An analysis of the status of Anglo-Nigerian Pidgin (ANP) looks at its origins and evolution in Nigerian history, its location in the Nigerian language situation, and its current sociolinguistic status. It is concluded that ANP possesses linguistic structures that have stabilized enough to give the speaker an impression of good and bad grammar.…

Focuses on the conflicts among written languages in the countries of West Africa, especially in the areas of education, mass communication, and creative writing. Points out that writing is done mostly in the language of the former colonizing country, which makes literature accessible only to the elite. Advocates translation and native languages…

Guosa, a language constructed by Alex Igbineweka from words and word forms in major and minor Nigerian languages, has been proposed as a national language for Nigeria. This article suggests that Guosa is an unacceptable planned language and has no guiding principles or scientific methods. (eight references) (Author/LB)

A study examined the genesis or formation and operations of the Communication Skills Project (COMSKIP), whose primary aim was to revitalize the teaching and learning in the Use of English (UOE) curriculum in Nigeria. In the process of accessing the achievements of COMSKIP, there was limited synchronicity between the people who conceived of the…

Examines the historical role of English in the Nigerian education system. Introduced through evangelism and colonialism, English became the official Nigerian language and still occupies a place of pride in formal schooling. Although the widespread use of English in Nigeria will likely continue, the language must be adapted to the linguistic…

A Federal Government Policy in Nigeria aimed at unifying the country through the use of three major languages (Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo) has been inhibited because there are no teachers. Resistance from speakers of other languages to the enforced learning of one of the major languages also seems likely. Maintenance of English is suggested as the…

This paper examines the tension between linguistic unification and language rights in Nigeria and assesses the nature, causes, and implications of the tension against the backgrounds of the country's history, political development, and language situation. (Contains 116 references.) (MDM)

Language policy and language usage trends in Nigerian education are examined, particularly as they concern the role of Anglo-Nigerian Pidgin (ANP), an inter-ethnic lingua franca. Language policy and practice for official and native languages both before and since Nigerian independence are chronicled. Results of a survey of 240 individuals in six…

The need to develop and encourage the use of local, national and official linguistic codes in Nigeria for both domestic and international usage cannot be overemphasised. In order to achieve a rapid political, economic and sociocultural change in the country, all academic and specialised institutions and corporate organisations in the local and…

A discussion of the choice of official languages in Nigeria first gives an overview of the current language situation in Nigeria, particularly of indigenous language usage, sketches the history of English, French, and Anglo-Nigerian Pidgin (ANP) both before and after independence, outlines the main proposals for language planning, and draws some…

Assesses Nigeria's efforts to achieve mother-tongue literacy for its citizens. Describes Nigeria's complicated sociolinguistic landscape, national language policies, and the Ife experimental project, studying the use of the mother tongue in primary schools. Points to nonlinguistic factors in educational success, including parental background,…

The role of English in Nigeria, the de facto official language of government and administration, is discussed. The motivation for learning English remains high because it is recognized as prompting modernization and leading to white collar employment, higher social status, scholarships, and higher education. It is reported that the disappearance…

This study focuses on the problems arising from the use of the mother tongue in education in Nigeria and the solutions that are being attempted. It is an extension of an earlier comprehensive review of the mother tongue as a means of promoting equal access to education. To outline the problems involved, the various bodies and institutions involved…

A discussion of Nigeria's national language policy looks at the official structure for language instruction, its rationale, and perceived problems and possibilities. The policy requires that the mother tongue or language of the immediate community be the medium of instruction at pre-primary and early primary levels, with English emerging as medium…

This collection of articles includes: "Introducing Applied Linguistics in Africa" (Sinfree Makoni and Ulrike H. Meinhof); "Language Ideology and Politics: A Critical Appraisal of French as Second Official Language in Nigeria" (Tope Omoniyi); "The Democratisation of Indigenous Languages: The Case of Malawi" (Themba…