect the sociolinguistic realities of the society it is
being used. Kaan, Amanse and Tsavmbu (2013) examine English language in Nigeria
as being domesticated, indigenized, and nativized to accommodate the culture
and tradition of Nigerians and as a result acquired features that distinguished
it from the native speakers’ variety. This features are identified as
phonological, lexical, syntactic and semantic.
English language was in Nigeria since European
giants dominated Nigeria for trading, missionary activities and colonialism.
This resulted into incursion of English language into Nigerian culture where it
became part of Nigerian culture. It is stated in Ekpe (2010) that when
languages are in contact the culture of the speakers are also in contact.
Equally, there must be change in the structure of the languages as well as the
culture of the speakers. This factor resulted in the advent of a new variety of
English in Nigeria different from the native speakers’ variety called Nigerian
English.
Since language determines sociocultural
activity; it must be reflected in the school’s curriculum as the determinant of
national development through educating the younger ones to become useful
members of the society (Offorma, 2015). In Nigerian educational system English
is the medium of curriculum implementation. Adewumi and Owoyumi (2012) in
Oladimeji (2014) consider English as ‘passport’ to educational advancement
being a subject that occupies important position in the curriculum What one
passed to obtain degree in a higher education. A subject taught from primary to
university level.
2.0 Taxonomy of Nigerian English
Nigerian English is a variety of English used by
Nigerians to communicate across socio-cultural boundaries which differs from
the native speakers’ English and other global English in terms of its use of
culture transformation as well as its non-observance of certain global and
surface structure constraints (Ekpe, 2010). The parameters of classifying
Nigerian English by different scholars like Brosnaham (1958), Banjo (1969),
Bamgbose (1982), Awonusi (1987) and others in Ekpe (2010) and Olaniyi (2014)
are educational, linguistic or international intelligibility, evolutionary
criteria and ethnic variation.
The yardstick that establishes standard Nigerian
English variety according to Bronsnaham (1958), Banjo (1982) Awonusi (1987) in
Ekpe (2010) is education. Bronaham’s level (1) variety is described as pidgin
associated with illiterate speakers such as labourers, market women and among
others. In the same vein Banjo’s variety (VI) is associated with imperfect
knowledge of the language. Awonusi’s basilectal variation moves towards the
criterion of education where it is associated with those that have not received
formal education. While variety level (i) level (ii) and level (iii) are
arranged based on level of education close to standard British English.
Awonusi’s acrolectal and basilectal are also in that order and are also
associated to those that received formal education.
Intelligibility is another criterion that
classified Nigerian English described by Banjo’s VI – VIV in order of high
local intelligibility and low international intelligibility and vise-versa.
Similarly, acrolectal, mesolectal and basilectal varieties are established in
that order.
Linguistic structure is also a yardstick of
classifying Nigerian English. This can be assessed on the basis of educational
background of the speaker. The parameters used here are: phonological
interference, lexical transfer, morphological and syntactic deviation as well
as pragmatic and sociolinguistic implication influenced by socio-cultural
factors (Ekpe, 2011).
In another view, Okoro (2004) observes that
geographical varieties do exist in Nigerian English and the level at which they
are manifested is phonology. One can usually tell which part of a country a
Nigerian comes from by his accent when he speaks English (Ohakamike, 2016).
Jowitt (1991) supports this view when he states that the type of English spoken
and written by Nigerians varies according to the level of general education
attained because there is an obvious correlation between the level of educational
attainment and the level of proficiency in English.
In the same vein, Akere (2001) opines that the
spoken and written varieties of English in Nigeria more closely reflect the
influences of these mother tongue languages. One easily identifies Yoruba,
Igbo, Hausa/Fulani influences in the varieties of English in Nigeria.
Basically, a Nigerian user of English is a locus of his mother tongue and
English (bilingual and bicultural). His performance in the target language as
it were will be conditioned by structural, linguistic as well as socio-cultural
interferences which may be quaint. Such quaintness, Banjo (1987) states can be
classified and accounted for as either deviance or variation.
The work of Jibril (1982) as cited in Akere
(2009, p. 7) in classifying Nigerian English was provided. The work
distinguishes Hausa English (Basic and sophisticated) and Southern English
(Basic and sophisticated) and recognizes a Southern-influenced Hausa-English.
Summarily, Jibril (1982) suggests a union of sophisticated Hausa and
sophisticated Southern English as a candidate for the standard variety of
spoken Nigerian English because of their closeness to standard (British)
English and fact that they exhibit less mother-tongue transfers.
Udofot (2004) investigates the disposition of
Nigerian users of English to stress and rhythm in spoken Nigerian English. He
assumes the existence of three varieties of spoken Nigerian English
characterized by their disposition to stress and speech rhythm: the
‘non-standard’, ‘the standard’ and ‘the sophisticated’ varieties, which are
individually and collectively different from standard British English
represented by speech performance of one native speaker of standard spoken
British English in the study. The work of Udofot further maintains the
existence of the three varieties of spoken Nigerian English and discovers that
the common performance features in the spoken English of Nigeria include a
tendency to stress more syllables in words than the native speaker.
Ohakamike (2016) cited Attah (2000) is convinced
that expression such as: more greese to your elbow, my wife has taken in; I
search every nook and corners for my missing money. I was late for lecture
because of the go-slow on the way; may be non-standard because of the
instruction of imprints from the Nigerian cultural and linguistic environment
but clearly express the peculiarly Nigerian experience and perspective in ways
that do not serious damage to standard English structure or general
intelligibility. Thus, one can usually tell what part of the country a Nigerian
comes from by his accent when he speaks English.
2.1 Standard Nigerian English
Ekpe (2011) adopted conservative and progressive
forces approach as framework of determining standard Nigerian English using
Kachru (1985) triangular model as determinant. These include: common core,
interference and norm developing variety.
The conservative forces reject any slight
deviation from the native speakers’ version which is Standard British English
(SBE). They accept linguistic rules set by the native speakers of the language.
They consider any deviation as error. The language instructors must strictly
comply by teaching the rules and any default is to be marked and corrected in
the examination. All local varieties that do not comply with SBE and RP
according to them are unacceptable.
Progressive forces on the other hand agree on
the need to readjust or restructure English in its new environment to meet the
needs of the people. This is what Ekpe (2011) called gloclization,
nativization, domestication or Nigerianness, with the innovation of new forms
and structure by Nigerian users of English. The deviations or innovations are
found in vocabulary as in the corpus documented by Igboanusi (2002) in his
Nigerian English dictionary like jambite, kia-kia bus, securityman, k-leg , big
chic etc. Syntactically, L1 influences syntactic formation of English by
transfer of L1 syntactic structure into English as in: ‘Me I don’t
have money’ instead of I don’t have money, how family (how is your family) my
brother he is fine instead of my brother is fine.
The impact of the conservative and progressive
forces made Kachru (1985) and Shneider (2003) in Ekpe (2011) to adapt the
triangle of the three determinants of English as a second language bellow:
The common core or nucleus is the norm adopted
from the native speakers’ variety which all varieties like Ghanian English,
Indian English, Cameroonian English etc have in common. It covers all
linguistic features at all level of linguistic analysis. The second determinant
is interference variety which stresses on the peculiarities in the language
with the characteristics of the speaker’s mother tongue. In this context, the
English is transplanted and nativized as a result of mother tongue interference
at all level of linguistic analysis. The third determinant is norm developing
or autonomy. This is as a result of deviation from the native speakers’
variety. It is an independent development of new forms and structures in
Nigerian English. These new forms came in different processes of hybridization,
conversion, neologism, analogization, acronymization, transliteration,
blending, compounding and borrowing with the intention to convey new
socio-cultural and linguistic realities.
From the review of the triangular model, it is
understood that Nigerian English is common core, interference and norm
developing variety, each overlap in the other one. Being a non-native variety,
it includes the common core features use by the native speakers and users of
all other varieties. It also interferes with the features, forms and structures
of the local languages it is in contact with. It is also norm developing by
having form that deviate from the norm established by the native speakers of the
language. The most acceptable variety that possesses the features established
in the triangular model is acrolectal variety. As Ekpe (2010) citing Awonusi
(1984)
The acrolectal Nigerian English may also be
known or regarded as the Standard Nigerian English. Phonologically, the accent
is marked by medium local social acceptability, it closely approximately, but
not RP phonetically. At the segmental level, it normally differs from RP
phonetically. Syntactically, this lect tolerates no variation from SBE in
written and formal usage. In non-communication, it is very close to but not
identical with SBE. The divergence observable in the deviations may also be
accounted for by pragmatics of communication or the sociologist strategies of
discourse. Lexically, it is very close to SBE, but allows some divergence from
it. Such divergence is widely exemplified in the use of loan words and coinages
, example of coinage can be seen in “academician” for “academic” {SBE}, “palm
wine” and “fermented juice”, “to wet flowers” for “to water flowers”, while the
example of loan words are; staffers, parastatals, oba, pounded yam, egusi soup,
suya etc.
Standard Nigerian English can be established by
chosen the variety that is locally acceptable and internationally intelligible,
for it is observance of pragmatic and sociolinguistic realities of Nigeria and
it is closeness to SBE that makes it pass universal standard of selection,
codification, elaboration of social function, acceptance by educated Nigerians
and international recognition.
3.0 Nigerian English in Curriculum Development
To profound language education for national
growth and productivity, the first thing to be taking into consideration by the
curriculum developers is English language role in serving the country’s needs
nationally and globally. They should consider the importance of English as
language of international communication and its official role as well as formal
education in the country. All subjects in upper basic, secondary schools and
tertiary institutions are taught in English language, the textbook ranging from
sciences, social sciences and arts are also written in English language.
Therefore, teaching of English language is indispensable to the younger
generations for national growth and development.
In view of the above, teaching English language
in Nigeria should not be restricted to code learning which is prescriptive in
nature with examination oriented curriculum rather the English curriculum
should incorporate the linguistic codes of English, the norms of the native
speakers and sociolinguistic realities of Nigeria and the global issues’
demands of English language (Adejimola, 2007). The English language should be
tailored to reflect socio-cultural institution in Nigeria. A curriculum that
develops the students’ communicative competence by enabling them obtain
proficiency skill in order to pursue qualitative education is required as a
goal in the National Policy of Education.
More so, English language in Nigeria must be
standardized to accommodate the new technological development in the world.
Information and computer technological system like internet, computer and
multi-media use English language extensively. The interactions in the global
economic system in most cases take place in English language.
Nigerian English of today faces a lot of
hindrances in developing the curriculum of the nation. This is because the
English language used in Nigerian schools is adulterated, and hybridized with
ungrammatical expression, poor pronunciation, and poor sentence structure with
lexical and structural ambiguity. This poor standard of English language cannot
be productive to national development because the pupils and the students would
not be integrated into the larger Nigerian society and the world as required by
the goal in the National policy of education. This is because the poor English
they are exposed to do not provide them with the proficiency skills they need
to participate in other fields of knowledge and they cannot be communicatively
intelligible in the nation and in the international world. These problems can
be attributed to the failure from the curriculum, as the curriculum planners
failed to integrate linguistic codes of English with the psychological,
sociological, discourse and pragmatic realities of Nigerian context (Olaofe,
2013). In the implementation, most of the teachers lack modern pedagogical
skill that would enhance effective English studies in primary, secondary and
tertiary level of education (Tom-lawyer, 2014). Most of the teachers lack
sufficient content knowledge of English linguistic codes that include
phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics. In most cases there are no
adequate materials to facilitate effective learning of English language in the
schools.
The poor performance of students in English
language examination has been explained as the major cause of the decline in
academic achievement and the standard of education in Nigeria. As Fakeye and
Ogunsuji (2009) observed that students have difficulties in grasping fully the
concepts and content of the various subjects in the curriculum taught in
English language.
There is need to standardize curriculum of
English language in Nigeria so that the pupils and students can obtain
communicative competence in order to acquire the required proficiency in the
language. Communication is effective when the speaker and the listener attain
mutual intelligibility. The variety of English in Nigeria from the phonological
perspectives should be the Received Pronunciation (RP) (Gladstone, 2012). This
agrees with Roach (2000) who asserts that for English language curriculum to be
global it should emphasize on proper pronunciation, intonation and stress
pattern in morphology and syntax of the language. Teachers at all levels should
be trained to be cable of observing the native speakers’ varieties of English
and other varieties in the world. The modern scientific vocabulary should be
incorporated into the curriculum. The needs of the English usages and uses
should be given consideration. The global demands of English should also be
taken into cognizance by broadening and enriching the curriculum to accommodate
ideas, opinions, incidents and events in global view in order to equip the
students with outside world role of English language.
4.0 Challenges and Prospects of Nigerian English
towards National Development
Being a tool for transmitting norms, values,
cultures from generation to generation, language choice remain central to the
development of a nation (Yusuf, 2012). In view of this, the importance of
English as an official language in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized. English
language remains the yardstick of national integration in the multi-ethnic and
multilingual Nigeria. This is because, all official documents are written and
kept in English. It serves as the medium of instruction in schools as well as
the means of communication across the ethnic groups in the nation. It is the
official language used at both national and international communication.
Therefore, to have Nigerian English variety
cannot be a hindrance to national development, if it is accepted and
internationally intelligible. The conservativisms’ notion that sees any slight
deviation from SBE variety as error hinders effective communication in the
English as a second language context like Nigeria. The emergence of the three
local varieties vis Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba varieties along with Nigerian pidgin
posed challenges to international communication due to unintelligibility of the
varieties across international communities. To redress this, the varieties need
to be standardized to meet local acceptance and international intelligibility.
5.0 Conclusion
Nigerian English is a variety of English used in
Nigeria to communicate in socio-cultural activities in the country different
from native speakers’ variety, classified in different ways by different
scholars, ranging from standard to non-standard. It is a variety recognized
among the non-native varieties of English in the world with interference of
some linguistic features that are non-native and associated with deviations
culturally. The criteria of identifying standard Nigerian English among
scholars are educational level of the speakers, linguistics features closeness
to SBE and international intelligibility. The determinants of Nigerian English
are categorized into three forces which are conservatives, common core and
autonomous. These forces determine what is called standard Nigerian English
using the criteria mentioned earlier.
Language as the vital instrument in actualizing
national education goal is necessary for curriculum implementation and
development. English language needs to be standardized to meet the
socio-cultural and global needs of the nation. The English language curriculum
in Nigeria should develop communicative competence of the students.
6.0 Recommendations
Based on the issues postulated above the paper
proffer the following recommendation:
i. The English language curriculum in Nigeria
should reflect the sociolinguistic realities of Nigerian context and linguistic
codes of the language as in the native speakers’ variety.
ii. The English language
curriculum should be planned to achieve communicative competence in the
students by exposing them to the basic proficiency skills in the language.
iii. The English language in the curriculum
should have international standard so that the Nigerian English will be
intelligible in the world.
iv. The English language
should not be examination oriented rather productive in terms of national
development.
v. The English language
teachers should be effectively train with modern pedagogical skill of language
teaching and learning and content knowledge of the language.
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