Introduction
English is regarded as the most influential language globally, with more non-native speakers around the world than native speakers (Park and Wee, 2012). There are over 400 million speakers of English, and although there are a few languages with more speakers in the world, those languages owe their numbers to mother-tongue speakers. Whereas, English owes its prominence to how widely adopted it is in other countries, and the special status it enjoys in global affairs.
Since the introduction of English Language into the Nigerian society by missionaries and traders in the 19th century, the language has grown to become the country’s preferred language of communication, and is formally Nigeria’s lingua franca. The spread of English …show more content…
It considers the veracity of the assertion that English is a killer language which will lead to the death of indigenous Nigerian languages by looking at the historical adoption of the language and seeking to examine a link between that and the viability or otherwise of Nigerian languages.
I have examined different views on whether there is still need for English as a national language, post-colonialism, and what purposes the language currently serves in Nigeria. In relation to this, I have looked at the socio-cultural, economic and political impact of English Language on Nigeria.
Preservation of culture and history is important and language is one of the foremost ways of ensuring this. There is no doubt that there is need to preserve indigenous languages, so I have considered whether they are truly in danger of extinction and what can be done to ensure their survival.
I conclude that English needs to continue being the national language because of its global importance, and also because of political reasons related to the diversity and resulting multi-lingualism of the country. However, I also consider some of the measures already being taken to keep indigenous languages alive, and the importance of …show more content…
Our official language, English, is called our second language but as in the case in most societies that have it as their official language, it is often learnt at the same time as the mother tongue, and increasingly these days, in the place of the mother tongue (Agbedo 2012). Many parents do not encourage their children to learn indigenous languages because they are not seen as useful economically or politically. However, the mastery of the English language is encouraged because it increases the chances of success, within and outside
English is regarded as the most influential language globally, with more non-native speakers around the world than native speakers (Park and Wee, 2012). There are over 400 million speakers of English, and although there are a few languages with more speakers in the world, those languages owe their numbers to mother-tongue speakers. Whereas, English owes its prominence to how widely adopted it is in other countries, and the special status it enjoys in global affairs.
Since the introduction of English Language into the Nigerian society by missionaries and traders in the 19th century, the language has grown to become the country’s preferred language of communication, and is formally Nigeria’s lingua franca. The spread of English …show more content…
It considers the veracity of the assertion that English is a killer language which will lead to the death of indigenous Nigerian languages by looking at the historical adoption of the language and seeking to examine a link between that and the viability or otherwise of Nigerian languages.
I have examined different views on whether there is still need for English as a national language, post-colonialism, and what purposes the language currently serves in Nigeria. In relation to this, I have looked at the socio-cultural, economic and political impact of English Language on Nigeria.
Preservation of culture and history is important and language is one of the foremost ways of ensuring this. There is no doubt that there is need to preserve indigenous languages, so I have considered whether they are truly in danger of extinction and what can be done to ensure their survival.
I conclude that English needs to continue being the national language because of its global importance, and also because of political reasons related to the diversity and resulting multi-lingualism of the country. However, I also consider some of the measures already being taken to keep indigenous languages alive, and the importance of …show more content…
Our official language, English, is called our second language but as in the case in most societies that have it as their official language, it is often learnt at the same time as the mother tongue, and increasingly these days, in the place of the mother tongue (Agbedo 2012). Many parents do not encourage their children to learn indigenous languages because they are not seen as useful economically or politically. However, the mastery of the English language is encouraged because it increases the chances of success, within and outside