Pidgin English and the Attrition of Indigenous Languages in South–Southern Nigeria
[1]
Godfrey Atunu Dibie, Department of General Studies, Nasarawa State Polytechnic, Lafia, Nasarawa, Nigeria.
[2]
Odey Simon Robert, Gokin and Dab Educational Services and Consultancy, Lafia, Nigeria.
Many indigenous languages in South-Southern Nigeria are endangered by their native speakers, who resort to the extreme use of Pidgin English at the expense of their own mother-tongues. Most parents of the region are found to be basically responsible for the attrition of the indigenous languages, as they exclusively bring up their children/wards with Pidgin. Schools, mass media and such other agents of socialisation are also responsible for the attrition. Pidgin thus metamorphoses to Creole as it takes the place of their mother-tongues. The negative attitude of the peoples towards their native languages is the bane of the attrition. This study rouses attention to the ugly situation and calls for a change of attitude towards the indigenous languages of the region so as to sustain the linguistic heritage of the region and ensure cultural identity, transmission and continuity. This is extended to all other peoples globally, wherever this linguistic situation obtains.
Pidgin, Creole, Indigenous Languages, Attrition, South-southern Nigeria
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