HISTORY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN NIGERIA
INTRODUCTION
English language is Nigeria’s
‘second’ language is one that comes after one’s primary language. Ironically,
it is also Nigeria’s dominant language, with the use of English being taught at
various levels of the Nigerian educational system pre-nursery schools, nursery
schools, primary schools, secondary schools and tertiary institutions of
learning.
When
every guiding and holding factors are scrutinized, the history and role of
English language in Nigeria is something note worthy.
HISTORY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN NIGERIA
The
Christian missionaries who came from great Britain introduced formal western
education to Nigeria, just before the middle of the 19th century
prior to then, education was done informally as children were taught tradition
culture, history, and the likes by their parents who were in turn taught by
their own parents.
After
the introduction and acceptance of the formal system of education, the entirely
of it was left in the hands of the missionaries and they began teacher children
and adults who cared to learn English language.
The
invasion of the European colonial masters and slave trade of African in the 18th
century is believed to have paved the way for their tradition, language and
culture, some of which is obvious till today.
The earlier kinds of English
Language which were spoken were coastal English and Patua English (pidgin or broken English) which was a more adoptable
English variant as a quick and easy means of communication.
The
entry of the British who were English speaking people in 1841, to the southern
and south western parts of Nigeria, inevitably raised the question of a
language to adopt for communication between the indigenous population and the
guest, more so, the European were too extensive and not of high quality and
never likely to become any practical use to civilization.
In
1882, the English Language which was already well spoken in Nigeria by the
elites and children of the elites, was accepted and implemented as the main
channel of instruction and was the generalized approved communication language
in corporate environments (schools, post offices, corporate organizations, air
ports, federal and state parastatals and so on). Consequently, the education
ordinance and codes of 1882, 1896, 1918 and 1926 were enacted for English
Language to be as the official language.
English
came to the British isles at about the middle of the 5th century,
the first people to inhabit England the then British Isles, were the Celts and
their language was Celtic. Events occurred and the Romans came and left the
British Isles and with these events, Latin was used on the British Isles. Those
Romans on the British Isles served as an army for Celts protecting them from
them probable attacks from the picts and the scots who were eyeing the British
Isle and wanted to take the land from the Celts. Form of protection was then
needed for the Celts from the picts and the Scots when the Roman army was
called back to Rome. The then Celtic chief, ortigern, sought assistance from the
tutes. Later came the saxons and the angles and with time, the form of language
used on the British Isles was Englisc, later years Englisc changed to English
and the earliest forms of English were different from those in present day use
and the modern configuration has taken many centuries to come forth. The
history of English Language is usually categorized into a succession of epoch
distinguished by certain language influences.
English
Language is divided into three.
They are:-
v
Old
English
v
Middle
English
v
Modern
English.
v
OLD ENGLISH :- often regarded to as the anglo
and saxon period and named after the people who later ended up settling in the
south east of the British Isles known as Old English period. The main feature
of Old English is that it was synthetic and highly inflected towards the end of
the period, the Normans who were a French people invaded the British Isles.
their invasion is popularly known as the Norman.
v
MIDDLE ENGLISH:- It extends from the year 6657.
this was a period of transition, marked by a significant.
v
MODERN ENGLISH:- This period is mostly known for
the great owel shift. English is an Indo European Language and due to the
dominant spread of the tentacles of Britain in the 87 century through
colonization, the language spread around the world. Amongst the countries that
English spread to, Nigeria was one of them.
CONCLUSION:-
When talking about the coming of
English Language into Nigeria, you cannot but make references to Lagos
specifically Badagry. Badagry served as a major means for the penetration of
English Language into Nigeria.
REFERENCES:-
Olaoluwa Olagunju
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