sociolinguistics
Journal of Education and Practice
ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online)
Vol 2, No 5, 2011
www.iiste.org
Code-switching and its Literacy Effects on the Acquisition of
English Language by Yoruba / English Language Bilinguals
Otemuyiwa Abosede Adebola
Department of English, College of Humanities
Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji- Arakeji,
PMB 5006 Ilesa 233001, Osun State, Nigeria , otemuyiwa2011@yahoo.com
Abstract
This study identified the reasons why people codes-switch, studied the influence parents, teachers and peers had on the code choice of students and recommendations were given to solving the problems of codesswitching. Questionnaires were administered on two hundred (200) students, fifty from each school who are predominantly speakers of Yoruba language and they were randomly drawn from SSS1to SSS3 of the following schools: Saint Magarets School, Ilesa, Ilesa Grammar School, Ilesa, African Church Grammar
School, Ilesa, and Saint Lawrences Grammar School, Ilesa. The result on the test of educational background revealed that students with sub-standard educational background use code-switching more than those with standard educational background. Another fact revealed was that nearly all the teachers that were involved in the research do code-switch. And lastly it revealed that the language individuals speak at home has tremendous influence on them. The study concluded that students should be warned about the danger inherent in switching if made to become a habit and that students should be discouraged in the use of switching in informal settings so as to facilitate the free flow of communication between or among the speakers. Keywords: Code-switching, Literacy-Effects, Language Acquisition, Bilinguals Global Communication
1 .1 Introduction
English Language is a West Germanic language that arose in England and South Eastern Scotland in the time of the Anglo Saxon. Following the economic, military, scientific,
ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online)
Vol 2, No 5, 2011
www.iiste.org
Code-switching and its Literacy Effects on the Acquisition of
English Language by Yoruba / English Language Bilinguals
Otemuyiwa Abosede Adebola
Department of English, College of Humanities
Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji- Arakeji,
PMB 5006 Ilesa 233001, Osun State, Nigeria , otemuyiwa2011@yahoo.com
Abstract
This study identified the reasons why people codes-switch, studied the influence parents, teachers and peers had on the code choice of students and recommendations were given to solving the problems of codesswitching. Questionnaires were administered on two hundred (200) students, fifty from each school who are predominantly speakers of Yoruba language and they were randomly drawn from SSS1to SSS3 of the following schools: Saint Magarets School, Ilesa, Ilesa Grammar School, Ilesa, African Church Grammar
School, Ilesa, and Saint Lawrences Grammar School, Ilesa. The result on the test of educational background revealed that students with sub-standard educational background use code-switching more than those with standard educational background. Another fact revealed was that nearly all the teachers that were involved in the research do code-switch. And lastly it revealed that the language individuals speak at home has tremendous influence on them. The study concluded that students should be warned about the danger inherent in switching if made to become a habit and that students should be discouraged in the use of switching in informal settings so as to facilitate the free flow of communication between or among the speakers. Keywords: Code-switching, Literacy-Effects, Language Acquisition, Bilinguals Global Communication
1 .1 Introduction
English Language is a West Germanic language that arose in England and South Eastern Scotland in the time of the Anglo Saxon. Following the economic, military, scientific,
References: Akindele, F. and Adegbite, W. (1992). The Sociology and Politics of English in Nigeria, Debiyi- Iwa Press, Ile-Ife. Washington D.C, 1977. Gumperz, J.J and Hymes, D. (1971). Direction in Sociolinguistics, Holt, Reinhart and Winston, New York. Gumperz, John J. (1971). Language in Social Groups. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California. Maaw, Joan (1971) ”Socio-Linguistics problems and potentialities of Education through a foreign language” in Language use and Social Change: Problems of Multilingualism with special reference to Eastern Africa, W.E Whiteley (ed.), Oxford University Press, 1971. ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online) Vol 2, No 5, 2011 www.iiste.org Lambert, W.E (1977) “Effects of Bilinbualism on the individual” in Bilingualism: psychological, Social and Educational Implications, Hornby P. (ed.) Academic Press, New York, 1977. Rene Appel, and Pieter Muysken, (1988),Language Contact and Bilingualism, Edward Arnold, London. ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online) Vol 2, No 5, 2011