ENG251-Language and Society-Rotimi Taiwo-2017

COURSE
GUIDE
ENG 251
LANGUAGE AND SOCIETY
Course Team Dr. Rotimi Taiwo (Course Developer/ Writer) –

OAU, Ile-Ife
Prof. K. Adeniran (Course Editor) – Ajayi
Crowther University,
Dr. C. I. Ofulue (Programme Leader) – NOUN
Theodore Iyere (Course Coordinator) – NOUN
NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA
Download more at Learnclax.com

ENG 251 COURSE GUIDE
National Open University of Nigeria

Headquarters
University Village
Plot 91, Cadastral Zone,
Nnamdi Azikiwe Express way
Jabi, Abuja
Lagos Office
14/16 Ahmadu Bello Way
Victoria Island, Lagos
e-mail: [email protected]
website: www.nouedu.net
Published by
National Open University of Nigeria
Printed 2014
Reprinted 2017
ISBN: 978-058-172-3
All Rights Reserved
ii

CONTENTS PAGE
Introduction…………………………………………... i
Course Aims………………………………………….. iv
Course Objectives……………………………………. iv
Working through the course………………………….. v
What you will Learn in this Course…………………… v
Course Materials……………………………………… vi
Study Units…………………………………………… vi
References/Further Reading…………………………... vii
Assignment File………………………………………. vii
Presentation Schedule………………………………… vii
Assessment…………………………………………… vii
Tutor-Marked Assignments (TMAs)………………… vii
Final Examination and Grading………………………. viii
Course Marking Scheme……………………………… viii
Course Overview……………………………………... viii
How to get the most from this course………………… ix
Tutor and Tutorials……………………………………. xi
Summary……………………………………………… xi
iii

INTRODUCTION
ENG 251 Language and Society is a three-unit course that is available in

the second semester of the second year for B.A. English and B.A. (Ed)
English programmes. This course examines the several ways social
factors influence language and the role language plays in structuring and
representing social categories. Specifically, the topics to be covered
include: socially determined variation in language styles, registers;
language varieties as reflected in social and regional dialects; standard
and non-standard, native and non-native speakers, slang, jargon, graffiti,
etc. It will also examine factors affecting language choice, such as bi-
multilingualism, code switching and code mixing and diglossia.
Students will also study changes in language status over time; language
shift, language maintenance, language death, and new language, such as
Pidgins and Creoles.
COURSE AIMS
This course has twenty study units and a course guide. Each of these
units has its set objectives. You should ensure that you study the set
objectives of each unit, so that they can serve as a guide as you go
through the units. The general aims of this course are to:
• introduce you to the study of language and how it relates to the

society
• help you to understand how the context of language use
determines the language people use;
• expose you to the different varieties of language in contemporary
societies
• familiarise you with how languages are planned and maintained
through official policies in linguistically heterogeneous societies
• show you the peculiarities in the linguistic behaviour of bi-
multilingual speakers
• help you to understand the general socio-political aspects of
language use.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Following the aims outlined above, the objectives for this course are set
out below. These are the things you are expected to be able to do at the
end of your study. These objectives will enable you to evaluate how
much you have learnt and to identify where and what you need to
improve in your learning. By the end of this course, you should be able
to:
iv

• explain clearly the concept of language as a social phenomenon;

• identify the social factors in language
• describe the varieties of language by being able to explain such
concepts as dialect, accent, register, style, slang , jargon, etc
• explain the concept of bilingualism and multilingualism and the
typical features of bilingual discourse, such as code-switching,
code-mixing, interference and borrowing
• discuss the features of language planning, policy and
maintenance
• describe language typologies
• show how gender is reflected in language use
• discuss the peculiarities in language use in new varieties such as
e-mail and text messages
• explain how new varieties emerge from situations of languages in
contact.
WORKING THROUGH THE COURSE
In this course, you have twenty study units to go through. In each of the
study units, you are expected to thoroughly study the contents. You are
advised to pay attention to the objectives of each study unit as they will
serve as your guide to knowing what is expected of you. At the
appropriate points in each unit, you are assessed through Tutor Marked
Assignments. You are also expected to write a final examination based
on the entire course.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS COURSE
This course will introduce you to issues that bother on language as a

social phenomenon. It will help you to see language, not just as a tool
for communication, but also as an institution that helps speakers to
maintain self-identity, their culture and the society. Even instances of
language use have social settings or contexts, and this helps to determine
how the language is used.
This course will also take you through how language reflects differences
in age, status, sex, culture and the ethnic background of the speakers. It
will also take you through other aspects of language in social situations,
such as how languages are planned and maintained through official
policies and how languages shift, die and go extinct.

COURSE MATERIALS
The major components of this course are:
1. Course Guide
2. Study Units
3. Textbooks
4. Assignment Files
5. Presentation Schedule
STUDY UNITS
Module 1 Introduction to Language and Society
Unit 1 Language as a Social Phenomenon and its Functions

Unit 2 Social Factors in Language Use
Module 2 Language Varieties I
Unit 1 Dialect, Accent, Sociolect and Idiolect

Unit 2 Register
Unit 3 Style
Module 3 Language Varieties II
Unit 1 Standard, Non-standard, Native and Non-native Varieties

Unit 2 Deviant/Restricted Varieties (Slang, jargon, Graffiti
Unit 3 New Varieties (E-mail, Text Messaging, Mobile
Telephoning
Unit 4 Languages in Contact (Pidgin and Creole)
Module 4 Language Types, Ethnography and Acquisition
Unit 1 Language Typologies

Unit 2 Linguistic Anthropology
Unit 3 Language Learning and Acquisition
Module 5 Multilingualism and Language Development
Unit 1 Bilingualism/Multilingualism
Unit 2 Language Policy
Unit 3 Language Planning, Maintenance, Shift and Death
vi

Module 6 Sociolinguistics and Discourse
Unit 1 Discourse Analysis

Unit 2 Code Switching, Interference and Borrowing
Unit 3 Linguistic Imperialism
Unit 4 Sociolinguistic Situation of Nigeria
Unit 5 Sociolinguistics and Other Disciplines
REFERENCES/FURTHER READING
Each unit contains a list of reference materials that you can read in
addition to the study units. These references are meant to help you
enhance your understanding of the course.
ASSIGNMENT FILE
This file contains all the details of the work you must submit to your
tutor for marks. Note that all the marks obtained in all the assignments
you do will be part of the final assessment scores for you in this course.
PRESENTATION SCHEDULE
The presentation schedule included in your course materials help you to

have an idea of the important dates for the completion of Tutor-marked
Assignments and attendance of tutorials. Note that you must adhere to
the dates for the submission of your assignments.
ASSESSMENT
Your assessment in this course will be based on Tutor-marked

Assignments (TMAs) and a final examination, which you will write at
the end of the course.
TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENTS (TMAs)
Every unit contains at least one or two assignments. You are advised to
work through all the assignments and submit them for assessment. Your
tutor will assess the assignments and select three which will constitute
the 30% of your final grade. The tutor-marked assignments may be
presented to you in a separate file. Just know that for every unit there are
some tutor-marked assignments for you. It is important you do them and
submit for assessment.
vii

FINAL EXAMINATION AND GRADING
At the end of the course, you will write a final examination, which will
constitute 70% of your final grade. In the examination, which shall last
for two to three hours, you will be requested to answer three questions
out of at least five questions.
COURSE MARKING SCHEME
This table shows how the actual course marking is broken down
Assessment Marks
Assignments Four Assignments, best three
marks of the four count as 30% of
course work
Final Examination 70%
Total 100%
COURSE OVERVIEW
Unit Title of Work Weeks Assessment

Activity (End of Unit)
Course Guide 1
Module 1 Introduction To 1
Language And Society
1 Language as a Social 2 Assignment 1
Phenomenon
and Its Functions
2 Social Factors in Language Use 2 Assignment 2
Module 2 Language Varieties
I
1 Dialect, Accent, Sociolect and 3 Assignment3
Idiolect
2 Register 4 Assignment 4
3 Style 5 Assignment 5
Module 3 Language Varieties
II
1 Standard, Non-standard, Native 6 Assignment 6
and
Non-native Varieties
2 Deviant/Restricted Varieties 7 Assignment 7
(Slang, jargon, Graffiti
3 New Varieties (E-mail, Text 8 Assignment 8
Messaging, Mobile
Telephoning
viii

4 Languages in Contact (Pidgin 9 Assignment 9

and Creole)
Module 4 Language: Types,
Ethnography And Acquisition
1 Language Typologies 10 Assignment 10
2 Linguistic Anthropology 11 Assignment 11
3 Language Learning and 11 Assignment 12
Acquisition
Module 5 Multilingualism
And Language Development
1 Bilingualism/Multilingualism 12 Assignment 13
2 Language Policy 12 Assignment 14
3 Language Planning, 13 Assignment 15
Maintenance,
Shift and Death
Module 6 Sociolinguistics And
Discourse
1 Discourse Analysis 13 Assignment 15
2 Code Switching, Interference 14 Assignment 16
and Borrowing
3 Linguistic Imperialism 14 Assignment 17
4 Sociolinguistic Situation of 15 Assignment 18
Nigeria
5 Sociolinguistics and Other 15 Assignment 19
Disciplines
Revision 16
Examination 17
Total 17
HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM THIS COURSE
In distance learning, the study units replace the university lecturer. This
is one of the greatest advantages of distance learning; you can read and
work through specially designed study materials at your own pace, and
at a time and place that suits you best, think of it as reading the lecture
instead of listening to the lecturer. In the same way, a lecturer might
give you some reading to do, the study unit tells you when to read, and
which are your text materials or set books.
You are provided exercises to do at appropriate points, just as a lecturer

might give you an in-class exercise. Each of the study units follows a
common format. The first item is an introduction to the subject matter of
the unit, and how a particular unit is integrated with the other units and
the course as a whole. Next to it is a set of objectives. These objectives
allow you to know what you should be able to do by the time you have
completed the unit. These learning objectives are meant to guide your
ix

study. The moment a unit is finished, you must go back and check
whether you have achieved the objectives. If this is made a habit, then
you will significantly improve your chances of passing the course.
The main body of the unit guides you through the required reading from
other sources. This will usually be either from your set books or form a
reading section. The following is a practical strategy for working
through the course. If you run into any trouble, please call your tutor.
Remember that your tutor’s job is to help you. When you need
assistance, do not hesitate to call and ask your tutor to provide it.
1. Read this course guide thoroughly. It is your first assignment.

Organise study schedule. Design a ‘course overview’ to guide
you through the course. Note the time you are expected to spend
on each unit and how the assignments relate to the units.
Important information, e.g: details of your tutorials and the date
of the first day of the semester is available from the study centre.
You need to gather all the information into one place, such as
your diary or wall calendar. Whatever method you choose to use,
you should decide on and write in your own dates and schedule
of work for each unit.
2. Once you have created your own study schedule, do everything to

stay faithful to it. The major reason that students fail is that they
get behind with their course work. If you get into difficulties with
your schedule, please, let your tutor know before it is too late for
help.
3. Turn to Unit 1, and read the introduction and the objectives for
the unit.
Assemble the study materials. You will need your set books and
the unit you are studying at any point in time.
4. Work through the unit. As you work through the unit, you will
know what sources to consult for further information.
5. Keep in touch with your study centre. Up-to-date course

information will be continuously available there.
6. Well before the relevant due dates (about 4 weeks before the due
dates), keep in mind that you will learn a lot by doing the
assignments carefully. They have been designed to help you meet
the objectives of the course and therefore, will help you pass the
examination. Submit all assignments not later than the due date.

7. Review the objectives for each study unit to confirm that you
have achieved them. If you feel unsure about any of the
objectives, review the study materials or consult your tutor.
8. When you are confident that you have achieved a unit’s

objectives, you can start on the next unit. Proceed unit by unit
through the course and try to pace your study so that you keep
yourself on schedule.
9. When you have submitted an assignment to your tutor for

marking, do not wait for its return before starting on the next unit.
Keep to your schedule. When the assignment is returned, pay
particular attention to your tutor’s comments, both on the tutor-
marked assignment form and also the written comments on the
ordinary assignments.
10. After completing the last unit, review the course and prepare
yourself for the final examination. Check that you have achieved
the unit’s objectives (listed at the beginning of each unit) and the
course objectives (listed in the Course Guide).
TUTORS AND TUTORIALS
The dates, times and locations of these tutorials will be made available
to you, together with the name, telephone number and the address of
your tutor. Each assignment will be marked by your tutor. Pay close
attention to the comments your tutor might make on your assignments as
these will help in your progress. Make sure that assignments reach your
tutor on or before the due date. Your tutorials are important, therefore
try not to skip any. It is an opportunity to meet your tutor and your
fellow students. It is also an opportunity to get the help of your tutor and
discuss any difficulties encountered on your reading.
SUMMARY
This course introduces you to the link between language and society.
Basically, you will be taken through the following: (a) how language
functions in a society, how the society is stratified and how this affect
the way humans use language, (c) the varieties of language that exist
within a society, (d) languages in contact, and the result (e) language
planning and maintenance., and so forth. All these are aimed at giving
you good background knowledge on the interface between language and
society.
I wish you success in this course.
xi

MAIN
COURSE
CONTENTS PAGE
Module 1 Introduction to Language

and Society………………………............ 1
Unit 1 Language as a Social Phenomenon and

Its Functions……………………………… 1
Unit 2 Social Factors in Language Use……...….. 7
Module 2 Language Varieties I……………........... 14
Unit 1 Dialect, Accent, Sociolect and Idiolect….. 14

Unit 2 Register…………………………..………. 19
Unit 3 Style……………………………..………. 25
Module 3 Language Varieties II…………………… 31
Unit 1 Standard, Non-standard, Native

and Non-native Varieties………..………… 31
Unit 2 Deviant/Restricted Varieties
(Slang, Jargon, Graffiti…………..………. 36
Unit 3 New Varieties (E-mail, Text
Messaging, Mobile Telephoning…………. 42
Unit 4 Languages in Contact
(Pidgin and Creole)…………….………. .. 49
Module 4 Language: Types, Ethnography

and Acquisition…………………........... . 54
Unit 1 Language Typologies…………….……… 54

Unit 2 Linguistic Anthropology…………........... 61
Unit 3 Language Learning and Acquisition…….. 68
Module 5 Multilingualism and

Language Development……….…......... 76
Unit 1 Bilingualism/Multilingualism…….......... 76
Unit 2 Language Policy…………………..……. 81
Unit 3 Language Planning, Maintenance
Shift and Death………………….……… 86

Module 6 Sociolinguistics and Discourse…….......... 92
Unit 1 Discourse Analysis………………………… 92

Unit 2 Code Switching, Interference and
Borrowing…………………………………. 99
Unit 3 Linguistic Imperialism…………………….. 105
Unit 4 Sociolinguistic Situation of Nigeria………. 111
Unit 5 Sociolinguistics and Other Disciplines……. 120

ENG 251 MODULE 1
MODULE 1 INTRODUCTION TO LANGUAGE AND

SOCIETY
Unit 1 Language as a Social Phenomenon and Its Functions
Unit 2 Social Factors in Language Use
UNIT 1 LANGUAGE AS A SOCIAL PHENOMENON

AND ITS FUNCTIONS
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Language as Social Phenomenon
3.1.1 Functions of Language
3.1.2 Emotive Function
3.1.3 Referential Function
3.1.4 Social Function
3.1.5 Poetic Function
3.1.6 Other Functions
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 Reference/Further Reading
1.0 INTRODUCTION
In this unit, you will learn about language as a social phenomenon and
the various functions of language in the society.
The ability of humans to use language to communicate is one thing that

makes them different from other creatures. Language should not just be
seen as a tool for communicating, but also one for establishing social
relationships between human beings. It is the social essence of language
and the different ways people use language to achieve socialisation that
we will be examining in this unit.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
• explain the notion of language as a social phenomenon;

• identify the various functions language is put to in the society;
and
• differentiate between these functions in any human interaction.

ENG 251 LANGUAGE AND SOCIETY
3.0 MAIN CONTENT
3.1 Language as a Social Phenomenon
Language, according to Wikipedia Dictionary is a system of signals,

including voice sounds, gestures or written symbols which encodes and
decodes information.
However, languages are not just sets of symbols. They also often
conform to a rough grammar, or system of rules, used to manipulate the
symbols. What is more important to us here is that language is
constructed by humans, who live in communities to express their way of
life. So, whatever system of rules and symbols a language possesses are
given to it by its speakers.
Every language use is situated within a group of speakers who have

something in common. They may be people living in the same
community who may share the same origin, profession, social class, and
so forth. Such a group of people tend to behave alike because the
environment or context in which they operate constrains them to use
language in a particular way. Since language is a system of symbols, the
speakers choose from the linguistic system in which they operate only
those symbols that will communicate something meaningful to them.
The words and the structure of a group of language speakers reflects the
way they see the world and these in turn, guide their social interaction.
For instance, the world view of Yoruba speakers makes them to see
kinship relations in a different way from the way English speakers see
them. Someone’s brother in the Yoruba world view is not just “a male
who has the same parents as the person”. Someone’s brother includes all
male relatives who are slightly older or younger than that person.
It is also important to note that in some cultures, greetings are used more
for socialising than in other cultures. In most African cultures, a lot of
value is placed on greetings before the commencement of conversation,
during conversation and at the end of a conversation.
Different contexts of language use have their distinct social identity and
style markers. For instance, the way language is used in casual
conversation setting is different from the way it is used in
institutionalised discourse setting, such as: Church, debate, quiz,
symposium, public lecture, and so forth. There are ways people behave
when they speak different languages. This means that language has a
connection with behaviour. In fact some scholars have summarised this
by saying that language is a form of behaviour. For instance, there are
ways to speak and behave in a courtroom, and this is essentially

ENG 251 MODULE 1
different from the way we behave when we for instance are in the open
market for any form of transaction. The market situation in Africa
allows for sellers to advertise their wares by calling out to potential
buyers. There are also ways we behave in conversations that makes
them look orderly. For instance, participants in conversations will not
usually talk all at once. Conversely, there will not usually be stretches of
time in which no one talks at all.
Language cannot be discussed without mentioning the culture in which

it is used. Culture is regarded as the way of life of a people. The
language a people speak is used to express the various elements of their
culture. Likewise, we cannot speak meaningfully about culture without
talking about the society in which the culture resides. So, we see that the
society is the base for all the discussions we may be having about
language. And within each society or segments of the society, we have
different cultures, which those who belong to them express through their
use of language.
3.1.1 Functions of Language
The most basic function of language that readily comes to the mind of
every one is the communicative function. This means that language is
used to communicate or express the ideas in our mind. These ideas
themselves emanate from the world we live in. This however is too
simplistic a way of seeing the function of language. In this section, we
have identified some major functions of language, which will be
applicable to any known human language. They are given below.
3.1.2 Emotive Function
Language is used to express the state of our mind, the way our mind is
working at some particular point in time. The emotive function of
language focuses on the addresser and it is also referred to as expressive
function. The addresser's own attitude towards the content of the
message is emphasised. Each time we use certain expressions, they
show how we feel. Such expression are called emotive utterances
Examples are emphatic speech or interjections, such as: “hurray”,
“damn it”, “oh my God”, “wow”, ouch” (English), “ye e” in Yoruba to
express pain or sorrow), “aah” (to express surprise), and so forth.
3.1.3 Referential Function
Referential Function refers to the context. This function emphasises that

communication is always dealing with something contextual. It is also
called representative function of language. Speakers use language to
refer to their world. The only thing that accounts for the difference in

languages is the fact that speakers’ worlds differ, hence their view,
which is expressed in language must equally differ. Most words used in
language refer to some entity in the physical or experiential world of the
speaker. For instance, the word “chair” refers to an object in the world
that has four legs and is used for sitting. However, we are aware that
some words we use do not refer to anything in the world as such. For
instance grammatical words, such as prepositions and articles do not
refer to any concrete object.
3.1.4 Social Function
Language is used to maintain relationships between speakers. This is the

social function of language. It is also referred to as phatic communion.
It is the use of language that helps the speakers to establish contact. By
mere exchange of words, ties of union are created. For instance,
greetings are regarded as a way of establishing relationship in language.
They come before any form of verbal interaction. This function of
language signifies the basic human requirement to signal friendship. The
function is more about a ritual exchange about speakers’ well-being,
e.g.:
Good morning - directed to someone you met in the morning
Bless you - in Nigeria, directed to someone who has just sneezed
Hello - directed to somebody one wants to talk to
3.1.5 Poetic Function
Language is used for creative purposes by some users. Sometimes, our

messages convey more than just the content, and until we probe into the
deeper meaning being conveyed, we may lose the whole message. Most
English words have the ordinary surface day to day meaning and in
addition, connotation, i.e., meaning above the ordinary meaning, which
is not always directly linked to the surface usage. This function of
language is commonly employed in literary works, where writers
deliberately deviate in their use of language to create certain effects. For
instance, a woman described as a “bitch” is a woman of easy virtue, or
simply put, a prostitute.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
i. Read the first act of the drama text The Lion and The Jewel by
Wole Soyinka.
ii. Identify the various functions of language in the text.

ENG 251 MODULE 1
3.1.6 Other Functions
The functions discussed above are the generally stated functions of

language. There are other miscellaneous functions of language
functions, which we will discuss briefly below.
Language can be used as a means of expressing one’s identity.

Speakers’ use of language is constrained by the totality of who they are
in terms of their social background, age, sex, profession, and region of
origin. For instance, certain expressions are generally associated with
certain group of speakers. It is on the basis of this function of language
that linguists study how language varies, by examining varieties of
language peculiar to an individual (idiolect); variety of language
peculiar to people from a particular geographical location (dialect);
variety of language that reflects features of speech (pronunciation)
peculiar to people from the same region (accent); variety of speech
peculiar to people of the same profession (register).
Each utterance we make is designed to perform certain functions such

as: informing the listener, questioning the listener about some facts,
promising the listener that one will do something, and ordering the
listener to do something. This, is language study is referred to as speech
acts. This means that our utterances make us and our listeners to behave
or act in a particular way. Listeners are expected to recognise the
speaker’s intention or else communication would not be achieved.
4.0 CONCLUSION
To conclude this unit, it is clear from the discussion above that language
is a social phenomenon, which users use not just as a tool for expressing
their minds, but also as a means of socialising among the group of users.
5.0 SUMMARY
This unit examined language as a social phenomenon. It looked at the

nature of human language and how the code used by speakers is derived
from their world view of the society in which they dwell. It underscored
the importance of culture and society which are both essential
ingredients of any instance of language use.
The second aspect of the unit deals with four major functions of
language: emotive, referential, social, and poetic functions. It also looks
at two other functions, those that view language as a means of
expressing our identity and controlling reality.

6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT
1. Language should not just be seen as a tool for communicating,

but also one for establishing social relationships between human
beings. Discuss this statement.
2. What is ‘phatic communion’?
3. Identify two functions of language and explain them.
4. Record your own examples of language forms that perform social
and poetic functions in at least two Nigerian indigenous
languages.
7.0 REFERENCES / FURTHER READING
Fasold, R. W. & Connot-Linton, J. (2006). An Introduction to Language

and Linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Gumperz, J. (1983). Language and Social Identity. Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press.
Yule, G. (1995). The Study of Language. Cambridge: CUP.

ENG 251 MODULE 1
UNIT 2 SOCIAL FACTORS IN LANGUAGE USE
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Context as a Factor in Language Use
3.1.1 Social Status
3.1.2 Age
3.1.3 Sex/Gender
3.1.4 Education
3.1.5 Addresser-Addressee Interactions
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
7.0 References/Further Reading
1.0 INTRODUCTION
As mentioned earlier in the previous unit, language is a social

phenomenon because the users of any particular language dwell in a
society, and their interactions through the language reflects the
worldview of the society. Certain social factors have been identified,
which shape the way we construct meaning in language. Such factors
determine what language we use, and how we use such language. They
include the context of language use, the social status of the language
user, the age of the language user and the sex of the language users. In
this unit, we shall see how these factors shape the ways we use language
in the society.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
• identify how contextual factors affect language use; and

• discuss the role of age, social status, education, sex and gender in
language use.
3.0 MAIN CONTENT
3.1 Context as a Factor in Language Use
It is impossible to determine what most utterances mean without having

some knowledge of the situations in which they occur. Such situations
are referred to as context. By context here, we mean the:

(i) physical environment of the language use, i.e., where the

language is used, the objects there and the actions taking place;
this is often referred to as the physical context
(ii) utterances made before and after the one under consideration; this
is called the linguistic context
(iii) general rules of behaviour that the language users obey, the
background knowledge shared by the users. This is also known as
the epistemic context
(iv) social relationship between the language users, which is also
known as the social context.
We cannot possibly study language without considering the context in

which it is used, because context creates possibilities for interpretation
and helps us to remove ambiguities that utterances would have had if
they had occurred in isolation. For instance, if someone utters the
statement:
I need a mouse urgently.
The meaning will depend on the context in which the utterance is made.
If this statement was made by a scientist who is running an experiment,
the mouse he/she is referring to will then be a rodent with a long tail.
However, if the same statement was made by a person who has a
computer that he uses to word process his documents, the mouse will
then refer to the device we use to do things on a computer screen. We
would see that in interpreting the meaning of the statement above, we
need to look into the physical context, the people involved and where
the discourse is taking place, our understanding of the word mouse,
which is not limited to one meaning, and so forth.
Halliday (1973) described the knowledge speakers have of the context

of the language they use by identifying three meta-functions namely: the
ideational knowledge, the interpersonal knowledge, and the textual
knowledge. The ideational knowledge refers to the knowledge of the
culture prevalent within the society gained by means of direct
experience by the speakers. The interpersonal knowledge is the
knowledge of how people behave in particular situations, i.e. the degree
of formality that a culture assigns to different situations and the roles
people assume as a consequence. The textual knowledge refers to the
knowledge gained from the other texts including the knowledge of intra-
and inter-textual contexts, conventions for the organisation of texts, how
texts are made to stick together as a meaningful whole (cohesion and
coherence).

ENG 251 MODULE 1
3.1.1 Social Status
Every society has a social structure, which usually is based on certain

socio-economic indices, such as occupation, the level of education, the
income, the dwelling place, and so forth. Status in this sense is therefore
anything a set of language speakers have that distinguishes them from
other language users. The status of language users influences the way
they use language. It is easy to identify the different layers of any
society in terms of the status of the people. For instance there is the
likelihood that people who live in the same area of a particular society
have the same linguistic behaviour.
Likewise, those who belong to the same profession tend to speak the
same way because the profession that binds them together reflects in the
language they speak. People who live in the exclusive areas of the
society like the Government Reservation Areas (GRAs) are those who
are regarded as the upper class people in the society. In Nigeria, for
instance, people in the upper class socialise mostly in English, while the
people in the lower class socialise in the local languages.
It is important to state here that one’s status also refers to the roles we
take up in different speech situations. People are generally aware of their
own status in relation to one another, and will choose the appropriate
linguistic forms consciously to reflect this status in different speech
situations. For instance, when we are talking to people of higher social
authority, our language becomes more formal than when we are
interacting with people of the same social status or lower status.
Status also reflects in the medium of language we use, For instance,

most writings are formal, probably because most of the relationships
that are expressed through writing are formal in character.
3.1.2 Age
Age is a very important factor in language use. As you would recognise

people of different age brackets have different linguistic behaviour.
Children have their own way of speaking especially when they are just
learning the language. Scholars in language acquisition have recognised
different stages children go through to acquire language. Each of these
stages has its different characteristics. Even adults recognise that we
have what we call “baby talk”, which is the expression for the sounds
and words babies used when learning to speak and the words used by
adults when talking to babies. We recognise words like “weewee” (to
urinate), “poupou” (to defecate) as part of children’s vocabulary.

We also recognise that the young ones, mainly the youths have a
linguistic culture different from that of the adults. This culture is further
strengthened by the new technologies for communication. The youth
culture is evident in every human culture and since we have established
it that language is used to express or transmit culture; then, it is clear
that the youth culture is projected through their language use. For
instance, expressions, as “dad”, “pop”, “popsie” (daddy), “mum”,
“momsie” (mummy), “chill” (to relax) are common among Nigerian
youths.
The way young people use their mobile phones for creative means is
increasing. In fact, this generation of young people is often referred to
as the “next generation”. Through the new technologies, the youths are
reinventing conventional linguistic and communicative practices
(Thurlow, 2003). The language of the youth is characterised by non-
conventional forms, sometimes deliberately used as a rebellion against
the well-known linguistic convention.
Adults also have their own form of language, and it is usually the case
that one can recognise the speech of an adult through the lexical items
chosen and sometimes the structure. Adults tend to conform more to the
conventions of language use. Their language especially those of elderly
people is characterised by the use of proverbs and aphorisms.
3.1.3 Sex/Gender
Sex and gender are also very important social variables in language use.
Generally speaking research findings have shown that men and women
use language differently. Men and women use language in particular
ways because of their gender. Apart from the difference in voice pitch of
men and women, other findings reveal that women speak in a
considerably different way from men.
Coates (1986) studied men-only and women-only discussions and found

that when women talk to each other, they reveal a lot about their private
lives. They also stick to one topic for a long time, let all the speakers
finish their sentences and try to have everyone participate. Men on the
other hand, rarely talked about their personal relationships and feelings,
but compete to prove themselves better informed about current affairs,
travel, sports, etc. The topic change in men’s conversation and they try
to establish a reasonably stable hierarchy, with some men dominating
the conversation and others talking very little (Coates, 11986). Women
are also known to vary the pitch and intonation of their voice more than
men.
10

ENG 251 MODULE 1
3.1.4 Education
Education is a very crucial factor in language use. The level of a

person’s education determines the kind of language he/she speaks,
particularly the variety of language he/she uses. This factor is closely
tied with social status, which we discussed earlier. The more educated a
person is, the higher he moves up on the social ladder. For instance in
Nigeria, where English is the language of prestige, the standard form of
the language is used by the well-educated people, while the base form of
the language, generally referred to as Pidgin is used mostly by the
people with very low education.]
Watch a soap opera on the television and identify in what ways social
factors affect the language used by the actors.
3.1.5 Addresser-Addressee Interactions
From the discussion so far, you can see that addresser-addressee’s

relationships vary according to their social roles in the particular
communicative context. Below are some examples of speech extracts of
some addresser-addressee’s interaction.
Boss/Subordinate Conversation
Boss: Mr. Isaac, get these letters posted for me and buy
me two newspapers on your way back
Subordinate: Yes sir. Which ones sir?
Boss: Punch and Guardian
Subordinate: Yes sir.
Teacher/Students Classroom Interaction
Teacher: Today, we want to examine the functions of language.

Before I say anything, who can tell what a language is?
Student: Sir (raised up the right hand)
Teacher: Okay, Sam
Student: Language is communication
Teacher: Samuel, you tried but that definition is too general. Does
somebody else want to try?
Student: I, sir.
Teachers: Yes, Chinedu
Student: Language is what human beings use to communicate. It

can either be through speech or writing.
11

Teacher: Very good, Chinedu. Let us clap for him.
Friend/Friend Conversation
Bisi: You know, I nearly fainted yesterday when I learnt Bimbo was
pregnant.
Uju: Come off it, don’t you know the way the girl has been going, she
would end up that way.
Bisi: But it is still a shock to me. So what will happen to her
education?
Uju: That is straight forward; she will have to stop until after having
the baby.
Bisi: Poor Bimbo, I really pity her.
Uju: Please let’s talk about something else. What are your plans for
this holiday? Are you going to spend it in Lagos as usual?
Bisi: I don’t know yet. That will depend on what my mum feels about
it. Anyway, I am praying she would let me go.
We can see from the two interactions above that the relationship
between the addresser and addressee determines the way they speak. For
instance, the first conversation is characterised by a command issued by
the boss and a response to obey the command by the subordinate. The
boss is able to command because of his social role. In the second
interaction, we find a question and answer sequence, where the teacher
because of his social role as the educator has the right not only to give
knowledge, but also to demand for knowledge, approve students who
give accurate response, encourage other students to appreciate such
student and so forth. In the last conversation, we see a tone of familiarity
between the interlocutors because they are friends. An expression such
as “come off it” can only be used by someone who is familiar to the
addressee.
4.0 CONCLUSION
Social factors are essential determiners of the way we use language. In

this unit, we have been able to see how contextual factors aid meaning
in language use. Apart from this, we also look at another related issue -
the ways three social factors – social status, age and sex/gender affect
the way we use our language.
5.0 SUMMARY
The importance of context in language use and interpretations cannot be

over-emphasised. Language is a social phenomenon and its use is
situated in a context. Users of a language are aware of the different
12

ENG 251 MODULE 1
contexts of language use and they use language to reflect these contexts.
They are also aware of their social roles in these contexts and how their
social status, age and gender/sex determine the kind of language they
use.
1. What is context?
2. How does context aid meaning in language use?
3. Discuss how social status and age affect language use.
4. Explain Halliday’s ‘meta-functions”.
7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READING
Fasold, R. W. (1990). The Sociolinguistics of Language. London:

Blackwell Publishers.
Halliday, M.A.K. (1994). Introduction to Functional Grammar.

London: Edward Arnold.
Wardaugh, R. (2002.) An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. Blackwell

Publishers Coates.
13

MODULE 2 LANGUAGE VARIETIES I
Unit 1 Dialect, Accent, Sociolect, and Idiolect

Unit 2 Register
Unit 3 Style
UNIT 1 DIALECT, ACCENT, SOCIOLECT AND

IDOLECT
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Dialect
3.2 Accent
3.3 Sociolect
3.4 Idiolect
3.5 Other Varieties (Ecolect and Ethnolect)
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Language varies in different ways – from one social group to another,

from one geographical area to another, and from even within the same
language, speakers speak differently to reflect their unique environment
or context of usage. This unit is the first in the series of other units that
will be dealing with some varieties of language. The general way of
referring to the varieties of language is to call them dialects. The term
“lect” is used by some scholars in Linguistics to refer to variety of a
language. The different types of lects we shall be discussing in this unit
include idiolect, dialect, soiolect, ecolect, ethnolect.
The term “dialect” has various applications. In this unit, we shall look at
the various applications of the term dialect; for instance, the varieties of
speech of speakers of the same language who are located in different
geographical areas (dialect). We shall also look at how the social
groupings in the society reflect the different ways people who belong to
such groups express their world in their use of language (sociolect).
Lastly, we shall look at how the features of people’s pronunciation
reflect their geographical background (accent).
14

ENG 251 MODULE 2
2.0 OBJECTIVES
• explain the various applications of the term – dialect

• differentiate between dialect, accent and sociolect
• identify the factors that shape regional dialects.
3.0 MAIN CONTENT
3.1 Dialect
What is dialect? Dialect refers to the features of grammar and

vocabulary, which convey information about a person’s geographical
origin. Speakers of the same language spread across different locations
may speak in ways that are slightly different to reflect their geographical
setting. Dialects often result from historical and geographical dispersal
or separation of members from the original speech community. For
instance, English, which was originally located in the British Isles, has
dialects spread across the world far away from its original community.
So, English has the native dialect – dialects spoken by some people as
their mother tongue in places such as Britain, America, Australia,
Canada, and South Africa. It also has non-native dialects, which are also
called institutionalised variety – dialects spoken by some people who
possess their mother tongue, which is different from English. For such
people, English is their second language. Such dialects include the ones
spoken in Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, etc), West Africa (Nigeria,
Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, etc), East Africa (Kenya, Uganda).
Dialects are often defined as language variety according to user, i.e.,

they are the product of where the users come from. For example,
speakers of English in the different regions where the language is
spoken speak it differently to reflect the realities of their linguistic
settings. This is particularly noticeable in the lexical items and the
structure of the variety. For instance, in the variety of English spoken in
Nigeria, there are some lexical items, such as the terms cited below,
which do not exist in the native English.
Decampee (someone who decamps from a party to another)

Okada (motorcycles used as means of transportation in the country)
Every language in the world has dialects; however, there is a range of

dialects that are considered by speakers to be standard because of the
prestige associated with them. It may also be that the speakers of this
dialect are the remnants of where it originates from. It should however,
15

be clear that all dialects are equally correct, expressive and logical. In
this sense, no dialect should be seen as superior to the other. Each
dialect is used to express the culture of the speakers.
To determine if two varieties are dialects of the same language, they

have to be mutually intelligible. Mutual intelligibility refers to the
ability of speakers of two varieties to converse fluently with each other.
Identify some dialects of your language. How do these dialects differ

from one another?
3.2 Accent
The term accent is different from dialect in the sense that it refers
mainly to the features of pronunciation, which indicate the regional or
the social identity of a speaker. It is also a characteristic pronunciation
determined by the phonetic habits of the speaker's native language
carried over to his or her use of another language. Accent is only part of
dialect variation.
There is a tendency for people to think that to speak with an accent is to speak
a substandard variety. It is however the case that everyone who speaks a
language, speaks it with an accent. A particular accent essentially reflects a
person's linguistic background. When people listen to someone speak with a
different accent from their own, they notice the difference, and they may even
make certain biased social judgments about the speaker. However, such biased
social judgments are not correct.
3.3 Sociolect
A sociolect is the language spoken by a social group, social class or

subculture. It is a portmanteau term combining the words "social" and
"dialect", which in this regard differs from an idiolect – which is the
form of a language peculiar to an individual – and a dialect, which is a
form of speech peculiar to a certain area. However, dialects often have a
particular social status, so that a given variant may be considered
simultaneously a dialect and a sociolect.
In every society, and regional dialects, these varieties emerge as a result

of speakers’ education and social status of groups of people who relate
often together, thereby, speaking the same way. It is this variety they
speak that we refer to as sociolect. For instance, the low class and the
impoverished people form a social class or group. In Nigeria for
instance, the regional variety, often referred to as Nigerian English, has
the educated and the uneducated varieties. The uneducated use a variety
16

ENG 251 MODULE 2
that is characterised by wrong use of grammatical tenses for example.

The variety has a low social prestige, when compared with the educated
Nigerian English variety. The speakers are mostly people who perform
unskilled labour and artisans. The educated English is used by the elites
– senior civil servants, educated professionals, graduates and so on. It is
regarded as the standard form, which has the British English as its
model.
Apart from the educated and the uneducated varieties, other social
groups within the society also have their varieties. These include the
youths, students, and so forth. Speakers of the educated variety may
have difficulty making themselves understood by the less educated
speakers. However, most speakers strive to understand the standard
variety when seen as the prestige variety – used by the people of
importance and the educated.
3.4 Idiolect
Idiolect refers to the features of speech peculiar to individuals in the

society. It ranges from phonological features, such as voice and
intonation to discourse phenomena in naturally-occurring conversation.
A person’s idiolect makes another person to recognise his voice when he
is speaking in the next room to the person.
3.5 Other Varieties
Other varieties that have been identified by sociolinguists are ethnolects

(variety of language spoken by people who come from the same ethnic
group). The Wikipedia Dictionary defines an ethnolect as a variant of a
language spoken by a certain ethnic/cultural subgroup and serves as a
distinguishing mark of social identity. The term combines the concepts
of a ethnic group and dialect. A good example of ethnolect is the
African American variety of American English. It may not be so easy
differentiating between ‘dialect’ and ‘ethnolect’.
Another variety that has been identified is ecolect. An ecolect is a

language dialect unique to a household (from the Greek eco (oikos) for
house, as in economy or ecology, and lect for language). An ecolect
probably evolves from an idiolect, which is individual specific, when
other household members adopt that individual's unique words and
phrases that are not in use in surrounding households or the wider
community.
17

4.0 CONCLUSION
Language is a social institution and it varies from one individual to

another and from one social group to another. Speakers of the same
language use it differently on account of their experiences. Varieties
such as dialects, idiolects, and sociolects can be distinguished not only
by their vocabulary, but also by differences in grammar, phonology and
prosody.
5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, we examined four different ways a language can vary in its
use by individuals and the society: dialect (variety according to user)
accent (a variety distinguished by features of pronunciation, which
indicate the region of origin of the speaker); sociolect (a variety used by
a social group); idiolect (a variety used by an individual speaker);
ethnolect (a variety used by people of the same ethno-cultural group);
and ecolect (a variety used by members of the same household).
1. What is dialect, and how does it differ from accent?

2. Differentiate between idiolect and ethnolect.
3. Identify and discuss some regional dialects of English across the
world.
4. Identify and discuss the social dialects of English in Nigeria.
Crystal, D. (1987). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language.

Lyons, J. (1981). Language and Linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge

University Press.
18

ENG 251 MODULE 2
UNIT 2 REGISTERS
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 What is Register?
3.1.1 Register Variables
3.1.2 Field
3.1.3 Mode
3.1.4 Tenor
3.2 Variables according to Subject Matters
3.3 Variables according to Attitudes
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
1.0 INTRODUCTION
In this unit, we shall be looking at another variety of language, which is

different from the ones we examined in the last unit. This variety has to
do with language use that is not dependent upon the user. There is an
established way of using some varieties among people who belong to
the same profession. They have terms and expressions, which are
specifically used for conveying meaning. This does not differ from one
individual or region as long as they speak the same language. Such a
variety that is determined by ‘use’, rather than the user is referred to as
‘Register’.
In this unit, we shall look at the concept of register and how to recognise
a register through its variables. In addition, we shall also look at the
different ways registers can be identified.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
• define and illustrate the term register

• explain the three register variables
• identify the specific linguistic features of some English registers
• differentiate between varieties according to subject matter and
variety according to attitude.
19

3.0 MAIN CONTENT
3.1 What is Register?
Register refers to a variety of language according to use. It is a subset of

a language used for a particular purpose in a particular social setting
(Wikipedia Dictionary). The term register was first used by the linguist
Thomas Reid in 1956. It was later brought into currency in the 1960s by
linguists who wanted to differentiate between ‘variations of language
according to ‘user’ and ‘variations of language according to use’ Each
user of a language has a range of varieties from which he chooses to
reflect the social reality (Halliday, et al., 1964).
Register, therefore refers to varieties used for different occasions

characterised by specialised vocabulary and grammar. For instance, the
legal language (legalese) is used when speaking or writing on legal
issues or when the context of language use is a legal one. The language
of journalism (journalese) is used in the context of journalism. Other
registers include: baby talk (register used by adults when speaking with
children), scientific report register (used in reporting scientific research),
cookery register (used when talking or writing about cookery), etc.
Registers operate in a continuum, rather than as discrete varieties. This

means that there can be overlap in usage in different registers. It is
however clear that each register has its distinctive linguistic
characteristics. Most of the expressions we use in ordinary daily
interactions may have specialised usage in some registers. For instance,
the word minor in the ordinary sense means ‘not important when
compared with other things of the same type’. However, in the legal
register it refers to ‘someone who has not reached the age at which they
are legally adult’. Below are some words with their ordinary meanings
and their specialised meanings in some English registers.
20

ENG 251 MODULE 2
Table 2.1:
WORD EVERYDAY SPECIALISED REGISTER

MEANING USAGE
Notebook A book for A portable computer Computing
recoding notes
Shoot To send out from To hit or propel the Sports
a weapon ball towards the goal
Witness A person who A person who Religion
observes an event preaches the word of
God
Freeze When liquid turns To legally stop the Banking
to solid supply of money to
somebody
Share A part of the total One of the equal Stock
number of parts of a company Exchange
something that you can buy
bill Amount you owe Proposal for law Legal
3.1.1 Register Variables
Register is generally determined by what is taking place, who is taking

part and what part the language is playing. This is the basis for
identifying the register variables, which we shall be discussing in this
section. Scholars of Register Studies have identified three abstract
situational features which will in any given situation, influence language
use. Halliday (1985) particularly developed the three main parameters,
which are useful for characterising the nature of social interaction of
participants. These variables or contextual features are Field, Mode and
Tenor.
3.1.2 Field
The field of a discourse refers to what the text is all about, what is
happening or the subject matter of the discourse. The field is most
clearly reflected in the lexical items chosen and sometimes the way the
language is structured. For instance if two people are discussing
agriculture, their vocabulary will reflect the topic. This depends on the
specific area of Agriculture they are discussing. Below are some
registers and vocabularies identified with their field.
Publishing: manuscript, royalty, galley proof, reprint, edit, proof-read,

typeface, etc.
Health: x-ray, hemorrhage, migraine, vaccination, immunity,
surgery, ward, etc.
21

Politics: electorate, ballot, cabinet, constituency, legislature,

impeachment, bill, etc.
Computing: disk, flash pen, PDF, floppy, UPS, CD-Rom,
password, attachment, etc.
Finance: discount, investment, auditor, ledger, capital,
turnover, credit, budget, etc.
Road Transport: speed limit, roundabout, T-junction, zebra crossing,
C-caution, etc.
Cookery: chop, whisk, garnish, grate dessert, buffet, menu,
recipe, pastries, etc
3.1.3 Mode
The mode of discourse is the channel or medium of communication.

There are three major channels of communication: speech, writing and
gestures. In considering, the mode of discourse, we have to examine the
distance between the activity and the language. For instance, speech is
close to the activity it describes, while writing is far from it. We also
have to look at how far removed the speaker and the listeners are form
one another. For instance, speakers and listeners in face to face
interaction are closer than speaker and listener in telephone
conversation.
Communicating through writing makes the users farther from each

other. Communicating through the Internet combines the features of
speaking and writing. Gestures are sometimes used to complement
speech and when they are used alone, it is usually the case that the
person being addressed cannot use speech to communicate.
3.1.4 Tenor
The tenor of discourse refers to the people taking part and the
relationship between them, e.g.: teacher-pupil, parent-child, preacher-
congregation, boss-subordinate, etc. Participants in a discourse have
social roles, which could be temporary or permanent. Different
individuals may assume different roles in different linguistic domains.
The tenor of discourse also determines the choice of lexical items. The
choice of lexical items may reflect equality, solidarity, friendliness, and
so forth. The lexical items may also be highly specialised and technical.
i. Listen to a discussion programme on the television and note your

observation of the register variables.
22

ENG 251 MODULE 2
ii. Write out some English words that are used across different
English registers and identify such registers and the meanings of
these words in the registers.
3.2 Varieties according to Subject Matter
When discussing different subject matters, or when we are engaged in

different activities, we use language in different ways to reflect the
subject matter or the activity we are engaged in. The way we use
language in this sense is clearly seen in our choice of lexical items and
their collocations. According to Halliday and Hasan (1985: 39),
registers are characterised by indexical features, indices

in form of particular grammatical signals
Registers vary from restricted language in which the range of discourse

is less constrained. For instance, the register of newspaper headlines is
more open-ended than that of legal documents.
3.3 Varieties according to Attitude
Our attitude to what we are doing also determines our language. Many a
times, we are able to identify clearly our purpose of communication and
this determines largely how we speak. For instance, we recognise
informal and formal situations and we try to reflect the situation in our
language use.
An informal situation is that of familiarity, therefore the attitude of

language users is warm and relaxed. This is the kind of situation that
exists between friends and acquaintances. Speakers are casual in their
choice of language. The variety of language is usually spoken, though
sometimes, it may be written. It is marked by common and familiar
lexical items and collocations, shortened forms and omitted parts.
A formal situation is that of unfamiliarity, therefore, the attitude is

impersonal. It is a situation in which we have a socially superior person
and his/her subordinate or people who are not familiar. Speakers are
polite in their choice of language. The vocabulary items are the
specialised and rare ones. The sentences are also usually non-simple and
passive. This is common in official correspondence, scholarly papers,
essays, government publications and so forth.
There is also a neutral situation, which is neither formal nor informal.

The attitude here is equally neutral. This variety is common in
newspapers and conversations with strangers. It combines the least
extreme features of both formal and informal varieties.
23

Identify some of the indigenous languages spoken in Nigeria.
4.0 CONCLUSION
Register is a variety of language according to use. It is a variety that

does not depend on the individual language user, but the use the
language is put to. A register is identified primarily through specialised
lexical items and expression, which characterise it. There are also three
register variables identified by Halliday (1985). These variables are also
referred to as contextual or situational features. They influence the
language used at any particular point in time. .
5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, we have examined the concept of Register - the nature of

the concept and how we can determine a register using the contextual
features. We also looked at how our attitudes and the subject matter of
discourse determine the variety of language that we use at any particular
point in time.
1. Explain the term ‘register’.

2. Differentiate between register and dialect.
3. What is tenor of discourse?
4. Discuss the field, tenor, and mode of the following types of
discourse:
(i) sermon
(ii) news presentation on the television
(iii) news report in a newspaper
(iv) casual conversation.
Ghadessy, M. (Ed.). (1993). Register Analysis: Theory and Practice.

London: Pinter.
Halliday, M.A.K. (1985). An Introduction to Functional Grammar.

24

ENG 251 MODULE 2
UNIT 3 STYLE
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 What is Style?
3.2 Style in Writing
3.3 Style in Speech
3.4 Other Ways of Seeing Style
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Every day we are involved in actions and events, thoughts, and

perceptions, which our language system accounts for. We have different
ways of using the resources of language system to capture the same
event and reality. This is generally referred to in Linguistics as Style.
This unit looks at the concept of style as it is reflected individual ways
of using language to represent their experience through speech and
writing.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
• define the concept of style

• identify the purpose of style
• explain how our social context of language use affect our style
• analyse the linguistic style of any text.
3.0 MAIN CONTENT
3.1 What is Style?
The term style has different applications to different people. However,

for us as language specialists style simply refers to how individuals use
language to reflect their unique environment. People are always
motivated either consciously or unconsciously on the choices they make
within the linguistic system they operate in. These choices have a
profound impact on the way a text is structured and interpreted. Halliday
(1994) views language as being used to represent what goes on in the
25

physical and abstract world. He says this way of using language fulfils
the experiential function of language. The experiential function of
language is an important marker of style.
Stylistics is the study of style in language. According to the Wikipedia

Dictionary, Stylistics is the study of varieties of language whose
properties position that language in context. For example, the language
of advertising, politics, religion, individual authors, etc., or the language
of a period in time, all belong in a particular situation. In other words,
they all have ‘place’.
Linguists look at style in the language of writers of prose, poems and

drama. The perspective through which a writer tells a story is an
important stylistic dimension. For instance, a story may be told in the
first person-making the narrator also a character whose actions and
events can be shared by the reader of the story. It may also be narrated
in the third person by an invisible narrator, who facilitates access of the
readers to the thoughts and actions of the characters. This is generally
referred to in Stylistics as point of view.
Other features of stylistics include the use of dialogue, including

regional accents and people’s dialects, descriptive language, the use of
grammar, such as the active voice or passive voice, the distribution of
sentence lengths, the use of particular language registers, etc.
The concept of style is closely related to Register, as style could be

formal, informal or plain. It could be described in other ways as frozen,
humorous, ironic, poetic, literary, etc. Gairns and Redman (1986) noted
that lexical items may be similar in conceptual meaning but differ in
style as can be seen in the following items:
Children - neutral
Offspring - formal
Nippers - colloquial, humorous
Kids - colloquial
Brats - colloquial, derogatory
When studying style in language, we can also look at the principles of

stylistic analysis. These include textual cohesion and coherence,
modality, transitivity, speech act analysis, the discoursal representation
of speech and thought, face and politeness, presupposition, etc. Studying
the style of an author equips us with an understanding of how language
works. Literary linguistics (also known as Stylistics) is often invaluable
in attempts to identify the essence of an author's style; it is crucial to
understanding how advertisements win us over; it is important in the
26

ENG 251 MODULE 2
identification of weak writing, moments of failure or contradiction in

political or persuasive language, and in many other contexts.
It is new and central to the study and understanding of literature and the
media because contemporary cultures are so rooted in information,
communication, and text. Every register has its style. So style is an
aspect of register. Though every individual has his/her own style, they
try to conform to the general style associated with a particular linguistic
situation. For instance the generally accepted style for casual
conversation is informal, so the speaker selects colloquial expressions.
However, in contrast, the style for application for a job is formal.
3.2 Style in Writing
Style in writing can be studied from different perspectives. That is,

when one is looking at the style of a writer, we could mean different
things. Basically, the language of the writer is the focus and the basic
levels of language can be identified and analysed in any written text. For
instance, the clausal and sentence structure (syntax), the shape of the
language on the page (graphology), the words and the constituents
structure (morphology), the vocabulary used (lexicology), the meaning
of words and sentences (semantics), etc, can be looked into.
In poems, the sound patterning as represented in features such as rhythm

and metre can be examined. It is easy to recognise poems when they are
read out because they have metres in which the strong and weak
syllables are organised.
Narrative discourse may be analysed by looking at how it is told – the

point of view as discussed in the last section. One can also look at the
way meanings are encoded in the clauses by looking at the actions, the
participants and the circumstances associated with the action (see
Halliday, 1994)
Stylisticians (those who study Style) also look at how speech and
thought are represented in writing. This way, they examine the methods
used by writers for transcribing the speech and thoughts of the imagined
or real characters. Speeches can be presented as directly spoken by the
character or reported.
Also in Drama, the way the dialogue is ordered is very important. We

need to look at the types of interaction taking place between the
characters and between the author and the reader. We can also examine
the structure of the conversational discourse – how the turns are taken
and other discourse features such as interruption, elicitation of
responses, etc.
27

3.3 Style in Speech
Style in speech is one area that discourse analysts are interested in.
Speech is essentially different from writing in the sense that speech is
spontaneous, while writing is a “cold” thoughtful process. Errors in
speech are most times pardonable and corrected even by the speaker.
However, errors in writing are viewed as more serious. Speech may be
monologue (speaking to self, a pseudo audience), dialogue (two or more
people exchanging ideas) or multilogue, many people speaking together
in unison, e.g.,- prayer, football match, etc).
To study style in speech, we need to consider a lot of factors. These

include: the tone and intonation, the function of the sentences, (whether
they are imperative, declarative, interrogative), pauses, interruption, how
speakers are selected in conversations, the kinds of speech acts used,
how conversations open and close, extralinguistic features, such as the
gaze direction, facial expression, and other gestures.
In studying speech, sylisticians recognise the fact that individuals differ

in their speech behaviour. They also recognise that there are certain
generally accepted norms for behaving when we are using speech in
different contexts of language use. For instance, in any normal
conversation, one person holds the floor at a time and the next speaker
can be identified after that speaker has finished his speech. Likewise,
there are some forms of discourse in which a speaker controls the
discourse throughout, e.g.,: sermons, lectures, etc. In such contexts,
other participants are just to listen.
3.4 Other Ways of Seeing Style
Style can be seen as a choice, when one considers the various factors
that lead users to prefer certain linguistic forms to others. These factors
can be grouped into two types: user-bound factors (referring to the
situation where the language is being used). These include among
others, the speaker’s or writer’s age, gender, idiosyncratic preferences,
regional and social background, etc. The other factors are Situation-
bound stylistic factors. These depend on the medium of communication,
attitude (level of formality), the field of discourse, etc.
Style is also seen as deviation from a norm. This is a term common in

literary stylistics, where unusual linguistic forms are used. The ability of
literary writers to deviate from the norms of language use is sometimes
referred to as ‘poetic license’. For instance instead of using the normal
syntactic structure as in:
28

ENG 251 MODULE 2
He flew away (S P C) where S (Subject) = He; P (Predicator) = flew;

and
C (Complement) = away
The author may decide to reorder the forms to read:
Away he flew (C S P)
Above, the C (Complement) is now fronted, while the S and P are

pushed inward.
Poetic license also allows literary writers to use unusual collocation,

what is generally referred to as “collocational clash” (using words that
would not normally go together), e.g.: Once below a time
Two important notions in Stylistics are Automatisation and

Foregrounding. Automatisation refers to the common use of linguistic
devices. It does not attract particular attention by the language decoder.
Automatisation corresponds with the norm. Foregrounding on the other
hand, are unexpected expressions in certain contexts. They are
considered conspicuous therefore, they catch the language decoder’s
attention. Foregrounding deals with deviation from the norm.
Another way of seeing foregrounding is as an indication of an episode

or event in a narrative or drama that is yet to take place. This can be
done by using a metaphor or subplot to bring to the fore a major
development prior to its occurrence in the narration or play.
Read two short stories written by Nigerian authors and compare the
styles of the two authors.
4.0 CONCLUSION
Style is a very important feature of language use. The style of a

language is determined by a number of factors, which include the
context, the user, the topic of discussion, and so forth. Style in speech is
different from style in writing because the mode determines the style.
Analysing the style of any particular language use encompasses looking
at all the variables that contributes to the meaning – these include the
linguistic forms, and how they are arranged, the attitude of the writer
(formal/informal), how the sentences are linked (cohesion), and so forth.
29

5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, we have examined the concept of style: its meaning, and
what determines the style an individual uses. We also looked at how
style differs in speech and writing and how users of language adopt
styles that fit into the context of language use. Lastly, we saw style as
deviation from the norm (foregrounding) and as the point of view of the
writer or speaker.
1. Explain the term style.

2. What is the relationship between style and register?
3. Compare style in writing with style in speech and point out the
essential differences.
4. Write out 10 words that you consider as formal and their informal
counterpart.
Bradford, R. (1997). Stylistics. UK: Routledge.
Gairns, R. & Redman, S. (1986). Working with Words, A Guide to

Teaching and Learning Vocabular., Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Halliday, M.A.K. (1994). Introduction to Functional Grammar.

Leech, Geoffrey & Shor, M. (1981). Style in Fiction: A Linguistic

Introduction to English Fictional Prose. London: Longman.
Simpson, P. (2004). Stylistics: A Resource Book for Students. London:

Routledge.
30

ENG 251 MODULE 3
MODULE 3 LANGUAGE VARIETIES II
Unit 1 Standard, Non-standard, Native and Non-native Varieties

Unit 2 Deviant/Restricted Varieties (Slang, jargon, Graffiti
Unit 3 New Varieties (E-mail, Text Messaging, Mobile
Telephoning
Unit 4 Languages in Contact (Pidgin and Creole)
UNIT 1 STANDARD, NON-STANDARD, NATIVE AND

NON-NATIVE VARIETIES
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Standard and Non-standard Varieties
3.2 Native and Non-native Varieties
3.3 Vernacular
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Languages generally have more than one variety due to the fact that
speakers have different social experiences. The fact that language is
used to express the culture of the speakers further buttresses this idea of
varieties of language. However, among the varieties of a particular
language, one variety is given prominence and prestige by the speakers.
This variety is the one all the speakers strive to attain if they were to
reach a wider group of speakers. Other varieties are seen as below this
variety, which is generally referred to as the standard variety.
In this unit, we shall be examining the idea of standard in language. We

shall be answering such questions as: Why are some varieties considered
as more standard than the others? Who determines the degree to which a
language is standard? What are the roles of a standard variety as
opposed to the non-standard ones in the society?
In addition to this, we shall also be looking at native and non-native

varieties. Every language has a group of speakers who are the original
speakers. However, in the course of the spread of such a language, it
may acquire a group of speakers who are learners of the language. Such
31

a group of speakers would make every effort to use the language to

construct their experience, which is considerably different from that of
the native speakers. We will also examine what a vernacular language is
and its major characteristics.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
• explain the idea of a standard and non–standard varieties

• list the major features of native and no-native varieties
• identify the major features of a vernacular language.
3.0 MAIN CONTENT
3.1 Standard and Non-standard Varieties
A particular variety of a language is given prominence when it is given

legal status in the sense that more roles are assigned to it than other
varieties. It is usually, but not always, based on the tongue of a major
city, where the most educated speakers of the language dwell. It is the
variety of a language that is typically taught to learners of the language
as a foreign language and most texts written in that language follow the
spelling and grammar rules. The standard language is also used for
official and business purposes. It is the variety that unites the speakers
of the different varieties. The Wikipedia Dictionary identifies ten
features that identify a standard language. The features are given below:
(a) a recognised dictionary or group of dictionaries which embody a

standardised spelling and vocabulary
(b) a recognised grammar which records the forms, rules and
structures of the language, and which commends some forms and
castigates others
(c) a standard system of pronunciation, which is considered
"educated" or "proper" speech by the speakers, and which is
considered free from regional marking
(d) an institution promoting the use of the language and given some
authority in defining the norms of its use, such as the Académie
française or the Royal Spanish Academy
(e) status or constitutions giving that language an official legal status
in a country's system of law
(f) the use of the language in public life, such as in the work of
courts and legislatures
(g) a canon of literature
32

ENG 251 MODULE 3
(h) translations of important sacred texts such as the Bible into that
language, which are considered to be authoritative by their
believers
(i) the teaching of the language's standards of grammar and spelling
in schools
(j) the selection of this particular dialect of a language as being
especially appropriate to be taught to learners of foreign
languages.
It is however important to know that other varieties that depart slightly

from the standard variety are called non-standard varieties. In non-
standard varieties, the rules of Standard English are not taken as a fixed
point of reference. Even so, written standard languages continue to
enjoy considerable prestige, and written Standard English is clearly
useful as a global lingua franca. In comparison, non-standard language
has historically been stigmatised, and a debate continues about the
extent to which non-standard usages should be encouraged, and even
simply tolerated, in education. For instance, in Nigeria, speakers
generally aim at the Educated Nigerian English, which is considerably
different from the standard British English.
A non-standard form may also be seen as a form used by people who are
not educated well enough to use the standard form. Such people use the
‘debased form’ (Pidgin) of the language, which is sometimes
stigmatised in the society.
3.2 Native and Non-native Varieties
A native variety is the variety that is used by the original speakers of the
language. It is usually the primary and first language of those speakers
and also the predominant language in the community in which they live.
It is the first language a child is exposed to in the language community.
It is also called the child’s mother tongue. Usually, children learn the
basics of the native variety from their families. Speakers of the native
variety are called native speakers. For instance, the native speakers of
English are the people of England, Australia, Canada and South Africa.
Non-native varieties are the varieties used by speakers who are far away
from the home of the language. Non-native varieties are learnt by these
speakers usually as a second language. This means that the speakers had
their first language (their mother tongue), which they had acquired
earlier in life before this variety. A very good example of a non-native
variety is English in North, Sub-Saharan, and some other parts of Africa
and Asia. The varieties of English used in Asian and African Countries
is described as institutionalised, because English came into those
countries as a result of colonialism but it later became the language of
33

unity among the linguistically heterogeneous groups that make up these

countries. English now has the status of a second language in these
countries being the second language that is learnt by every educated
person. It is also the only language that guarantees the speaker social
mobility.
One major feature of non-native varieties is that they are domesticated

or indigenised by the users. English language as is spoken in the United
Kingdom lacks the necessary resources to express their unique social
experience. According to Adegbija (2004: 20), non –native users of
English in Nigeria have adapted the language for home use and made it
applicable to their numerous conveniences, experiences, nuances and
sensibilities”. In the Nigerian non-native environment, English is no
longer considered as a foreign language because its use is reinforced by
the Nigerian social context. It is also the case, that even in situations
where English does not have the required expression for an idea,
because it is uniquely Nigerian, the compelling urge to communicate
often results in peculiar expressions that are most apt for the Nigerian
context. Examples of expressions that are typically Nigerian in the use
of English are given below:
Chewing stick (a stick used to clean one’s teeth, usually in the morning)
Okada (motorcycles used for commercial purposes)
Go-slow (traffic jam)
419 (a swindler or the act of swindling)
Identify some non-native English in Africa, and spell out their

distinctive characteristics
3.3 Vernacular
Vernacular refers to the native language of a country or locality. In

general linguistics, it is used to describe local languages as opposed to
linguae francae, official standards or global languages. It is sometimes
applied to nonstandard dialects of a global language. In sociolinguistics,
the term “vernacular” is sometimes used to refer to casual varieties
which are used spontaneously rather than self-consciously. It could also
be described as informal talk used in intimate situations. Linguists
consider the vernacular to be the first form of speech acquired by a
person. Most linguists also believe that the medium of instruction for a
child in his/her first few years of education should be the vernacular or
the mother tongue of the child.
34

ENG 251 MODULE 3
4.0 CONCLUSION
A language is not used the same way by its speakers – speakers use
language in different ways, depending on their world view. Some
speakers of a language speak what linguists describe as the standard
form because they were the original speakers of the language or they are
considered as the most privileged members of the society by virtue of
their educational attainment. Speakers of other forms are therefore said
to be using the non-standard form. The idea of standardness is a relative
one. For instance, what is Standard English in Nigeria is not standard in
England or America. One could see a kind of correlation between the
standard, the vernacular and the native tongue and the non-standard and
the non-native tongue.
5.0 SUMMARY
In this Unit, we have examined the concepts of standardness and

nativeness in language. We looked at those features that characterise
standard and non-standard languages, likewise those which characterise
native and non-native languages. Our attention is particularly focused on
English. We also emphasised the relativeness of the term standard, as it
differs from one place to another even within the same language. The
term vernacular was also examined.
1. Differentiate between standard and non-standard language.

2. Differentiate between native and non-native language.
3. Using some specimen of language, identify some features of non-
native English variety, using Nigeria as an example.
Adegbija, E. (2004). “The Domestication of English in Nigeria.” In: S.

Awonusi & E.A. Babalola. (Eds). The Domestication of English
in Nigeria. Lagos: University of Lagos Press.
Awonusi, S. & Babalola, E.A. (Eds). The Domestication of English in

Nigeria. Lagos: University of Lagos Press.
Nayar, P. B. (1194). “Whose English is it?” TESL-EJ, Vol 1, No. 1.
Norrish, John. (1997). english or English? Attitudes, Local Varieties and

English Language Teaching. TESL-EJ, Vol. 3, No 1.
35

UNIT 2 DEVIANT/RESTRICTED VARIETIES
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 What are Deviant Varieties?
3.2 Deviation and Deviance
3.3 Slang
3.4 Graffiti
3.5 Jargon
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
7.0 Reference/Further Reading
1.0 INTRODUCTION
In every society, speakers recognise some norms for the use of their
language and they stick to these norms as much as possible whenever
they use language. With these norms in place, speakers are able to
recognise any instance of the use of the language that deviates either
slightly or greatly. In spite of the generally accepted norms for language
use, it is still a fact of language use that some speakers are motivated to
use language in a different way from the set norms. Such speakers
deliberately make the choice to deviate in different ways for different
reasons.
It is the deviant use of language that we shall be looking at in this Unit.

We shall be primarily concerned with three instances of such usage that
have been considered as deviant because of their peculiar expressions,
which do not follow the norms of language use. These varieties we are
considering are slang, graffiti and jargon.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
• explain with adequate examples what we mean by deviant

languages
• discuss why some varieties are regarded as deviant varieties and
• explain, using appropriate examples the three deviant varieties
treated in this unit.
36

ENG 251 MODULE 3
3.0 MAIN CONTENT
3.1 What are Deviant Varieties?
Deviant varieties are varieties that deviate from the generally accepted
norms of language use in a particular society. Deviant varieties are
peculiar creations of an individual or a group of people who just choose
to use language the way it suits them for some particular reasons. A
deviant variety does not take cognizance of the rules and norms of the
language. Its usage is determined by the speaker(s). Creative writers
deviate from the norms of language use, especially poets. They do this
to create some effect on the reader or listener and pass across meaning
in a very forceful way.
Apart from creative writers, a group of other users in the society may
also explore the creativity value of language to formulate their own
code, which will only be intelligible to the members of the group. One
major feature of deviant varieties is that they are limited in their scope
of usage.
3.2 Deviation and Deviance
The term deviation is different from another term, which is closely

related to it, i.e. deviance. A good writer may choose to deliberately
deviate from the norm for creative and artistic purpose. In his deviation,
however, such writer makes sure he/she does not break the grammatical
rules of the language. A writer may deviate from the standard syntactic,
morphological and lexical usage, but the writing of such writer will not
be considered deviant. This is common in the writings of some popular
Nigerian writers, such as Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Femi
Osofisan, Ola Rotimi, and so forth.
However, some users clearly deviate from the norms and their usage is
considered deviant because they break the rules of grammar. A very
good example of this is Chika Okpala (Zebrudaya).
3.3 Slang
Slang can be described as informal, non-standard words or phrases,

which tend to originate in sub-cultures within the society. Since slang is
an in-group usage, it embodies attitudes and values of group members.
Slang expressions may take the form of metaphors, similes and other
figures of speech. They may also be old expressions, which are given
new meanings or connotations in current usage. They may also be
entirely new coinages or neologisms.
37

Slang expressions are highly colloquial and they are also considered as
below the level of educated standard speech. Crystal (1994) describes
slang as “language of a low vulgar type”. It has however been observed
that slang is not only a feature of speech of the lower groups in the
society. Slang is also used by the highly placed members of the society.
Some reasons why people use slang are:
(a) to express concepts in a different way from the generally

accepted ones;
(b) to be novel in their use of language;
(c) to be humorous;
(d) to be unmistakably arresting or startling;
(e) to be secret, so that not many people will understand them;
(f) to mark their identity as members of a group.
3.4 Graffiti
Graffiti is a form of writing that originated from drawing or inscription

scratched on an ancient wall. According to Crystal (1994), graffiti is
used nowadays to refer to any spontaneous and unauthorised writing or
drawing on walls, vehicles and other public places. Graffiti often has
political undertone or character, being used essentially as a humour. In
most cases, graffiti is hidden in humour. It can sometimes be obscene,
but, underlying the humour and obscenity is a serious societal issue,
which the writer is using the graffiti to highlight.
Graffiti, especially when it is devoted to obscenity and dirty jokes is

written on lavatory walls. It is almost the case that the more hidden the
graffiti, the more obscene it is likely to be. Graffiti has become a
permanent feature of most public toilets, walls, notice boards, public
vehicles, train coaches, bridges and even billboards. It is a universal
phenomenon and not characteristic of any race, nation, creed, sex or age.
Students are the most prolific writers of graffiti. On most university
campuses, any release or announcement is surely bound to be blotted by
graffiti.
Graffiti is the most powerful outlet of the inner thoughts of language

users. They can easily hide their identity and express in the public glare
what they would not have ordinarily been able to express because such
expressions may outrage the public or even embarrass the government
and attract a penalty. People who cast aspersions on other religions,
beliefs and the government or a powerful organisation in the society find
it easy to hide their identity and still cast such aspersions.
Graffiti are mostly written, but sometimes, they could be pictorial,

especially when they are obscene. When written, graffiti may be
38

ENG 251 MODULE 3
reactionary that is, a reaction to an opinion, act or belief. It could also be

conversational, in cases where someone wrote graffiti and another
replied it, e.g:
I G: Awo the saint, God bless him

M: Awo is a thief
F: Proper, proper, madman (were)
II Y: ABACHA MUST GO!

P: No way, Abacha is our man
B: Then you must go with him
Graffiti I shows different opinions of writers on the late Chief Obafemi

Awolowo, one of the foremost Nigerian politicians who fought for
Nigerian independence. Graffiti II also demonstrates in a humorous way
the attitudes of Nigerians to the late despotic head of state of Nigeria,
General Sanni Abacha.
i. Collect some graffiti from any public building. Identify the topics
addressed by these graffiti.
ii. Read a work each of Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka and
identify how they deviate from the standard English usage.
3.5 Jargon
Jargon is the specialised or technical language of a trade, profession, or

similar group. But the term has also come to mean inflated, vague,
meaningless language of any kind. It is characterised by wordiness,
abstractions galore, pretentious diction, and needlessly complicated
word order. Whenever you meet a sentence that obviously could express
its idea in fewer words and shorter ones, chances are that it is jargon.
One important feature of a jargon is that it relates to a specific activity,

profession, or group. It is generally used to express ideas that are
frequently discussed between members of a group. This makes it
possible also to distinguish those belonging to such a group from those
who do not. This is sometimes called "guild" or "insider" jargon. Those
who are newcomers and those who are unfamiliar with the subject can
often be tagged by their incorrect use of jargon.
The use of jargon by outsiders is considered by insiders to be audacious,

since it constitutes a claim to membership of the insider group.
Conversely, since outsiders may not see the reference made via jargon,
they are all the more sensitive to its more visible elitist social framing.
39

Jargon to the outsider usually comes across as pedantic, nerdy, and

divorced from meaning (Wikipedia Dictionary
Jargon is not the same thing as the word teminology in that it is informal
and essentially part of the oral culture of a group, with limited formal or
written expression. Many jargon terms have their non-jargon equivalents
which would be used in ordinary daily language use, in print or when
addressing non-specialists. Below are some jargons used by some
professionals:
Please allow the system to butt before giving it any command or else
there may be an error and it could shut down in the process. (Computer
Jargon)
His prayer to the court for an interlocutory injunction was answered, so

the company had to stay action until the case is finally determined.
(Legal Jargon)
He was diagnosed as having kidney sclerosis, since then, he had done

several dialyses. (Medical Jargon)
You will notice the specialised use of some lexical items such as butt,
command, prayer, interlocutory injunction, kidney scelrosis, dialysis,
and so forth.
The other sense of seeing a jargon, i.e, as a language characterised by

abstraction, and needlessly complicated word order can be seen in the
expression below:
A winged nocturnal mammal gyrated into my domicile through the

aperture in my kitchen.
This expression uses unnecessarily complicated items to construct an
idea, which would have been expressed with simpler ones as:
A bat flew into my kitchen through the window
4.0 CONCLUSION
The varieties of language that are used to express the different

peculiarities of a group were examined in this unit. These varieties differ
on the extent of their deviation from the norms of general usage and the
mode through which the speakers disseminate information. For instance,
a slang is openly used, but only by a few members of the group that uses
it. Graffiti is more diverse and not restricted to any particular group of
users. It cuts across the societal rung. A slang is also restricted to a
40

ENG 251 MODULE 3
group in a sense. It could also be the creation of a person who wants to

be clumsy in his expressions.
5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, we have examined three varieties considered as deviant

because of their peculiar use by a group of speakers. We also looked at
the different connotations these deviant varieties have been associated
with.
1. What are deviant varieties?

2. Identify the major features of graffiti.
3. Discuss some reasons why people use slang,
4. Explain the two ways the word jargon can be used, using
adequate examples.
7.0 REFERENCE/FURTHER READING
Crystal, D. (1994). An Encyclopedia of English Language. London:

Longman.
41

UNIT 3 NEW VARIETIES: E-MAIL, TEXT

MESSAGING AND MOBILE TELEPHONING
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 New Varieties: An Introduction
3.1.1 SMS Text Messaging
3.1.2 E-mail Messaging
3.1.3 Mobile Telephoning
3.2 Technologically-Mediated Discourse and the Challenges
to Communication in the Modern Age
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
1.0 INTRODUCTION
In this unit, we shall be looking at the new ways of communicating

brought about by modern technology. Communication in the past had
been through speech and later writing. However, in the modern period,
communication has been made easy, even though we still use speech
and writing to a great extent, they are aided by some modern
technological instruments, such as the computer and mobile phones.
Our concern in this unit is to see how the new ways of communicating
using these technological media differ from the conventional face-to-
face speech communication and writing. We shall be examining the
challenges these new ways of communicating poses for language users,
particularly learners of language.
Some of the major advantages of the modern ways of communicating

through the use of computer and mobile phones are: faster and instant
delivery of the message; communication is location independent;
communicators can reach a larger number of people at one time, and so
forth. These advantages of the modern ways of communicating make it
attractive to the youth.
42

ENG 251 MODULE 3
2.0 OBJECTIVES
• explain the term “technologically mediated discourse”

• discuss the major features of technologically mediated discourse
• explain how technologically mediated discourse differs from the
conventional ways of communicating
• identify the challenges the new varieties pose for communication.
3.0 MAIN CONTENT
3.1 New Varieties: An Introduction
According to the Wikipedia Dictionary, Technologically Mediated

Discourse (TMD) or Computer mediated Communication (CMC) is any
form of communication between two or more individual people who
interact and/or influence each other via separate computers through the
Internet or a network connection - using social software. CMC does not
include the methods by which two computers communicate, but rather
how people communicate using computers. It is only peripherally
concerned with any common work product created. CMC includes: e-
mailing, text messaging, audio and video conferencing, online chats, list
servers, bulletin boards, web pages, and so forth.
CMC differs in many respects from the conventional ways of

communicating. Some of the variables that make it different from the
conventional ways of communicating include:
(a) synchronicity–this refers to the situation in which two more

events happen together at the same time or place. This is possible
in CMC because users of computer do many things together at
the same time;
(b) granularity–this refers to the size of the simultaneously executing

parts of a
parallel program. The size or length of text that can be sent on
computer is not limited as such;
(c) Multi–modality–this refers to the use of more than one mode

within the same discourse. As users use the computer they can
speak, write at the same time by pressing the right buttons on the
system.
With these features one can see that CMC offers the users a lot of
advantages that other ordinary media of communication do not offer.
43

We shall discuss each of the three media of CMC in the next section
3.1.1 SMS Text Messaging
This is a modern way of communicating through the use of cell phones.

SMS is otherwise an abbreviation for the expression ‘short messaging
services’. As the name goes it offers users the opportunity to send
messages using limited number of characters (usually between 140 and
160 characters). This affords users the opportunity to be creative with
the language so as to maximise space. In the process, users have devised
condensed expressions and non-conventional spellings to be able to put
their message within the limited space provided.
In text messaging, according to (Bush, 2005),
Users are trying to define themselves stylistically to their groups by

playing with the language and creating new prescriptive rules for
written language in the process.
It has been observed that since the language of text messaging is

fragmented, it gives room for ambiguity. Scholars have identified the
major characteristics of text messaging, looking at their linguistic
peculiarities. We shall quickly discuss the linguistic devices used in
constructing SMS text messages.
(a) The use of letter homophones or homophonic single grapheme

abbreviation, e.g.:
b - be
c - see
u - you
r - are
y - why
(b) The use of numeric characters in place of homophones, e.g.:
b4 - before
l8r - later
2nt - tonight
cr8 - create
(c) The use of abbreviations, e.g.:
cos - because
tel - telephone
lo - hello
44

ENG 251 MODULE 3
infor - information
(d) The dropping of vowels, e.g.:
lnch - lunch
fwd - forward
chn - children
wkd - weekend
pls - please
(e) The use of acronyms, e.g.:
LOL - lots of love

TB - text back
fyi - for your information
omg - oh my God
(f) The use of Number homophones, e.g.:
4 - for, four
2 - too, to, two
1 - one
8 - eight
(g) The use of non-conventional spelling, e.g:

luv - love
gud - good
kul - cool
juz - just
Many linguists believe that text messaging is going through a natural

progression of language. With the involvement of the youth, what we
have at hand is a gradual shift in language – cultural movement.
Teachers of English are already apprehensive about the effect of this
new style on the formal writing of their pupils.
3.1.2 E-mail Messaging
The Internet e-mail messaging is another technology media, which has

considerably affected the use of language in modern times. E-mail is a
tool of mass global communication. It is a mode for sending documents
ranging from just one single sentence greeting, to reports, newsletters,
announcements and academic materials of several pages. E-mail
combines the characteristics of both speaking and writing. Cairncross
(2000) identifies some advantages of e-mail.
45

(a) the users do not need to be logged on when somebody writes

them;
(b) it is flexible, users can attach documents, such as pictures, songs,
and so forth;
(c) it can be forwarded to many users at the same time;
(d) the attenuation of personal information, such as appearance,
stuttering, shyness allows greater freedom of self-expression.
E-mail users are learning new registers – specific words – daily. Such
words may be existing English words, whose meanings have been
extended within the context of Internet communication, e.g.: junk, surf,
chat, box, file, HTML, etc.
3.1.3 Mobile Telephoning
Mobile telephoning is also a relatively new media of communication. Its

major advantage over the fixed telephoning is that the phone users can
be reached anywhere they are where there is network connection.
Mobile telephoning is an expensive means of communicating all over
the world, so users have devised means of ensuring they do not spend
too much time using it. Mobile telephoning is changing the face of
communication as users are getting farther from one another in
communicating than they used to be in the past.
i. Collect 50 text messages and identify the linguistic devices used

in shortening the messages.
ii. Identify 25 acronyms used in computer technology and supply
their full meanings
3.2 Technologically-Mediated Discourse and the Challenges

to Communication in the Modern Age
One of the major challenges that CMC poses for communication is that
it makes composing in language more elastic and less rule-governed.
Ellipsis, abbreviations and colloquialism are common features of CMC.
This as mentioned earlier, has created some concern for teachers of
English, especially those in ESL context. The observation that the style
of CMC is creeping into formal classroom writing of students may have
grave implications for communication in written English.
Another major challenge is how the users will cope with the learning of
new vocabulary that is emerging, especially the ones used in text
messaging (mostly abbreviations). These expressions are not
standardised. Each user creates their own forms, though some forms are
46

ENG 251 MODULE 3
fairly common. There is tendency for ambiguity, especially in instances

where a form could refer to more than one concept, e.g.: cld may be
interpreted as could or cold, since both interpretations are logical. This
means that with the kind of fractured language used in CMC,
interpreting communication may become more tasking if the forms are
not standardised for pedagogical reasons.
CMC is also reducing the social bond that naturally exists between
speakers of a language when they interact through speech. Since people
can now call rather than see and talk over issues, those who would have
been emboldened by the use of face-to-face interaction can hide their
real expressions. It encourages anonymity, as people can use the mobile
phones for crime and deception.
4.0 CONCLUSION
In the 20th Century, a major breakthrough in communication is achieved

through the use of modern technology in communication. This is
generally referred to as computer-mediated communication or
technology-mediated communication. This has made communication
faster and more efficient. The use of SMS, e-mail and mobile
telephoning are common in most urban communities all over the world.
These forms of technology-mediated-communication have, no doubt ,
revolutionised the spread of English, because English is their major
medium. The revolution is evident in the emerging vocabulary and
conventions that are radically different from the ones used in the usual
daily communication.
5.0 SUMMARY
This unit examined how technology has been affecting the use of
language. We specifically looked at three technology-mediated-
language – SMS, e-mail, and mobile telephoning, and also their nature
and how they are changing the conventions for language use. Lastly, we
examined the challenges posed by these mediated languages to
communication
1. Explain the concept computer-mediated-communication.

2. Identify some major linguistic devices used in SMS, using
adequate examples.
3. Discuss the variables of computer-mediated-communication.
47

Awonusi, S. (2004). ‘Little Englishes’ and the Law of Energetics: A

Sociolinguistic Study of SMS Text Messages as Register and
Discourse.’ In: S. Awonusi & E. A. Babalola. (Eds). The
Domestication of English in Nigeria. Lagos: University of Lagos
Press.
Bush, C. (2005). ‘Language beyond the text: txt msgs 4 a new gnr8n.’
The Journal of New Media and Culture, Summer/Fall, Vol.3,
Number 2. Retrieved 20th October, 2006, from,
http://www.ibiblio.org/nmediac/summer2005/text.html
Cairncross, F. (2000). Death of Distance, How the Communication

Revolution will Change our Lives. Boston: Harvard Business
School Press.
Crystal, D. (2001). Language and the Internet. Cambridge: Cambridge

University Press.
Thurlow, C. (2004). Generatn nxt? The sociolinguistics of young

people’s text-messaging. Discourse Analysis Online. Retrieved
October 2,
2004,from:http://extra.shu.ac.uk.daol/articles/vl/a3/thurlow20020
03-paper.html.
48

ENG 251 MODULE 3
UNIT 4 LANGUAGES IN CONTACT (PIDGIN AND

CREOLE)
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Languages in Contact
3.2 Creole
3.3 Pidgin
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
1.0 INTRODUCTION
In this unit, you shall be taken through two special varieties of language,
which evolve in situations where two or more languages are in contact
for a period of time. In such situations, speakers of these languages need
to communicate, but they do not share a common language/. In the
process of trying to establish a social relation, a new language evolves
which is plain and just basically for meeting the communicative needs
of these speakers in a particular domain. Such languages, which evolve
in contact situations includes Pidgin and Creole.
A pidgin does not have any group of native speakers. It is a creation of a

particular circumstance and its use is limited to such circumstance. A
Creole, on the other hand, is seen as an advanced Pidgin, which has
grown to the level at which it has acquired native speakers. We shall be
looking at the features of these two varieties and how they differ one
from another.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
• explain the idea of languages in contact

• identify the major features of pidgin and Creole
• differentiate between pidgin and Creole.
49

3.0 MAIN CONTENT
3.1 Languages in Contact
It is a natural phenomenon for languages to be in contact, just as it is

natural for man as a social being to interact. It is in the process of the
interaction of speakers that languages come into contact. In a situation
where speakers of two or more languages see the need to interact
through speech and they could not, a new language may emerge, which
will combine the forms and structures of the two languages. Such a new
language usually emerges in trade contact situations. Such a language is
usually simple and devoid of the complex nature of any of the languages
that it arose from.
It is important that we study contact languages in order to deepen our

knowledge of language change and contact. Our study of contact
languages also helps us to understand how new languages expand, age
and decay. Languages will not always remain at one level all through
the period of their usage. The lexicon is expanded – old lexical items
give way to new ones and entirely new ones are created. It is also a fact
of language that when a group of people who posses more economic
power live side-by-side with a weaker group, there is the tendency for
the economically powerful group to dominate the weaker group, even
linguistically. All these issues are important in discussing contact
languages.
3.2 Pidgin
Pidgin is a new language, which develops in situations where speakers

of different languages need to communicate but do not share a common
language. One major characteristic of Pidgin is that it originally has no
group of people who could call themselves its native speakers.
A Pidgin develops for some practical purpose, such as trading among

groups of people who had a lot of social contacts, but who did not
understand each other’s languages. Pidgins lack complex morphology
and they have very limited vocabulary. For instance, English Pidgins
lack inflectional suffixes such as plural, possessive and past tense. For
instance, the expressions two cars and his father’s house, have plural
and possessive nouns (cars – plural, father’s – possessive). However in
the Nigerian Pidgin English, they would be expressed as two car and
him papa house respectively. These forms have no obvious markers of
plurality and possession.
The vocabulary of Pidgin comes mainly from one particular language,

after which it is normally named. Such a language is called the ‘lexifier’
50

ENG 251 MODULE 3
or the ‘superstrate’, while the other contact language that does not
supply as much vocabulary as the lexifier is called the ‘substrate’.
Pidgin is totally stripped of everything except what is necessary for
basic communication. It is important to note that Pidgins are natural and
they developed through contact, they are deliberately invented. They are
not artificial because they took after some existing languages.
A good example of English-based Pidgin is the Nigerian Pidgin English.

It is widely spoken in the coastal towns of Delta and Rivers and Bayelsa
States. It is also common in most major cities where there is a
convergence of speakers of different Nigerian languages. Pidgins are
restricted in their use - they are used only in situations where speakers
have different languages and they cannot communicate without the use
of a neutral language. They are also used when two speakers, one with
little or no education and another highly educated have to communicate.
The historical explanations for the evolution of Pidgins see them as a

product of European colonialism. The colonialists enslaved a group of
speakers, shipped them to their non-native environment to work for
them and in the process, these languages evolved. Some of these slaves
were later shipped back home, but they have already brought with them
this language. Naturally the European languages dominate as the
superstrate, while the people’s languages became the substrate. Since a
Pidgin developed to meet the communication needs of its speakers, ie, to
talk about less topic (mainly trade and business), it may die as soon as
the trade contact ceases. A lot of pidgins survived long enough to
develop beyond trade jargons. They gained stability and entered into a
process of linguistic and functional elaboration. They develop into a
Creole, by having a group of speakers who now use it as their first
language. In the next section, we shall discuss Creole, which is generally
referred to as an ‘adult pidgin’.
Pidgin is the home language of some urban dwellers. For example in

Warri and other coastal cities and towns, Pidgin is the major means of
communication. It is widely used in the markets and as a means of
communication among speakers of low educational status.
3.3 Creole
A Creole, like a Pidgin, is a distinct language; but unlike it, it is the

mother tongue of a community of speakers. It is not restricted in use and
like any other language, it operates in its full range of functions, not
restricted like a Pidgin. A Creole is an advanced or elaborated form of
pidgin.
51

Creoles are distinguished synchronically by the fact that they retain

signs of their Pidgin ancestry, such as virtual absence of both
inflectional and highly transparent derivational process.
There is a continuum between Pidgin and Creole. Since Creoles
developed from Pidgins, they exist most often in post-colonial areas,
where they tend to be the vernacular of spontaneous daily use. They are
typically related to one widely spoken language, and they are seen as a
corruption of that language.
A Creole, though it has limited vocabulary, has mechanisms for

vocabulary extension. Such mechanisms include borrowing and
neologism. Unlike Pidgin, a Creole has a wider domain of use, since it
has a group of native speakers. Some of the Creoles spoken across the
world are Krio (Sierra Leone), Patwa (Jamaica), Gualdeloupean French
Creole (in Guadeloupe), Hawaii Creole English (in Hawaii), Gullah,
Toks Pisin (in Papua New Guinea), Bislama (in Vanuatu), Belizean
Creole (in Belize) and so forth.
i. Watch a play in pidgin. Identify some of the substrate used in the

conversation.
ii. Identify the differences in the Pidgin spoken by a Yoruba speaker
and an Igbo person.
4.0 CONCLUSION
Languages get into contact when speakers migrate from one area to
another or when speakers interact through trade. When two languages
are in contact, another variety may emerge. This is what happens in the
case of Pidgin, which may later develop to a Creole, when it acquires a
group of native speakers. The dominant language becomes the lexifier
or superstrate that is, the language that supplies the majority of the items
in the lexicon, while the other language becomes the substrate. Pidgin is
not complex structurally because it is a language meant just for
interaction. Most Pidgins evolved from colonialism.
5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, we have examined languages in contact – Pidgin and Creole.

We observed that these languages evolve in trade situations between
people who do not understand one another’s languages. Pidgins may die,
when the trade relations cease. However, when it continues, then it may
develop into a Creole, which is often called ‘adult pidgin’. Since Pidgin
operates as a trade language, the vocabulary is limited. Though
52

ENG 251 MODULE 3
nowadays, Pidgins are used as lingua franca in linguistically

heterogeneous communities like Nigeria.
1. What is Pidgin?
2. Identify some typical characteristics of Pidgin.
3. In what way is Pidgin different from Creole?
4. Explain how the Nigerian Pidgin English is related to standard
English.
Elugbe, B. O. & Omamor, A.P. ( 2001). Nigerian Pidgin: Background

and Prospects. Ibadan: Heinemann Educational Publishers.
Jowitt, D. (1981). Nigerian English Usage. Lagos: Longman.
Nichols, P. C. (1996). Pidgins and creoles. In: S.L. McKay & N.H.
Hornberger. (Eds), Sociolinguistics and Language Teaching.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
53

MODULE 4 LANGUAGE: TYPES, ETHNOGRAPHY

AND ACQUISITION
Unit 1 Language Typologies

Unit 2 Linguistic Anthropology
Unit 3 Language Learning and Acquisition
UNIT 1 LANGUAGE TYPOLOGIES
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Language Types
3.1.1 Standard
3.1.2 Vernacular
3.1.3 Classical
3.1.4 Dialect
3.1.5 Pidgin
3.1.6 Creole
3.1.7 Artificial
3.2 Formal Typologies
3.2.1 Agglutination
3.2.2 Flexion
3.2.3 Fusion
3.3 Functional Typologies
3.3.1 Standardisation
3.3.2 Vitality
3.3.3 Historicity
3.3.4 Homogenicity
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Within Sociolinguistics, scholars have been working on how codes

differ from one another in terms of their evolution, historical
antecedents form and structure, and attributes. They also look at how
languages resemble each other in terms of the forms and structure, the
social functions they perform, and the status they are given as a result of
the functions they are made to perform in the society.
54

ENG 251 MODULE 4
The general practice is to see language types along two major

parameters – the formal and functional parameters. In this Unit, we shall
be examining these two parameters and the typologies that are generally
associated with them.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
• explain the major language types discussed in this unit

• differentiate between formal and functional typologies of
language
• identify the major sub-systems of each typology
• describe language using these typologies.
3.1 Language Types
Languages are generally classified on the basis of their status, attributes

and historical antecedents. Seven types of language will be discussed in
this section. They are standard, classical, vernacular, dialect, creole,
pidgin, and artificial varieties.
3.1.1 Standard
Standard language is a variety of language, which possesses a mother

tongue community of speakers. It is autonomous and has books and
dictionaries on its grammar, vocabulary and usage. A standard variety is
the variety that is associated with prestige, usually, the variety spoken
by the educated speakers. It is also the variety that other varieties look
up to for correctness in pronunciation and usage.
3.1.2 Vernacular
A vernacular is the mother tongue of a group of people who are

politically or socially dominated by another group (UNESCO), e.g:
Yoruba, Igbo, Kanuri are all vernacular languages.
3.13 Classical
A classical language is an older variety of language, which differs from

the present day standard. It is enshrined in the great works of literature,
e.g: Latin
55

3.1.4 Dialect
A dialect was defined by Halliday (1971) as “a variety according to

user”. It is a variety of a language that is mutually intelligible with other
variants. Most languages have dialects–variants determined by the users.
For instance, English has several regional dialects–American English,
British English, Canadian English, South African English, Singaporean
English and Nigerian English, to mention a few.
3.1.5 Pidgin
A Pidgin is a language that evolved in a situation when speakers of two

or more languages cannot speak each others’ languages. It is created
from the languages of these speakers. It does not have a community of
L1 speakers. It may develop into a Creole.
31.6 Creole
As explained in the previous Unit, a Creole is a language that evolved in

language contact situation. It evolved from Pidgin when it has acquired
its native speakers. Examples of Creoles are Krio in Sierra Leone, Patwa
in Jamaica.
3.1.7 Artificial
An artificial language is a language, which is created with the intention

of being used for global purposes. It obviously lacks an L1 community
of speakers and it is not autonomous. It has highly codified norms of
usage. Some examples of artificial languages are Esperanto and
Wazobia.
3.2 Formal Language Typology
Formal typology deals with the forms of the language. When we talk
about forms here, we are referring to the structural similarities, i.e.- how
languages resemble in terms of their phonetic, phonological,
morphological, syntactic and lexical structures.
According to Bell (1976:14) “two fundamental systems can be seen in

the internal structuring of languages”-
(a) analysis, in which items consist mainly of free morphemes, i.e.,

items can function as words without the addition of any kind of
affix. This is common in Chinese language, where the word is an
immutable monosyllable
56

ENG 251 MODULE 4
(b) synthesis, in which items tend to be mainly bound morphemes,

i.e: they cannot stand as individual words. This is common in
Classical Greek, Latin and Turkish.
The internal structuring of English reflects these two fundamental

systems. Many English words are analytic, e.g.; shoe, book, watch, bed.
However, English also makes use of synthetic processes for marking
plurality, tense, degree and so forth, as can be seen in the following
words: biscuits, carried, greater.
Three major subsystems of synthetic processes can be identified –

agglutination, flexion and fusion. We shall take each of these in
successive order.
3.2.1 Agglutination
Agglutination is the process of expanding the root through the addition

of affixes, which modify both the meaning and form. It is common in
Turkish. The English system also reflects agglutination in words like re
– organ – ise – ation, where the root is organ and the affixes re- (a
prefix) –ise, ation (suffixes) are added to the root.
3.2.2 Flexion
Flexion is common in Semitic languages, such as Arabic, where an affix

is added to the root to the extent that they both become fused. English
also reflects this in the verb were, which has the information – be + past
+ plural. It is however impossible to separate these information because
everything has become fused into one unit.
3.2.3 Fusion
This is the incorporation within a single word, the information one

would have found spread out amongst several words.
It is important to note that no language is a total reflection of one of

these major sub-systems. In terms of its structure, languages tend to
favour one process rather than another. For instance, English is basically
analytic, but makes use of the synthetic processes of agglutination and
flexion.
3.3 Functional Typologies
Functional typologies, unlike formal ones, emphasise the external social

functions of language. The functional typologies are also called
57

sociolinguistic typologies. Stewart (1962) proposed a typology, which

depended on four attributes:
Standardisation
Vitality
Historicity
Homogenicity
3.3.1 Standardisation
This refers to whether or not a language has an agreed set of codified

norms generally accepted by the speakers. These norms form the basis
for teaching and learning the language formally. Codification of a
language means that such language has an existing grammar spelt out in
book and dictionaries, which are generally accepted to the speakers. Any
language that does not possess these features is described as non-
standard.
3.3.2 Vitality
Vitality means that a language has a living community of native

speakers. A language may lose its vitality if its community of first
speakers dies out. An example is Gaelic in the Isle of Man. Conversely,
a Pidgin may acquire a community of first language speakers, thereby
becoming a Creole as in Sierra Leone.
3.3.3 Historicity
Historicity indicates whether the language has grown or grew through

use by some ethnic or social group. This attribute differentiates an L1
from an L2 and an artificial language.
3.2.4 Homogenicity
Homogenicity implies whether or not the basic grammar and lexicon of

the language are derived from the same pre-stages of the language.
Some languages are derived from mixed languages. Examples of such
languages derived from mixed languages are Creole, Swahili, Maltese
and even, English.
The functional typologies can be used to analyse language types. Table

1.1 below shows the sociolinguistic typologies of some language types.
58

ENG 251 MODULE 4
Table 1.1: Sociolinguistic Typologies of Some Language Types
Language Standardization Vitality Historicity Autonomy

Types
Standard + + + +
Classical + - + -
Vernacular - + + -
Dialect - + + -
Creole - + + -
Pidgin - - - -
Artificial + - - +
i. Select 20 Nigerian languages and use the functional typologies to

classify them.
ii. Identify 10 Nigerian languages that have been standardised and
10 others that have not been standardised.
4.0 CONCLUSION
In this unit, we looked at language typologies based on the statuses and

historical antecedents of such languages and we identified seven types,
namely: standard, classical, vernacular, dialect, Creole, Pidgin and
artificial. We also identified the functional typologies: standardisation,
vitality, historicity, and autonomy. We also identified the major
subsystems of synthetic processes: agglutination, flexion and fusion. A
language could favour one process rather than another.
5.0 SUMMARY
Languages can be typologised according to the structures that realise

them or according to the functions they perform. They are also classified
according to their status, attributes and historical antecedents. The
functional typologies can be used to analyse language types.
1. Explain the major language types identified in this unit.

2. What does it mean when we say a language is standardised?
3. Select 5 Nigerian languages and use the sociolinguistic
typologies to analyse them.
4. Differentiate between Pidgin and Creole.
59

Bell, R. (1976). Sociolinguistics, Goals, Approaches and Problems.

London: Batsford.
Halliday, M.A.K. (1971). Explorations in the Functions of Language.

Stewart, (1962). ‘An Outline of Linguistic Typology for Studying

Multilingualism.’ In: F. Rice (Ed.). The Study of the role of
Second Language in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Washington
DC: Centre for Applied Linguistics.
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ENG 251 MODULE 4
UNIT 2 LINGUISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 What is Linguistic Anthropology?
3.1.1 Ethnography
3.1.2 Speech Community
3.1.3 Communicative Situation
3.1.4 Communicative Event
3.1.5 Communicative Act
3.2 Ethnography of Communication
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Sociologists deal with how speakers in a particular language community

organise their social relationships in language use. Another group of
people who work closely with sociologists are anthropologists and
ethnographers. Ethnography and Anthropology are closely related. In
fact the ethnographic approach to communication is a method grounded
in Anthropology. The Ethnographic approach is a perspective, which
seeks to establish the study of communication in its wider social and
cultural context. The approach based on a detailed study, which reflects
the patterns of custom and communication of the culture being studied is
generally referred to as Ethnography of Communication.
In this study, we shall be looking at the concept of speech community,

the involvement of ethnographers in language study and the field that
emerged from this involvement – Ethnography of Communication.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
• identify clearly the relationship between language and social and

cultural values
• explain the concept of ‘speech community’
• explain how ethnography relates to language study
• analyse speech situations using the essential concepts of
ethnography of communication to.
61

3.0 MAIN CONTENT
3.1 What is Linguistic Anthropology?
The term Linguistic Anthropology is used to refer to the North

American approach to linguistics, which according to Hymes (1964:
xxiii) falls outside the active concern of Linguistics. It can be defined as
the study of language within the context of Anthropology.
Anthropological linguistics is the study of language through human
genetics and human development. It is a branch of anthropology that
studies humans through the languages that they use. According to
Duranti (2001: 5), Linguistic Anthropolgy has to do with “the roles
played by language and other semiotic resources in the constitution of
society and its cultural representations”.
Linguistic Anthropologists are concerned with ethnographic field-work,

and we would soon see in this unit, there is a very close relationship
between the subject and Ethnography. Anthropological linguistics
focuses more on the interplay of language and culture. It is traditionally
divided into three branches: descriptive linguistics, the systematic study
of the way language is constructed and used; historical linguistics, the
study of the origin of language in general and of the evolution of the
languages people speak today; and sociolinguistics: the study of the
relationship between language and society.
3.1.1 Ethnography
Ethnography is a branch of anthropology that studies people in their

natural settings and gives a descriptive account of social life and culture
in a defined social system, based on qualitative methods by detailed
observations, unstructured interviews, analysis of documents. The term
“Ethnography” derives from the Greek ethnos = nation and graphein =
writing). Ethnographers are those who practice Ethnography and also
study sub-cultures, such as drug cultures, soccer hooligans, sex workers
etc and other institutions, such as the Police, etc.
Cultural and Social Anthropology place a very high value on research

through the ethnographic methods. He studied the Trobriand Islanders of
New Guinea in the southwest Pacific. One of the earliest scholars who
saw the link between language and ethnographic practice was
Malinowski, who founded the field of Social Anthropology known as
Functionalism, holding the belief that all components of society
interlock to form a well-balanced system. He emphasised characteristics
of beliefs, ceremonies, customs, institutions, religion, ritual and sexual
taboos. He used a holistic approach in studying the native’s social
interactions including the annual Kula Ring Exchange, finding it to be
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ENG 251 MODULE 4
associated with magic, religion, kinship and trade. He contributed to a

cross-cultural study of psychology through his observations of the
relationships of kinship.
3.1.2 Speech Community
To fully have an understanding of how language relates to social and

cultural values, you need to understand the concept of speech
community. You will be aware that the way people speak vary from one
community to another. To know why a group of speakers use their
language the way they do, we have to look into their speech
communities. What are their practices and what is their worldview, etc.
What then is a speech community?
Hymes (1972: 54) defines as speech community as “A community

sharing rules for the conduct and interpretation at least one linguistic of
speech, interpretation of variety”. A Speech Community refers to a
group of speakers, whether located in one area or scattered, who
recognise the same language or dialect of a language as a standard. It is
a concept in sociolinguistics that describes a more or less discrete group
of people who use language in a unique and mutually accepted way
among themselves.
A speech community can comprise members of a profession with a

specialised jargon, distinct social groups like university students, or
even tight-knit groups like families and friends, co-workers. In addition,
in the modern age of technology, online and other mediated
communities, such as the Internet forums, people who exchane mails
and text messages often constitute speech communities. Members of
speech communities will often develop slang or jargon to serve the
group's special purposes and priorities.
Definitions of speech community tend to involve varying degrees of

emphasis on the following:
• Shared community membership

• Shared linguistic communication
Scholars differ in their definitions of speech community. Some believe

that a speech community must be a real community, i.e., a group of
people living together in the same geographical location – village, town,
city, country, etc. Others would argue that all people are indeed part of
several communities (through home location, occupation, gender, class,
religious belonging, and more), and that they are thus also part of
simultaneous speech communities.
63

Similarly, what shared linguistic communication entails is also a

variable concept. Some would argue that a shared first language, even
dialect, is necessary, while for others the ability to communicate and
interact (even across language barriers) is sufficient.
The underlying concern in both of these is that members of the same

speech community should share linguistic norms. That is, they share
understanding, values and attitudes about language varieties present in
their community. While the exact definition of speech community is
debated, there is a broad consensus that the concept is immensely useful,
if not crucial, for the study of language variation and change.
A person can (and almost always does) belong to more than one speech
community. For example a Nigerian youth belongs to the following
speech communities – his mother tongue community, the Internet
community, the English language speakers’ community, etc.
One major characteristic of a speech community, according to Gumperz

is the frequency in the social interaction among the members. It is
therefore the case that members of a given speech community
communicate more within the group than with other speech
communities. Speakers of the same speech community also have a set of
shared norms, which could be observed in their linguistic behaviour.
3.1.3 Communicative Situation
Communicative situation is any situation predisposed towards

communication. Situation here should not necessarily be equated with
location, even though location is a part of situation. Situation changes
and it is possible for the same location to play host to more than one
situation. This means that situations can be created within a particular
location. For instance, one location can serve as a worship center, a
classroom, and even a public lecture venue. The happenings in a
communicative situation are constant, even when the location changes.
The situation determines the roles of the participants. For instance, the
location of the NTA Network News is NTA Abuja, but the situation is
the news, which can as well and does takes place in other locations.
3.1.4 Communicative Event
Communicative events are named by conventional meanings, such as

wedding, symposium, lecture, etc. Communicative events are therefore
seen as events in which communication takes place. Communicative
events are defined by a unified set of components. They have the
following major features:
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ENG 251 MODULE 4
(a) the general topic is maintained

(b) the same participants are involved
(c) the same rules of interaction operate in the same kind of setting
(d) the participants use the same language variety.
A communicative event therefore terminates when there is a change in

the major participants and their role relationships.
3.1.5 Communicative Act
A communicative act is also called a speech act. This could easily be

illustrated as a single interactive function, such as a request, a command,
a statement, and so forth. A communicative act uses verbal signals to
achieve a purpose. Communicative acts are not mono-dimensional.
Here, we are dealing with the actions that the communication produces.
For instance, if someone makes any of these statements:
(a) I would love an orange.

(b) Do you have an orange?
(c) Can I please have an orange?
They would all accomplish the same act of communication, but in three
different ways.
Identify a conversation and describe the communicative situation,

communicative event and communicative act.
3.2 Ethnography of Communication
The object of the ethnography of communication is to document and

analyze communicative practices and to investigate how they fit into
broader social contexts. Such communicative practices run the gamut
from ritual invocations of ancestral spirits to idle gossip. Ethnographers
of communication also examine the complexities of communication
between anthropologists and the people that they study.
Anthropologists do not themselves have a unified conception of

ethnography, especially of ethnography in relation to the study of
institutions of our own society, such as education. One difficulty with
the notion of ethnography is that it may seem to be a residual category,
associated with the study of people not ourselves and with the use of
methods other than those of experimental design and quantitative
measurement.
65

The key goal of ethnographers is to examine how members of a speech

community interpret meaning from their experience and how they
communicate such interpretations. Hymes provides a particular
methodology for the study of communicative events and the units,
which make them up: the SPEAKING grid.
S setting/scene physical circumstances

P participants speaker/hearer, producer/receiver
E ends purposes, goals
A act sequence message form and content
K key tone, manner, spirit of encounter
I instrumentalities channel (verbal/non-verbal,
Spoken/written)
N norms of interaction production and perception of
language
G genre discourse textual categories
4.0 CONCLUSION
Language and Anthropology have a meeting point – Linguistic

Anthropology. This meeting point has become an approach to the study
of language. This approach had its root in the United States. Fieldwork
is emphasised in Linguistic Anthropology. It also approaches language
through the study of speech communities, communicative event,
communicative act, communicative situation and Ethnography of
Communication. The goal of Anthropological Linguists is to study how
language functions in speech communities.
5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, we looked at language as a social phenomenon. We

considered an approach to language which connects it with the culture
of the speakers. We examined such concepts as speech community,
speech act, communicative situation, and communicative event. We also
discussed Hymes’ Ethnography of Speaking.
1. Differentiate between communicative event and communicative

situation.
2. Using Hymes’ Ethnography of Communication, identify 2
communicative situations and analyse them.
3. Explain the term ‘Ethnography”
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ENG 251 MODULE 4
Gumperz, J. J. (1968). “Types of Linguistic Communities.” In: J.A.

Fishman, (Ed.). Readings in the Sociology of Language.
Mourton: The Hague.
Hymes, D. (1972). “Models of Interaction of Language and Social

Life.” In: J. J. Gunmperz & D. Hymes. (Ed.). Directions in
Sociolinguistics. New York: Holt, Rhinehart and Winston.
Hymes, D. (Ed.). (1964). Language, Culture and Society. New York:

Harper and Row.
Lyons, J. (1981). Language and Linguistics. Cambridge University

Press.
Yule, G. (1985). The Study of Language. Cambridge University Press.
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UNIT 3 LANGUAGE LEARNING AND ACQUISITION
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Competence and Performance
3.2 Language and Thought
3.3 Second Language Learning
3.4 Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Language is a natural human phenomenon, which every normal child

will acquire when he/she reaches the age of acquisition. With children’s
exposure to the language of their immediate environment, they gradually
develop ability in the language and use it naturally in communicative
situations. This is quite different from the experience of a person who is
exposed to a second language. Linguists have a way of explaining the
two different experiences and the entire idea of how humans have come
to use language in different ways to reflect the society they live in.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
• differentiate between the process of a child’s language

acquisition and an adult’s language learning
• explain the relationship between language and thought
• discuss the basic content of sapir-whorf hypothesis.
3.0 MAIN CONTENT
3.1 Competence and Performance
Chomsky (1965) coined the term competence to account for the

unconscious knowledge speakers have of their language. This
unconscious knowledge refers to what someone knows about the
language, the mental representation of the language (Fromkin and
Rodman, 1981). Competence, however, has been subdivided into two
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ENG 251 MODULE 4
broad areas, namely, linguistic competence and communicative

competence.
O’Grady, Dobrovolsky and Aronoff (1993) define linguistic competence

as the ability speakers have "to produce and understand an unlimited
number of sentences, including many that are novel or unfamiliar" (p.
3). Normally, language users speak a language without consciously
knowing about the rules governing it, i.e. the grammar behind it. For this
reason, some authors refer to linguistic competence as grammatical
competence. This knowledge has five main components: phonological,
syntactic, semantic, lexical and morphological.
Phonological competence refers to the knowledge speakers have of the

sounds and possible sound combinations of a language. Syntactic
competence refers to the knowledge the speakers have about the
possible syntactic combinations of their language. Semantic competence
refers to the knowledge speakers have of the meanings of words in their
languages. Lexical competence refers to the knowledge speakers have of
an extensive amount of words in their language. It also refers to the
ability that speakers have to use these words according to the
appropriate context. Morphological competence refers to the knowledge
speakers have of the formation of words in their language, or better said,
word structure.
Communicative competence is a broad term that involves not only the

structural features of language, but also its social, pragmatic and
contextual characteristics. Therefore, it is necessary to understand
communicative competence as the sum of a series of competences.
Performance can be seen as the physical representation, usually in
utterances of any type, of the human competence (Chomsky, 1965). It
refers to "how" someone uses language. Chomsky considered
performance as a faulty representation of competence because of
psychological restrictions such as memory lapses and limitations,
distractions, changes of directions halfway through sentence, hesitation
and so on. Performance, in a way, accounts for the failures language
users have when they transpose their competence into actual linguistic
production.
3.2 Language and Thought
Linguists have been doing research on the relationship between the

language we speak and our thought. Some of the questions they ask are
which one comes first: language or thought? Do we think before we talk
or our language shapes our thought? How does thought translate into
language? The list is endless. However the general feeling is that we
think in the language we speak. For instance, Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
69

stipulates that the structure of our mother tongue influences the way our
minds perceive the world we live in. Speakers of different languages
notice different things and so make different distinctions.
One view, Bloom points out, "is that there exists a universal core of
meaningful distinctions that all humans share, but other distinctions that
people make are shaped by the forces of language. On the other hand,
language learning might really be the act of learning to express ideas
that already exist."
The classical theories of the relation between language and thought in

developmental psychology are those of Piaget and Vygotsky. Piaget's
claim is that language depends on thought for its development, and is
based on four sources of evidence:
• the period of infancy, in which fundamental principles of thought

are exhibited well before language
• the simultaneous emergence of language, deferred imitation,
symbolic play, evocative memory, and mental imagery,
suggesting language is but one outcome of more fundamental
changes in cognitive abilities
• the lack of effect of language upon reasoning abilities in middle
childhood
• and the nature of speech in early childhood, the claim being that
the communicative function of speech results from cognitive
developments.
By contrast Chomsky, while seeing thought and language as initially

separate systems, considers the two merge at around two years of age,
producing verbal thought. Mental operations are regarded as embodied
in the structure of language, and hence cognitive development results
from an internalisation of language.
3.3 Second Language Acquisition/Learning
According to The Wikipedia Dictionary, Second language learning is

the process by which people learn languages in addition to their native
language(s). The term second language is used to describe any language
whose acquisition starts after early childhood (including what may be
the third or subsequent language learned). Scholars (for example
Krashen (1981) often differentiate language learning from language
acquisition. The former being seen as ‘formal’ (what is done in the
classroom or other formal situations), while the latter is seen as ‘natural’
(which is not necessarily taught, but naturally acquired).
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ENG 251 MODULE 4
However, today, most scholars use the terms interchangeably. Applied

linguists focus more on the experience of the learner in the classroom,
while most psycholinguists focus on the processes a child goes through
to acquire a language. According to Krashen (1981), Language
acquisition is a subconscious process not unlike the way a child learns
language. Language acquirers are not consciously aware of the
grammatical rules of the language, but rather develop a "feel" for
correctness. "In non-technical language, acquisition is 'picking-up' a
language."
Language learning, on the other hand, refers to the "conscious

knowledge of a second language, knowing the rules, being aware of
them, and being able to talk about them." Thus language learning can be
compared to learning about a language.
The acquisition-learning distinction hypothesis claims that adults do not

lose the ability to acquire languages the way that children do. Just as
research shows that error correction has little effect on children learning
a first language, so too error correction has little affect on language
acquisition.
Krashen's theory of second language acquisition consists of five main

hypotheses:
• the Acquisition-Learning hypothesis,

• the Monitor hypothesis,
• the Natural Order hypothesis,
• the Input hypothesis,
• and the Affective Filter hypothesis.
The Acquisition-Learning distinction is the most fundamental of all the

hypotheses in Krashen's theory and the most widely known among
linguists and language practitioners. According to Krashen there are two
independent systems of second language performance: 'the acquired
system' and 'the learned system'. The 'acquired system' or 'acquisition' is
the product of a subconscious process very similar to the process
children undergo when they acquire their first language. It requires
meaningful interaction in the target language - natural communication -
in which speakers are concentrated not in the form of their utterances,
but in the communicative act.
Learning is the product of formal instruction and it comprises a

conscious process which results in conscious knowledge 'about' the
language, for example knowledge of grammar rules. According to
Krashen 'learning' is less important than 'acquisition'
71

The Monitor hypothesis explains the relationship between acquisition

and learning and defines the influence of the latter on the former. The
monitoring function is the practical result of the learned grammar.
According to Krashen, the acquisition system is the utterance initiator,
while the learning system performs the role of the 'monitor' or the
'editor'. The 'monitor' acts in a planning, editing and correcting function
when three specific conditions are met: that is, the second language
learner has sufficient time at his/her disposal, he/she focuses on form or
thinks about correctness, and he/she knows the rule.
The Natural Order hypothesis is based on research findings (Dulay &

Burt, 1974; Fathman, 1975; Makino, 1980 cited in Krashen, 1987),
which suggested that the acquisition of grammatical structures follows a
'natural order' which is predictable. For a given language, some
grammatical structures tend to be acquired early, others late. This order
seemed to be independent of the learners' age, L1 background,
conditions of exposure, and although the agreement between individual
acquirers was not always 100% in the studies, there were statistically
significant similarities that reinforced the existence of a Natural Order of
language acquisition. Krashen however points out that the implication of
the natural order hypothesis is not that a language program syllabus
should be based on the order found in the studies. In fact, he rejects
grammatical sequencing when the goal is language acquisition.
The Input hypothesis is Krashen's attempt to explain how the learner

acquires a second language. In other words, this hypothesis is Krashen's
explanation of how second language acquisition takes place. So, the
Input hypothesis is only concerned with 'acquisition', not 'learning'.
According to this hypothesis, the learner improves and progresses along
the 'natural order' when he/she receives second language 'input' that is
one step beyond his/her current stage of linguistic competence.
For example, if a learner is at a stage 'i', then acquisition takes place

when he/she is exposed to 'Comprehensible Input' that belongs to level 'i
+ 1'. Since not all of the learners can be at the same level of linguistic
competence at the same time, Krashen suggests that natural
communicative input is the key to designing a syllabus, ensuring in this
way that each learner will receive some 'i + 1' input that is appropriate
for his/her current stage of linguistic competence.
Finally, the fifth hypothesis, the Affective Filter hypothesis, embodies

Krashen's view that a number of 'affective variables' play a facilitative,
but non-causal, role in second language acquisition. These variables
include: motivation, self-confidence and anxiety. Krashen claims that
learners with high motivation, self-confidence, a good self-image, and a
low level of anxiety are better equipped for success in second language
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ENG 251 MODULE 4
acquisition. Low motivation, low self-esteem, and debilitating anxiety

can combine to 'raise' the affective filter and form a 'mental block' that
prevents comprehensible input from being used for acquisition. In other
words, when the filter is 'up' it impedes language acquisition. On the
other hand, positive affect is necessary, but not sufficient on its own, for
acquisition to take place.
Study an adult learner of your language and a child acquiring the

language. Identify the differences in their performance in using the
language. For instance, notice how they pronounce certain words and
their understanding of the meaning of such words.
3.4 Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
The Sapir-Whorf theory, named after the American linguists Edward

Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf, is a mould theory of language. Edward
Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf brought attention to the relationship
between language, thought, and culture. Neither of them formally wrote
the hypothesis nor supported it with empirical evidence, but through a
thorough study of their writings about linguistics, researchers have
found two main ideas. Writing in 1929, Sapir argued in a classic passage
that:
Human beings do not live in the objective world alone, nor alone in the
world of social activity as ordinarily understood, but are very much at
the mercy of the particular language which has become the medium of
expression for their society. It is quite an illusion to imagine that one
adjusts to reality essentially without the use of language and that
language is merely an incidental means of solving specific problems
of communication or reflection.
The fact of the matter is that the 'real world' is to a large extent
unconsciously built upon the language habits of the group. No two
languages are ever sufficiently similar to be considered as representing
the same social reality. The worlds in which different societies live are
distinct worlds, not merely the same world with different labels
attached... We see and hear and otherwise experience very largely as we
do because the language habits of our community predispose certain
choices of interpretation (Sapir, 1929: 69).
This position was extended in the 1930s by his student Whorf, who, in
another widely cited passage, declared that:
We dissect nature along lines laid down by our native languages.
73

The categories and types that we isolate from the world of phenomena
we do not find there because they stare every observer in the face; on the
contrary, the world is presented in a kaleidoscopic flux of impressions
which has to be organised by our minds - and this means largely by the
linguistic systems in our minds. We cut nature up, organise it into
concepts, and ascribe significances as we do, largely because we are
parties to an agreement to organise it in this way - an agreement that
holds throughout our speech community and is codified in the patterns
of our language. The agreement is, of course, an implicit and unstated
one, but its terms are absolutely obligatory; we cannot talk at all except
by subscribing to the organisation and classification of data which the
agreement decrees. (Whorf 1940: 213-14)
It was on the basis of these statements by the two scholars that the Sapir-
Whorf Hypothesis was formulated. Whorf distanced himself from the
behaviourist stance that thinking is entirely linguistic (Whorf 1956, p.
66). In its most extreme version 'the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis' can be
described as consisting of two associated principles. According to the
first, linguistic determinism, our thinking is determined by language.
According to the second, linguistic relativity, people who speak
different languages perceive and think about the world quite differently.
4.0 CONCLUSION
Language and thought are inextricably bound together, so it is very clear

that they influence one another. What we know, how we learn the
language and our actual language performance are also connected with
our thought. All these have been the subject of our discussion in this
unit. A major theory at the back of all these discussions is the Sapir-
Whorf Hypothesis.
5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, we have examined the thinking of linguists on how we learn

and acquire a language. We looked at Chomsky’s ideas of competence
and performance (what we have internalised and what we actually use0.
We also examined the theories of language acquisition and Sapir-Whorf
Hypothesis, which explains how our world view affect the way we use
language.
1. What is the relationship between language and thought?

2. Explain the terms ‘competence’ and ‘performance’.
3. Explain Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis.
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ENG 251 MODULE 4
4. Is there any difference between language acquisition and

learning?
Bloom, P. (2000). “Language and Thought: Does Grammar Make us

Smart?” Current Biology, Volume 10, Issue 14, pp R516-R517.
Chomsky, N. (1965). Aspects of the Theory of Syntax. Cambridge, MA:

The MIT Press.
Fromkin, V. & Rodman, R. (1983). An Introduction to Language. New

York, NY: Holt Saunders
Krashen, S. D. (1981). Principles and Practice in Second Language

Acquisition. English Language teaching series. London: Prentice-
Hall International (UK) Ltd.
Krashen, S. D. (1981). Second Language Acquisition and Second

Language Learning. Oxford: Pergamon Press,.
O’Grady, W., Dobrovolsky, M., & Aronoff, M. (1993). Contemporary

linguistics. An Iintroduction. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
Por Lic. Jhony M. Jaimes S.(2006). “Competence and Performance in

the EFL Teaching Setting.” Monogafias.com Retrieved on 25
November,2006 from http: //www .mono grafias. com/ rabajos
39/competence-and perfomance/competence-and
perfomance.shtml
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MODULE 5 MULTILINGUALISM AND LANGUAGE

DEVELOPMENT
Unit 1 Bilingualism/Multilingualism
Unit 2 Language Policy
Unit 3 Language Planning, Maintenance, Shift and Death
UNIT 1 BILINGUALISM/MULTILINGUALISM
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 What is Bilingualism?
3.1.1 Types of Bilingualism
3.2 Coordinate, Subordinate and Incipient Bilingualism
3.3 Multilingualism
3.4 Diglossia
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Two thirds of the world’s population is bilingual to some extent, hence

from an international perspective speaking more than one language is
the norm rather than the exception. Bilingualism is a feature of a
linguistically heterogeneous community, i.e. a community, which has
several speakers of different languages. The tendency is that as these
language speakers have contact, they would learn each other’s
languages. Bilingualism is more common in the developing countries of
the world, especially the former colonies, where the local languages
exist side by side with the languages of the colonial masters.
In this Unit, we shall be examining the notion of Bilingualism, its

meaning, the types, how people come to be bilinguals, and how
languages are assigned roles and statuses in bilingual settings.
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ENG 251 MODULE 5
2.0 OBJECTIVES
At the end of the unit, you should be able to:
• explain the concept; bilingualism

• identify the types of bilingualism
• discuss the notion of diglossia in relation with bilingualism.
3.0 MAIN CONTENT
3.1 What is Bilingualism?
Bilingualism can be seen from two different perspectives: from the

individual’s perspective and the societal perspective. In essence, we
have individual bilingualism and societal bilingualism. When an
individual in a community possesses two languages, he/she is described
as a bilingual. Likewise, when in a society, two languages dominate
others and most of the dwellers in that community speak or use those
languages in communication, we can call that society bilingual. It is
important to note that an individual, who is bilingual may reside in a
society, which is monolingual. Likewise, in a bilingual society, it is not
all the residents that are necessarily bilingual.
In the case of societal bilingualism, the two dominant languages become

the primary means of communication because they have been assigned
significant roles in the society. For instance, in Nigeria, English is
dominant because it is the legacy left behind by our colonial masters. It
is also the language of unity, i.e., the language that unites the different
speakers in Nigeria. Most Nigerians are bilingual because they have
their mother tongues, which they have acquired in their immediate
community and they also have English, which is the country’s official
language.
Definitions of bilingualism range from a minimal proficiency in two

languages, to an advanced level of proficiency, which allows the speaker
to function and appear as a native-like speaker of both languages.
Persons may describe themselves as bilingual but this may refer only to
an ability to converse and communicate orally. Others may be proficient
in reading in one or more languages. To be ‘bilingual’ means different
things to different people.
So, a definition of bilingualism will need to acknowledge the learner’s

proficiency, the purposes for which they use the languages, and the
contexts in which they use their languages. The young child entering
school may be called bilingual but it may be that he or she only speaks
their home language for domestic and familial purposes and that English
77

is the preferred language for communication outside the home. A

recently arrived asylum seeking pupil may have some level of literacy in
English but may be unable to converse or use spoken English in the
classroom context. Many pupils described as 'bilingual' may in fact
routinely use three languages or more.
A common definition of bilingualism is “a native-like control of two

languages”. This definition was given by Bloomfield (1933). Another
one is “the point where the speaker of one language can produce
complete meaningful utterances in the other language: (Haugen, 1953)
3.1.1 Types of Bilingualism
Balanced vs. Non-balanced Bilingualism
In terms of purpose, bilingualism may be described as balanced or non-

balanced. Balanced bilingualism refers to the notion of having equal
proficiency in two languages across a range of contexts. It means the
individual uses the two languages for the same amount of functions.
Non-balance bilingualism is the one in which the individual uses the
languages for different functions. Balanced bilingualism is very rare,
while non-balanced bilingualism is the norm in most bilinguals. To
expect someone to be equally proficient in two languages is a simplistic
and unrealistic viewpoint.
3.2 Coordinate, Subordinate and Incipient Bilingualism
Individual bilinguals can be described on the basis of the extent or

degrees of their bilingualism. Rubin (1970) identifies the three types of
bilingualism we are discussing in this section.
A coordinate bilingual is a person who is able to speak two different

languages and understand them well. Such a bilingual has near native-
like competence in the two languages. In other words, whenever they
speak either of the two languages, listeners do not easily identify the one
that is their mother tongue.
Subordinate bilinguals are fluent in one of the two languages, but is

able to speak but not fluent in the other one. Interference is easily
discernible in the speech of a subordinate bilingual.
Incipient bilinguals speak one of the two languages that exist in the
community fluently but only understand the other one partially. This is
common among people who have lived long enough in a community to
understand the language but do not make any appreciable effort to speak
the language.
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ENG 251 MODULE 5
Other types of bilingualism, which people have identified, are as

follows:
Dominant bilingualism - where one of the languages is used most often

and is the one in which the speaker operates with the greatest
proficiency.
Semilingualism- a controversial term used to describe people whose

two languages are at a low level of development.
Prestigious bilingualism- typically, but not exclusively referring to

those who speak two high status languages.
3.3 Multilingualism
Multilingualism simply refers to the ability to speak more than two

languages or simply proficiency in many languages. Just like
bilingualism, it could be seen in individuals or the entire society. A
multilingual person, in a general sense is anyone who can communicate
in more than one language, be it active (through speaking and writing)
or passive (through listening and reading). More specifically, the terms
bilingual and trilingual are used to describe comparable situations in
which two or three languages are involved.
3.4 Diglossia
Diglossia, according to Ferguson (1959) refers to the circumstance

where each language in a bilingual society is systematically employed in
certain domains and events. For instance each of the languages in a
bilingual community has to be assigned certain functions. The functions
of the two languages may indicate whether they are high or low
languages. In such instances, the high language is reserved for formal
public use, and often given the function of official language. The use of
the low variety is limited to spoken situations at home and in casual
conversations. For instance in Nigeria, English is assigned the role of
the official language – the language of education, politics, the media,
trade, and so forth, while Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba are assigned the role
of regional languages.
i. Identify a bilingual community in your area and describe how

bilingualism works in that community.
ii. Identify 10 friends who are bilingual. What type of bilingual are
they?
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4.0 CONCLUSION
Bilingualism is a phenomenon generally discussed in Sociolinguistics. It
is a feature of linguistically complex communities. In defining it, we
approached it from two different dimensions: the individual and the
society. In societies where there is bilingualism, the government further
strengthens it by assigning roles to languages. Individuals who are
bilinguals have different degrees of mastery of the two languages.
5.0 SUMMARY
The unit focuses on the concept of bilingualism. We examined the

various definitions of bilingualism from different scholars and discussed
the different types of bilingualism. Lastly, we examined diglossia: a
situation in which the two languages in a bilingual society are assigned
different roles.
1. What is bilingualism?
2. Identify and discuss types of bilingualism.
3. Explain the term Diglossia.
4. Write an essay on Bilingualism in Nigeria.
Bloomfield. (1933). Language. London: Allen and Unwin.
Ferguson. (1959). ‘Diglossia’ . Word, 15, pp 325 – 340.
Haugen. (1953). The Norweigian Language in America. Philadelphia:

University of Pennsylvania.
Rubin, J. (1970). “Acquisition and Proficiency”. In: J. B. Pride, & J.

Holmes, (Eds). Sociolinguistics. Hammonsworth: Penguin.
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ENG 251 MODULE 5
UNIT 2 LANGUAGE POLICY
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Nationalism and Nationism
3.2 National and Official Languages
3.3 Language Policy
3.4 Endoglossic, Exoglossic and Mixed States
3.5 Types of Language Policy
3.5.1 Type A Policy
3.5.2 Type B Policy
3.5.3 Type C Policy
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
1.0 INTRODUCTION
In any language community, the government will naturally adopt a kind

of language policy that will regulate the use of language in the
community. The kind of policy adopted by a country will be determined
by the nature of the linguistic environment. For instance the kind of
policy adopted by a monolingual community, which is linguistically
homogeneous, will be different from that of a bi-/multilingual
community, which is linguistically heterogeneous. . In this Unit, we
shall be taking you through how the different kinds of state determine
the kind of policy adopted by different governments.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
• explain the term language policy

• describe the different types of state we have
• describe the kinds of policy that can be adopted by a government.
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3.0 MAIN CONTENT
3.1 Nationalism and Nationism
Nationalism describes the belief that groups of people are bound

together by territorial, cultural and (sometimes) ethnic links. It is loyalty
and devotion to a nation or ethnic group that places emphasis on
promoting the interests, cultural and social values, or religion of one
group above all others. National solidarity is typically expressed by such
outward signs as a national flag, anthem and a national language (Bell,
1976: 169).
Nationism deals with a complex situation in which a group of people see

the need to be united in spite of their cultural and linguistic divergences.
The outward signs of nationism will be seen in state-operated education,
transport, finance, justice systems in order to achieve political
integration. Such a state also has a national language, which can act as
the vehicle of communication between the government and the people
and between the government and the government of other states.
These concepts describe different kinds of states and their compositions.

For instance, where the different units that make up a state express
strong nationalistic tendencies, it will be difficult for the government to
assign the role of a higher language to any of the local languages.
However, where there is less emphasis on nationalism, a language
spoken by the majority may assume a higher role in the state.
3.2 National and Official Languages
A national language is the language that is chosen in order to achieve

the goal of nationalism. It is usually a language seen as binding the state
together. An official language is a language that is given a unique status
in the state. It is typically the language used in a nation's legislative
bodies, and political discourse. Though the law in many nations requires
that government documents should be produced in other languages as
well. In most countries, the national and official languages are one, e.g.,
English in America, United Kingdom, and so forth.
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ENG 251 MODULE 5
3.3 Language Policy
Language Policy refers to what government does officially – through

legislation, court decisions, executive action, or other means to:
(a) determine how languages are used in public contexts,

(b) cultivate language skills needed to meet national priorities, or
(c) establish the rights of individuals or groups to learn, use, and
maintain languages.
It is also government regulation of its own language use, including steps

to facilitate clear communication, train and recruit personnel, guarantee
due process, foster political participation, and provide access to public
services, proceedings, and documents.
3.4 Endoglossic, Exoglossic and Mixed States
An endoglossic state is one in which the national-official language is the

mother tongue of the vast majority of the population. The United
Kingdom is a typical example of this kind of state. In the U.K., there are
minority language speakers like the Welsh, the Gaelic speaking Scotts
and Asian and Caribbean migrant workers. English still remains the
national-official language.
An exoglossic state is typically linguistically heterogeneous, due to the

large number of non-standard indigenous languages. Some languages
might have gained wider currency as lingual franca within some regions
within the state. It is however not possible to pick any of them as the
official language, so the ex-colonial language is retained to serve the
role of the national-official language, while the majority languages
within the regions are given the role of regional languages. Examples of
this kind of state can be found in Nigeria, Ghana, and some other
African and Asian countries.
A mixed state is a state between the two extremes of endo- and exo-
glossic states. In such a state, the national and official functions are split
between an indigenous language and a non-indigenous language. India
is a good example of such a state, where Hindi and English share the
role of national-official language.
3.5 Type of Language Policy
Fishman (1971) identifies three major types of language policy. All

these three types hinge on the concept of ‘Great Tradition’ and its
relationship to the concepts of ‘nationalism’ and ‘nationism’.
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A Great Tradition has to do with assumed existence of a set of cultural

features – law, government, religion, history – which is shared by the
state and can serve to integrate the members into a cohesive body.
Below are the types of policy.
3.5.1 Type A Policy
Under this type of policy, there is no great tradition, so the likelihood is

that the state directs its policy towards the creation of an exoglossic state
by adopting the language of the ex-rulers as the national-official
language. This is common in multi-ethnic, multi-tribal communities,
which were forced to belong to one state as a result of the political
arrangement of the colonial masters. Most of the African nations would
naturally adopt this kind of policy.
3.5.2 Type B Policy
Type B policy is adopted when there exists a great tradition that brings
together the different, but related languages in the community. The
language of the great tradition is adopted as the national-official
language. The aim is to achieve the goals of nationalism and nationism
simultaneously. Since the national –official language is indigenous, an
endoglossic state can be created with the hope of success. Examples of
countries that have adopted this policy type are Ethiopia, Somalia and
Thailand.
3.5.3 Type C Policy
Type C policies arise from a situation in which there are several great
traditions competing, each with its own social, religious, geographic and
linguistic base. Such states aim at the twin goal of nationalism and
nationism. In such states, sectionalism is further aggravated by physical
distance and non-contiguity between the component regions of the state.
Such states set up a central government, which retains a neutral
language as the national –official language and adopt the major local
languages as regional official languages. This necessarily leads to
educated individuals in the nation being bi-/multilingual.
Describe in detail the language policy adopted by any six African

countries.
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ENG 251 MODULE 5
4.0 CONCLUSION
Language policy is essential in any state in order to regulate the use of

language. The type of policy adopted by any state is largely determined
by the composition of the state, typically, how linguistically complex the
state is. The existence of a ‘great tradition’ plays an important role in
the choice of language policy for any state
5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, we discussed language policy, the concepts nation and

nationism and how they affect policy. We also looked at the types of
state we have, which will determine the kind of policy that will be
adopted. Lastly, we examined three types of policies as identified by
Fishman (1971).
1. Explain the concepts ‘nationalism’ and ‘nationism’.

2. Define language policy and explain the Nigerian language policy.
3. Is there any difference between a national and an official
language? Explain.
4. What is “Great Tradition”? Explain how Great Tradition affects
the type of policy chosen by any two former colonies.
7.0 REFERENCES /FURTHER READING
Akindele, F. & Adegbite, W. (1999). The Sociology and Politics of

English in Nigeria. Ile-Ife: OAU Press.

London: B. T. Batsford Ltd.
Fishman (1971). Advances in the Sociology of Language. The Hague:

Mouton.
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UNIT 3 LANGUAGE PLANNING, MAINTENANCE,

SHIFT, DEATH
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Language Maintenance and Development
3.1.1 Language Planning
3.1.2 Factors that influence Language Planning
3.2 Language Shift
3.3 Language Death
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Language, just like any other natural resource must be planned in order
to ensure its appropriate utilisation. The challenges of language planning
are more evident in multilingual settings where several languages exist
side by side. Language is planned so that the users can derive the
maximum benefits from such languages.
In this unit, we shall be examining the idea of language development

and planning. In addition, we shall also look at language shift and
language death.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
• explain the concepts of language development

• describe language planning and the factors that influence it
• explain language shift and language death.
3.0 MAIN CONTENT
3.1 Language Development and Language Maintenance
Language, like any other phenomenon develops, advances and is better

organised in terms of its functions. Just like any other phenomenon,
language has to be maintained if it has to grow and use more effectively.
Language is a crucial part of a people’s culture and a powerful
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ENG 251 MODULE 5
instrument for preserving and transmitting values and systems from one
generation to another. People with a well-developed language will
naturally be developed because language is the vehicle for the
expression of concepts in our culture. Well-maintained languages will
naturally develop in terms of the roles and functions they are used to
perform.
3.1.1 Language Planning
Language planning refers to deliberate efforts to influence the behaviour

of others with respect to the acquisition, structure or functional
allocation of languages. It involves the development of goals, objectives
and strategies to change the way language is used in a community.
Language planning involves the following:
(a) Evaluation: placing value on language. Such values may result in

its selection and assignment of roles.
(b) Regulation: controlling language by means of rules and policies.
This then determines the extent to which such a language can be
used.
(c) Decision making: choice and judgment on what is best to do at a
point in time. This presupposes that there were problems and
difficulties.
Language planning is not only done by the society, it is also done by

individual bilingual or multilingual, who makes conscious choice of
what language to use at any particular time.
The basis of language planning is that the society needs common

publicly standardised language. The objective is to establish, maintain
and develop such a language. Language planning is more necessary in
multilingual settings, typically in Africa and Asia. In such multilingual
communities, the choice of a common language among the indigenous
languages for inter-ethnic communication is always a difficult task. The
result is the adoption of a neutral language, typically, the language of the
ex-colonial rulers for political stability. Language planning leads to the
adoption of language policy by the government.
Language planning usually takes place through government agencies

and academic centers. The typical tasks of such agencies are to:
(a) devise orthographies for unwritten languages

(b) revise spelling systems
(c) coin new words
(d) produce literature and textbooks in the language.
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In developing nations, the first task in language planning is to determine

which language or languages should perform the role of national
language. This is called language selection. The government also
considers the roles of the minority languages. By assigning minority
languages certain roles, they are helped to develop and not decay. Other
things done in the process of language development include the
following:
(a) Codification: making explicit statements on the code through

dictionaries, grammars, pronunciation, spelling, punctuation and
pronunciation guides. Codification leads to the establishment of a
standard variety.
(b) Graphisation: the reduction of spoken language to writing or
devising graphic symbols to represent the spoken form. The first
decision in graphisation is the choice of alphabet or scripts
(c) Modernisation: Making the language to belong to the world
community of languages that can express modern terminologies.
This will necessitate the expansion of the lexicon and creation of
lexical items to talk about the modern scientific and industrial
world
3.1.2 Factors Influencing Language Planning
Certain factors influence the planning of language in any community.

They are discussed below:
(a) Socio-demographic factors: The number of languages spoken, the

number of speakers, and the geographical distribution of the
languages.
(a) Linguistic factors: similarities and dis-similarities between
languages, the degree of modernized development, the literary
tradition.
(b) Socio-psychological factors: Attitudes of people towards their
language and towards other languages around them.
(c) Religious factors: The functions of the languages in relation to
the religious inclinations in the community. For instance, the
Christian mission promoted the local languages for their
evangelical interest.
Choose two African countries, two Asian countries and two European
countries and describe how they planned their languages.
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ENG 251 MODULE 5
3.2 Language Shift
It is sometime referred to as language transfer. Language shift is the

process whereby an entire speech community shifts to speaking another
language. Language shift is determined by the rate of assimilation,
which refers to the percentage of individuals with a given mother tongue
who speak another language often at home. The process whereby a
community of speakers of a language becomes bilingual in another
language, and gradually shift allegiance to the second language is called
assimilation. When language shift involves the loss of the first language,
it can lead to cultural disintegration and a variety of social problems.
Language shift results mostly when language is not maintained. The

ultimate result of shift is language death. The language users simply
become a sub-set of speakers of another language. The rate at which a
language is transferred to another generation determines whether the
language will survive, shift or ultimately die. For instance in Nigeria,
quite a number of educated parents are bringing up their children as
monolingual speakers of English. This may eventually lead to language
shift by the time the generations of the children of these speakers grow
up. They will eventually bring up their own children in the same
manner.
3.3 Language Death
Language death also known as language extinction is a process that

affects speech communities where the level of linguistic competence
that speakers possess of a given language is decreased. Language death
may manifest itself in the following ways:
(a) gradual language death;

(b) total language death;
(c) sudden language death (linguicide)
Gradual language death is a process in which a language is being lost as

a result of the speakers’ abandonment of such language.
Total language death occurs when no speaker of a particular language

remains where the language was previously used (i.e, all native speakers
die.
Sudden language death occurs when all the speakers of a language are
wiped out through genocide or any natural disaster.
The most common process of language death is one in which a

community of speakers of one language becomes bilingual in another
89

language and gradually shifts allegiance to the second language until

they cease to use their original language. This process is called
assimilation. It may be voluntary or forced. A language is effectively
dead when it is no longer used actively for communication. This may
not necessarily mean that all the speakers have died.
Language death is a slow process. For instance, when all a language has
left are a few elderly speakers, such a language is declared moribund
and the process of its death has already begun. When each generation
learns less of their first language and more of their second language, the
language has started the process of death. A stage in the process of
language death is language attrition – the loss of a portion of a particular
language by the speech community.
4.0 CONCLUSION
Language is like any other human resource and if it is not well

maintained and developed, it could be lost. The process of language loss
begins with the attitude of the speakers of the language to their language
and other languages around them. For instance, if the speakers have a
negative attitude to their own language and a positive attitude to another
language, the tendency is that they would lose their language for the
other language. The extreme of language loss is language death, when
the language ceases being used by anybody.
5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, we examined the concept of language maintenance and

development and how these affect language retention and loss. We
discussed how planning helps to make a language develop. We also
looked at the role of attitudes in determining language development. We
observed that language death is hardly a sudden phenomenon (though
there may be rare instances of sudden language loss if a whole
community of speakers is wiped out). Language death begins as a
process from negative attitude to linguistic attrition, to shift and then
death.
1. What is language planning?

2. Discuss factors that influence language planning.
3. Explain the process of language shift.
4. How does a language die?
5. Identify those things that can be done in order to make a language
to develop.
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ENG 251 MODULE 5
Adegbite, W. (2003). ‘Mulitiligualism and national Development”. In:

L. Oyeleye & M. Olateju. (Eds). Readings in Language and
Literature. Ile-Ife: OAU Press.
Fishman, J. (2000). “Can Threatened Languages be Saved?”

Multilingual Matters.
Garfinkel, H. (1967). Studies in Ethnomethodology. Englewood Cliffs,

NJ: Prentice Hall.
Rigsby B. J. (1987). “Indigenous Language Shift and Maintenance In

Fourth World Setting.” Multilingual Matters, 6. 4.
Sacks, H. Schegloff, E.A. & Jeffersons, G. (1974). “A Simplest

Systematics for the Organisation of Turn-Taking in
Conversation”. Language, Vol. 50, Number 4, pp 696-735.
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MODULE 6 SOCIOLINGUISTICS AND DISCOURSE
Unit 1 Discourse Analysis

Unit 2 Code Switching, Interference and Borrowing
Unit 3 Linguistic Imperialism
Unit 4 Sociolinguistic Situation of Nigeria
Unit 5 Sociolinguistics and Other Disciplines
UNIT 1 DISCOURSE ANALYSIS
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Text and Discourse
3.2 What is Discourse Analysis?
3.3 Interactive and Non-interactive Discourse
3.4 Discourse Structure
3.5 Discourse Features
3.5.1 Turn Taking
3.5.2 Overlaps
3.5.3 Adjacency Pairs
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
1.0 INTRODUCTION
In this unit, we shall be looking at Discourse Analysis, a discipline

which emerged from Sociolinguistics. Discourse Analysis studies
naturally-occurring discourse, which could be spoken or written. It arose
in an attempt by linguists to study the organisation of language above
the sentence. It is an approach that is a departure from the traditional
approach to the study of language that focuses on the structure of
language. The unit will discuss the notion of discourse and text,
interactive and non-interactive discourse, the structure and features of
discourse.
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ENG 251 MODULE 6
2.0 OBJECTIVES
• explain the meaning of discourse analysis

• identify the major features of a text or discourse
• describe the structure of discourse
• differentiate between interactive and non-interactive discourse.
3.0 MAIN CONTENT
3.1 Text and Discourse
The terms discourse and text are used interchangeably, though there is a
way in which scholars use them differently. A text simply refers to any
instance of language use spoken or written. A text ranges from a word to
a group of words that is meaningful in any particular context. A text is
situated in a particular context (environment in which it is used). The
meaning of a text can be deduced in the context in which it is used. One
major feature of a long text is cohesion or the ties that exist within it,
among the words and the clauses that make it up. A text is also said to
be coherent or has coherence if the whole text is seen as being logically
connected.
A discourse on the other hand is any connected, naturally occurring

language. It may also be written or spoken. A discourse is not
meaningfully interpreted without a look at the social context in which it
is produced. The context will take into consideration many other things
which we normally take for granted, such as pauses, gap fillers,
mannerisms, interruption, kinesics, facial expression, and other physical
acts which contribute to the interpretation of the discourse.
3.2 What is Discourse Analysis?
The term Discourse Analysis refers to an attempt to study language

above the sentence or above the clause. It is concerned with the study of
linguistic units, such as conversational exchanges and written texts. It
involves an investigation of rules governing the production and
perception of discourse.
Discourse Analysis is an area of interest to scholars in other disciplines

such as literary critics, communication scientists, media scholars,
philosophers, sociologists and anthropologists. It describes different
kinds of discourse such as conversations, e.g.: doctor-patient
conversation, family conversation, casual conversation, telephone
conversation, court room discourse, political interviews, and so forth.
93

Other forms of discourse studied include: the Internet discourse, SMS

text messages, newspaper reports, service-encounter, market discourse,
talk shows, commercial advertisements, pulpit talk, and so forth.
The study of language in relation to the context in which it is used was

greatly influenced by Bronislaw Malinowski, an anthropologist. He
realised that the description of the language of a people is not complete
without the cultural history behind the participants and the practices of
their culture.
The modern approach to Discourse Analysis took its root in the work of
M.A.K. Halliday and other scholars. The first attempt to study the
structure of discourse from linguistic point of view was the work of
Sinclair and Coulthard (1976). These scholars studied the organisation
of classroom discourse and published their findings in a book titled:
Towards an Analysis of Discourse: The English used by teachers and
pupils.
Earlier before Sinclair and Coulthard, sociologists and anthropologists

have shown some interest in conversation. Scholars such as Graffinkel
(1967), Sacks, Schegloff and Jeffersons (1974)examined the structure of
talk and looked at such issues as turn taking in discourse, opening and
closing in discourse, topic management, overlaps in conversation, and so
forth.
3.3 Interactive and Non-interactive Discourse
An interactive discourse is a discourse in which two or more people

share ideas, taking turns and focusing on one or more topics, e.g.,
conversation. In an interactive discourse, there is cooperation between
the interlocutors to ensure that the discourse is successful. In most cases,
the interlocutors share a common cultural context; therefore, some
contextual cues aid the interpretation of the discourse.
A non-interactive discourse on the other hand, has as its major

characteristic, the domination by a speaker, who is constrained by the
situation to control the discourse by determining who speaks, when they
speak, and how they speak. Examples of non-interactive discourse are
highly institutionalised discourses, such as public lecture, sermon,
speech making, etc.
3.4 Discourse Structure
The Birmingham School sees discourse as a level above the sentence.

Using the classroom discourse, Sinclair and Coulthard (1976) divided
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ENG 251 MODULE 6
discourse into a five-unit scale called the discourse rank scale. The units
are: Lesson, Transaction, Exchange, Move and Act.
Lesson occupies the highest rank in the scale and it refers to everything
that takes place in the classroom from the point the teacher enters and
the time he leaves. Transaction is the basic unit of interaction, which
consists of minimal contributions made by two participants in the
discourse. An exchange is a dialogue or discussion. It is one of the
fundamental units that realise social interaction. The structure of an
exchange is IRF (where I = Initiation, R = Response, and F = Feedback).
The teacher initiates the discourse, the pupil gives the response and the
teacher gives the feedback, e.g:
T (I): What is a noun?

P (R): A noun is the name of a person, animal, place or thing
T (F) Correct
Move is a single minimal contribution of a speaker at once. It consists of

one or more acts. Act is the smallest unit in the discourse stratum. It has
no structure except one goes below the level of discourse. Sinclair and
Coulthard identify several classes of act used in discourse.
3.5 Discourse Features
Scholars have identified different features of discourse. Some of them,

which will be discussed in this section are- turn taking, overlaps,
adjacency pairs, and insertion sequences.
3.5.1 Turn Taking
Turn taking simply refers to the negotiation of the floor by the

participants in a discourse. In conversations, speakers take turns. At any
given moment, the turn that is in progress will typically belong to a
single speaker. Participants in a conversation will not usually talk all at
once. Conversely, there will not usually be stretches of time in which no
one talks at all. This is not to say that simultaneous speech and silence
never occur in conversations-they do. But when they occur, they are
always treated as problems, which need to be ‘repaired’.
Sacks and Schegloff (1974) observe that turn taking system provides a
basic framework for the organisation of interaction, since it allows
participants to alternate the floor, so talk is not uncoordinated.
Speakers are aware that a turn consists of one or more (but not fewer)
“turn construction units” (grammatical entities like a complete clause or
sentence). Turn construction unit may be delineated by intonation, stress
95

or pause rather than grammar. Participants can use their knowledge of

possible types of unit to project the end-point of the turn currently in
progress. At the end of the turn or construction unit, is the “turn
transition relevance place” (a point at which speaker- change may occur.
To determine the end of a turn, the speaker needs to note a lot of things,
such as:
• the content of what is said

• the prosodic structure of the speech
• the grammatical structure of the speech
• aspects of non verbal behaviour, such as gaze direction, etc.
When the turn transition relevance place is reached, what happens is not
just a random, free for all situation. There is an ordered set of rules for
the allocation of the next turn. Below are the possible options:
• the current speaker selects the next speaker

• the next speaker self-selects
• the current speaker may (but does not have to) continue
Turn allocation mechanism involves the current speaker doing any of

the following:
• asking the next speaker a question

• naming the next speaker
• aligning the body or gaze so that the speaker is seen to be
addressing a specific person at the end of his conversation.
3.5.2 Overlaps
Overlaps are simultaneous speech. Overlaps result from the speaker’s

failure to project the end of the last speaker’s turn with complete
accuracy. One kind of overlap is the one in which the new speaker
comes in at the point where they think the last speaker will finish. This
is regarded as unintended. The other type is the one in which the new
speaker may start to speak at the point in the last speaker’s utterance.
This is regarded as interruption, which is intended.
An overlap may not necessarily be in form of speech. The source may

also be other things such as the ringing of a phone, a knock on the door,
a sudden loud bang or sound, and so forth.
3.5.3 Adjacency Pairs
Most conversations, especially between two participants are coordinated

in such a way that what the last speaker says constrains what the next
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ENG 251 MODULE 6
speaker will meaningfully say. Thus, a question requests an answer, a

greeting requests a greeting, and an offer requests an acceptance or a
rejection and so forth. Spoken interactions are typically structured
around pairs of adjacent utterances (utterances that occur one after the
other). However, the pairs of utterances may be separated, by some
elements as we can see in the conversation below:
A: What is your name?

B: Why do you want to know?
A: I just like you and want to be your friend.
B: Anyway I am Sandra.
In the conversation above, the question asked by A did not elicit an

answer until B was sure of A’s intention. So B’s utterance rather than be
an answer, was also a question, which A had to answer before B’s real
response finally came. The embedded sequences of question and answer
within the original pair are called insertion sequences.
Study the following interactions and bring out the salient discourse
features in them:
(a) doctor-patient interaction

(b) preacher-congregation interaction
(c) buyer seller interaction in an open market
4.0 CONCLUSION
The study of Discourse Analysis points to the fact that language use is
not socially unstructured. It shows clearly that people involved in
naturally-occurring discourse are aware of some rules that guide their
interaction. They know when to speak and when not to. Their speech is
not always smooth as there are certain paralinguistic and non-linguistic
factors that help to shape what they say.
5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, we have examined Discourse Analysis, an offshoot of

Sociolinguistics, which is the study of naturally occurring discourse
(talk or writing). The unit is an exploration of the nature of Discourse
Analysis, its features and the structure.
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1. What is Discourse Analysis?

2. Differentiate between interactive and non-interactive discourse.
3. How does a participant recognise his/her turn in a conversation?
4. Explain the term ‘adjacency pairs’.
5. Explain the discourse structure using the discourse rankscale
proposed by Sinclair and Coulthard.
6. Collect and record your own examples of a Nigerian language
performing different functions.
Brown, G. & Yule, G. (1983). Discourse Analysis. Cambridge:

Sinclair, J. M. & Coulthard, M. (1975). Towards an Analysis of

Discourse, the English Used by Teachers and Pupils. Oxford:
OUP.
Olateju, M. A. (1998). Discourse Analysis, Analyzing Discourse in the

ESL Classroom. Lagos: Crossland Educational Services.
Garfinkel, H. (1967). Studies in Ethnomethodology. Englewood Cliffs,

NJ: Prentice Hall.
Sacks, H., Schegloff, E.A., & Jeffersons, G. (1974). “A Simplest

Systematics for the organization of turn-taking in conversation”.
Language, Vol. 50 (No 4), 696-735.
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ENG 251 MODULE 6
UNIT 2 CODE SWITCHING, INTERFERENCE AND

BORROWING
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Code Switching
3.2 Interference
3.2.1 Syntactic Interference
3.2.2 Lexical Interference
3.2.3 Phonological Interference
3.3 Borrowing
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
1.0 INTRODUCTION
One major feature of bilingual communities is the ability of bilinguals to

alternate codes (languages) in one discourse. An alternation may be a
total switch from one code to another or a mixture of two distinct codes
in one discourse. This concept is widely known as code-switching.
Other features of a bilingual speech are interference – transfer of
elements of a language into another and borrowing – the use of items
from one language in the utterance of another.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
• explain the concept of code-switching and interference

• differentiate between the two concepts
• identify the reasons why people code-switch
• discuss the different levels at which interference occurs in the
speech of bilinguals.
3.0 MAIN CONTENT
3.1 Code Switching
Code switching refers to the use of two languages simultaneously or

interchangeably in a communication. Code switching is an inter-
99

sentential phenomenon specific to bilinguals. It involves the use of two

or more language codes from one sentence to another. Code switching
may be language switch or variety switch. Language switch is a switch
from one language to another in one communication, while variety
switch is a switch from one variety of language, e.g., a dialect (social,
regional) or even a register to another. It is a deliberate act whose
motivation is usually clear to the people involved in the discourse.
Code-mixing on the other hand is an intra-sentential phenomenon; that

is the use of two or more language codes within a sentence. It is also
referred to as interlarding. Code mixing involves the embedding of
various linguistic units such as affixes, words, phrases and clauses in the
speech of a bilingual. According to Akindele and Adegbite (1999: 37), it
is “a situation whereby two languages are used in a single sentenced
within major and minor constituent boundaries. The term code mixing
emphasises hybridisation, and the term code-switching emphasises
movement from one language to another.
Code switching has the following functions:
(a) Translation: A bilingual speaker who is addressing a mixed

bilingual audience who has different levels of competence in the
two languages may need to switch from one language to another
to reach the audience.
(b) Tenor: Bilingual speakers switch from one language to another
when they consider the participants in the speech event – their
age, status, and relationship between them and the speaker.
(c) Attitude: A speaker’s attitude to what is going on in the speech
event determines the extent to which they switch from one
language to another.
(d) Stylistic: A writer may switch from one language to another. This
is especially common in creative writing in order to get their
message across to bilingual readers.
People code-switch for several other reasons, such as:
(a) To exclude others or some people from the conversation;

(a) To mark group identity;
(b) To serve a linguistic need of providing lexical, phrasal, or
sentence filler in an utterance;
(c) To quote someone;
(d) To amplify parts of an utterance, etc.`
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ENG 251 MODULE 6
3.2 Interference
Interference is an instance of transfer of elements from one language

into another. This is also a feature of bilingualism. This kind of transfer
may cut across any level of language – lexical, phonological, syntactic,
semantic, etc.
Scholars have identified two basic kinds of transfer-positive and

negative transfer. A positive transfer refers to a situation in which the
bilingual learner transfers the similar structures and concepts of their
mother tongue into the target language (the language being learnt). This
is described as positive transfer because it facilitates learning.
Our concern here however is on the other type of transfer, described as

negative transfer. This transfer leads to incorrect expressions in the
target language. It is called Interference. For interference to occur there
must be two languages which overlap. However, one of the languages is
dominant. Interference occurs when the features of the dominant
language are transferred to the subordinate or target language. This can
occur at any level of language. In the next section, we will quickly
discuss the different kinds of interference on the basis of the level of
language in which they occur.
3.2.1 Syntactic Interference
Let us examine the following utterances by a Yoruba-English bilingual:
1 *My biro fell down from my pocket.

2 *The people they are stingy.
3 *You suppose to know the truth.
These utterances manifest different negative transfers. In the first one,

there is the wrong use of the phrasal verb *fell down from instead of fell
off. This is as a result of the translation equivalent in the mind of the
speaker (jábó ̣, Yoruba for fall down).
The second sentence is an instance of subject copying. The subject –

The people is copied by replacing it with a pronoun they, which is
redundant in the context. The utterance is also a translation equivalence
of the Yoruba sentence Awọn eniyan yẹn, wọn ya ahun.
In the third sentence, the word ‘suppose’ is normally preceded by an

auxiliary, and in this case, the auxiliary ‘are’. However in Yoruba, the
idea is expressed with one word yẹ as in ó yẹ. The correct English
expression is ‘you are supposed....’
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3.2.2 Lexical Interference
This occurs when speakers semantically extend the meaning of some

English words, coin or create new words to express ideas that English do
not have expressions for. For instance, the word brother has been
semantically extended in Nigerian English to include any body from
one’s ethnic group. In Nigeria, there are coinages such as go slow,
chewing stick, long leg, which are meant to uniquely express concepts
that cannot be found in the standard British English, but are realities in
Nigeria.
3.2.3 Phonological Interference
This occurs in situations where bilinguals lack some sounds in their

mother tongue, which are present in English. There is a tendency to
simply replace the sound with the one closest to it in the mother tongue.
For instance, a Yoruba English bilingual will naturally replace the labio-
velar sound as represented in the first sound in think with /t/. It is also
likely that a Hausa speaker will substitute the sound /p/, which is absent
in their language with /f/, which is the closest to /p/ in the language.
3.3 Borrowing
Borrowing in language terms refers to the act of picking words and

expression from other languages and using them in a language because
the concepts the expressions talk about do not exist in the language we
speak. Borrowing is a very common language feature. It is a feature of
situations in which speakers of different languages interact. In the course
of interaction, words and expressions filter into each of these languages
from speakers’ usage. When the borrowing is a lexical unit, it is called a
loanword.
Usually loanwords adjust their external form to the rules of the grammar
and phonetics of the receiving language. Neologisms are words that
have appeared in a language in connection with new phenomena, new
concepts, but which have not yet entered into the active vocabularies of
a significant portion of the native speakers of the language.
English has borrowed a lot of words and expressions from other

languages in the world. Some of such borrowed words and the
languages where they come from are listed below
Afrikaan: apartheid, commando, slim, trek

Egyptian: ebony, ivory, paper.
French: ambulance, diplomat, restaurant
Hebrew: amen, messiah, hallelujah
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ENG 251 MODULE 6
Latin: calendar, data, maximum

German: dollar, quartz, kindergarten
Greek: athlete, museum, democracy
Arabic: alcohol, clibre, zero
Turkish: yoghurt, tulip, kebab
Russian: mammoth, vodka, perestroika
Portuguese: marmalade, flamingo, breeze
i. Watch video in any of the local languages in Nigeria and identify

the types of interference that manifest in the utterances of the
actors.
ii. Write out 50 borrowed lexical items in your local language.
iii. Listen to the speech of some bilinguals you know and identify
how they code-switch and code-mix.
4.0 CONCLUSION
This unit examines the common features of languages in contact. We

observed that when two or more languages are in contact, they influence
one another somehow. Then users of these languages may either start
interlarding the forms of one language in the other, or they, in the
process of learning make faulty generalisations, which leads into error in
performance. It may also be the case that they would borrow lexical
items and expressions where they lack the appropriate ones for
expressing some ideas.
5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, we examined three features of languages in contact: code-

switching, interference and borrowing. We looked at how these features
creep into the language of bilinguals, especially in linguistically bi-
/multi-lingual communities.
1. What is code-switching?
2. Explain the possible types of interference that may occur in a
Nigerian speaker’s speech.
3. Why do people code-switch?
4. Write out some borrowed English words and the languages from
which they were borrowed. Do the same for your language.
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Akindele, F. & Adegbite, W. (2005). The Sociology and Politics of

English in Nigeria. Ile-Ife: OAU Press.
Bell, R. (1976). Sociolinguistics, Goals Approaches and Problems.

London: Batsford.
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ENG 251 MODULE 6
UNIT 3 LINGUISTIC IMPERIALISM
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Linguistic Dispersal
3.2 Linguistic Power
3.3 Linguistic Imperialism
3.4 English Linguistic Imperialism
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Language contact is a national social phenomenon. Most languages at

one time or the other have been influenced by contact. A group of
speakers of a language may migrate from their immediate environment
for various reasons, which may include war, famine, search for better
economic fortune, and so forth. The result of this migration is language
contact.
Language contact may result in different things, depending on the extent

of the contact. Some of the likely results of language contact are:
(a) lexical borrowing, i.e.: one or the two languages borrowing

lexical items
(b) evolution of a mixed language, combining the features of the two
languages
(c) language displacement, i.e.- one of the languages, which is more
powerful, displacing the other.
The latter is sometimes referred to as linguistic imperialism. In the

process of language contact, speakers assign different values to the
languages involved. The language that is rated higher than the other,
probably due to the advantage of having more educated people may
soon dominate the one rated lower. The result may be the total
relegation of the lower language to non-prominent domains of discourse
or the total extinction of the language with time.
In this unit, we shall be discussing the concept of linguistic imperialism.

First, we shall look at how languages disperse and how some languages
105

come to acquire power and prestige over the others and how this
hegemony leads to linguistic imperialism.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
• explain how languages disperse

• discuss the idea of language and power
• identify the factors that lead to linguistic dominance
• explain English linguistic imperialism.
3.0 MAIN CONTENT
3.1 Linguistic Dispersal
Linguistic dispersal is the spread of a language as a result of the

movement of its speakers to different parts of the world. A group of
speakers of a particular language may move from their original place to
another place for different reasons-war, famine or pestilence, search for
better economic fortune, and so forth. The survival of their language in
the new community will be determined by the strength of the language
in terms of what it has to offer the people of the community. If the
community has a dominant language, which has been established as a
lingua franca, it may be difficult for the new language to gain
prominence. The languages of the colonial masters gained prominence
over the local languages in the colonies because they had already been
codified and standardised, while the local languages were not.
Many of the languages in the world have dispersed far beyond their
immediate community of original speakers. English language is one of
the most dispersed languages in the world. It spread mainly through
colonialism; but in the modern times, English is being further dispersed
through technology. French also spread through colonialism. Arabic
spread through the religion of Islam, but unlike English, its use in most
of the places it spreads to is limited to the domains of religion. For
instance, in Nigeria, Arabic is popularly used in the context of Islamic
religion.
3.2 Linguistic Power
A language is said to have linguistic power when it is given legal status

by reinforcing its role and status in the society. In any multilingual
society, languages are naturally assigned roles by the speakers. A
language may be assigned a higher role because speakers have a feeling
that it has some things to offer which other languages do not. Usually,
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ENG 251 MODULE 6
whatever the language has to offer must be a thing that will unite the
speakers of the different languages and help to advance the society, for
instance, education, religion, and so forth. English has linguistic power
in virtually all the former British colonies in Africa and Asia, because
apart from being the language of education, it is the language that unites
the speakers of the different languages in the linguistically
heterogeneous societies of the former colonies. It also connects the
countries to the other parts of English-speaking world.
3.3 Linguistic Imperialism
Linguistic Imperialism is the dominance asserted and maintained by the

establishment and continuous reconstruction of structural and cultural
inequalities between a language and other languages. Phillipson (2003),
applies this concept to English, which is no doubt an international
language because it is not only established in most countries of the
world, it continues to maintain its current dominance, even in the post-
colonial contexts like Nigeria, India, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka,
Singapore, Ghana, and so forth.
The origin of linguistic imperialism is colonialism. During the colonial

period, between 1500 and 1900, the Europeans exercised economic and
political control over some areas in North and South America, Africa
and Asia. The major purposes of colonialism include economic
exploitation of the colony's natural resources, creation of new markets
for the coloniser, and extension of the coloniser's way of life beyond its
national borders.
Colonial masters send settlers to populate the areas and take control of
governments. The first colonies were established in the Western
Hemisphere by the Spanish and Portuguese in the 15th–16th century.
The Dutch colonised Indonesia in the 16th century, and Britain
colonised North America and India in the 17th–18th century. Later
British settlers colonised Australia and New Zealand.
The colonisation of Africa only began in earnest in the 1880s, but by

1900 virtually the entire continent was controlled by Europe. The
colonial era ended gradually after World War II. Though we still have a
few areas governed as colonies in contemporary times, they are mainly
small islands in the Pacific.
Linguistic imperialism is the after effect of colonisation, since part of

the policy of colonisation is to merge people of different culture and
geographical areas together for easy administration. It then follows that
after the end of colonialism, these nations had no choice than to pick the
107

languages of their former colonial rulers, since none of the indigenous

languages can perform the function of uniting the people.
i. Write an argument for or against Linguistic Imperialism in Africa.

ii. Identify instances of Linguistic imperialism of a local language
over the other within Nigeria and other African countries.
3.4 English Linguistic Imperialism
When discussing linguistic imperialism, English is one of the languages

usually in focus. This is not surprising if one looks at the way the
language is spreading all over the world in contemporary times.
Phillipson's (2003) theory of English linguistic Imperialism provides a
powerful critique on the historical spread of English as an international
language and how it continues to maintain its current dominance
particularly in postcolonial contexts in places like Nigeria, Pakistan,
Uganda, Zimbabwe, etc. English is also spreading even in "neo-
colonial" contexts such as continental Europe.
One of the central themes of Phillipson's theory is the series of complex

hegemonic processes which, he asserts, continue to sustain the pre-
eminence of English in the world today. According to Wikipedia Free
Encyclopedia, in his book, he analyses the British Council's use of
rhetoric to promote English. He also discusses some of the key
underlying tenets of English applied linguistics and English language
teaching methodology, such as:
• English is best taught monolingually ("the monolingual fallacy")

• the ideal teacher is a native speaker ("the native speaker fallacy")
• the earlier English is taught, the better the results ("the early start
fallacy")
• the more English is thought, the better the results ("the maximum
exposure fallacy")
• if other languages are used much, standards of English will drop
("the subtractive fallacy")
According to Phillipson the organisations that promote English (like the

British Council, the IMF and the World Bank) or single individuals,
(those who operate English language schools, for instance) use three
types of argument:
• English intrinsic arguments describe the language as God-given,

rich, noble and interesting. These arguments usually assert what
English is and other languages are not.
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ENG 251 MODULE 6
• English extrinsic arguments point out that English is well

established: there are trained teachers and a multitude of teaching
material. There are also abundant immaterial resources like
knowledge of the language
• English functional arguments emphasise the usefulness of
English as a gateway to the world.
Other arguments for English are:
• Its economic-reproductive function: it enables people to operate

technology.
• Its ideological function: it stands for modernity.
• It is a symbol for material advance and efficiency.
Phillipson also identifies what he calls linguicism the processes by

which endangered languages become extinct or lose their local eminence
as a direct result of the rising and competing prominence of English in
disparate global contexts.
The increasing economic and political power of the English-speaking

nations is also aiding the spread of English across the globe. There is no
doubt that for some time to come, English will remain a global
language, which as some fear will increasingly lead to the diminishing
power of other languages. There is particularly a great fear for
indigenous languages in the former colonies, which are gradually
becoming extinct as a result of the growing popularity of English as the
dominant medium of expression.
4.0 CONCLUSION
Linguistic Imperialism is a concept that emerged from the concern of

people about the way some languages, due to their overbearing influence
are suppressing the others. Linguistic Imperialism started with
colonialism and still continues till date. It is an expression of power by
the speakers of a language that has economic and political influence
over the speakers of other languages that lack these. English is always a
language of reference in the discussion of Linguistic imperialism. This is
due to its spread beyond its immediate domain in the colonial, post-
colonial, and neo-colonial era.
5.0 SUMMARY
This unit focuses on the discussion of Linguistic Imperialism, a notion

that expresses a concern about the way some languages are dominating
others in the world due to their influence. The starting point of
Linguistic Imperialism is linguistic dispersal, a situation in which a
109

language leaves its immediate domain as a result of the migration of the

original speakers. Such a language may end up overshadowing another
language if its speakers have some economic and political power. The
overall effect, if the other languages possess less power, is for the
language of influence to become the exclusive language in most
domains of usage.
1. Explain the term ‘linguistic imperialism’.

2. Is English really dominating other languages in the world?
Explain.
3. What is linguistic power? How do languages or their speakers
acquire power over other languages?
4. Explain the process of language dispersal.
Phillipson, R. (2003). English-Only Europe? Routledge.
Kachru, B. B., Kachru, Y, & Nelson, C. L. (2006). The Handbook of

World Englishes. Blackwell Publishers.
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ENG 251 MODULE 6
UNIT 4 SOCIOLINGUISTIC SITUATION OF NIGERIA
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 A Brief History of Nigerian English
3.2 Multilingualism in Nigeria
3.3 Nigerian English
3.4 Language in Education
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
1.0 INTRODUCTION
This unit is an overview of the sociolinguistic situation in Nigeria. It is

used to further drive home some of the important points that were made
earlier on Bilingualism. Nigeria is a linguistically complex nation with
several languages. In this unit, we shall be seeing how the country
manages the linguistically complex situation. We shall also examine the
concept of Nigerian English, the localised variety of English. Also, we
shall be seeing the role of language in education in Nigeria
2.0 OBJECTIVES
• discuss the multilingual nature of Nigeria

• explain the concept of Nigerian English
• describe the features of Nigerian English
• discuss the role of language in education in Nigeria.
3.0 MAIN CONTENT
3.1 A Brief History of Nigerian English
The Portuguese were the first Europeans who traded pepper and slaves
from the Nigerian coastal area. They first arrived in Benin (city) at the
end of the 15th century. From the mid- 16th century, the British took
over as major trading partners. With the abolition of the slave trade at
the beginning of the 19th century, British colonial interests shifted to
agricultural production for exportation to Europe.
111

In 1842 and 1846 the first missionary stations were established in

Badagry (near Lagos in the Southwest) and Calabar (in the Southeast)
respectively. The missionaries were mainly interested in spreading
Christianity among the African pagans. In the schools they established
in the Southern part of Nigeria (they were not allowed to settle in the
Islamic North of the country), they also taught agriculture, crafts and
hygiene. In order to easily reach the population, the language of
instruction was usually the mother tongue of the natives; but the
Africans refused to send their children to school because they needed
them to work in the house and on the farms. Consequently, the
missionaries paid compensation to the parents. All the same, the first
generation of students was made up mainly of children of slaves who the
village communities thought they would not miss much.
The British colonial government increasingly felt the need for Africans
who were literate in English and would serve British colonial and trade
interests (for instance as teachers, interpreters and clerks for local native
courts and the trading companies). Therefore, missionary stations were
ordered in the 1880s to teach English in their schools. In the long run,
however, the missionary schools were unable to meet the demands for
educated Nigerians, and the colonial government began to establish state
schools from the turn of the century on. The first state school was in fact
founded in 1899 as a result of pressure from Muslims in Lagos who had
no access to missionary schools and felt they were at a disadvantage.
3.2 Multilingualism in Nigeria
Nigeria is a nation of about 140 million people. The country is made up

of people from different ethnic groups, which speak different languages.
According to Ethnologue.com, the number of languages in Nigeria is
510. Among these languages, 3 are known to have very large numbers
of speakers. These three languages are located in three of the geo-
political zones of the nation – Hausa in the North, Igbo in the East and
Yoruba in the West. These languages, because of their widespread use
as lingua franca in these regions, are tagged as regional languages. There
are several other languages that have appreciable number of speakers in
their domains of operation. They are Edo, Urhobo, in the mid- western
area, Igala, Idoma, Tiv in the Middle Belt, Anang, Ibibio, Efik, Ijaw and
Kalabari in the South-south, and Kanuri and Fufulde in the North East.
There are several other hundreds of languages spread across the nation.
The language situation is so complex that in some states, there are

several competing languages, and there is hardly a language that
commands a majority of speakers. Such states include Edo, Kwara,
Niger, and so forth. However, some states have a particular language
that is dominant, e.g. - Osun State (where Yoruba is the dominant
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ENG 251 MODULE 6
language, Kano State (where Hausa is the dominant language; Abia,

Imo, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu (where Igbo is the predominant
language).
In some of the coastal states, namely Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa states, a
variety of English generally referred to as the Nigerian Pidgin English is
commonly used as lingua franca because of the linguistic heterogeneous
nature of the areas. This variety of English first emerged as trade
language between the early residents of these communities and the
British traders, but it later became widely accepted as a form of
communication among the people of different cultures. This form of
English is also fast becoming a Creole as it is now acquiring a group of
native speakers. The variety is also gaining wide acceptance in the
nation as it is fast becoming one of the means of communicating across
different cultures. The government also seems to have embraced it, as
some national agencies now see it as a veritable tool for jingles on radios
and televisions.
Nigeria is a creation of the British colonial rulers. The country Nigeria

was created for easy economic and political management. English, the
language of the colonial master became the language of administration
and later the official language. Though the colonial rulers encouraged
the development of the local languages, English inevitably became the
language of unity, due to the complex linguistic situation. To attain any
appreciable level of education, English became a necessary language. It
was not only taught in the classroom, it was also the language of
interaction for official purposes.
By the time the colonial masters left after independence, the new
government adopted their policy and English became the country’s
national and official language. English has become so much a part of an
average Nigerian’s experience that even the people who have little or no
education use a variety of the language.
3.3 Nigerian English
Nigerian English is a variety of English used in Nigeria to express the

unique Nigerian experience. The standard British English has failed to
express the country’s cultural artifact, so like any other language,
Nigerian English has emerged to express the world-view of the speakers.
In Nigeria today, there are different varieties of English, which
correspond with the level of education of the speaker. At the topmost
end of the scale is the standard or educated Nigerian English, which is
commonly spoken by the elite. At the lowest rung of the scale is the
Nigerian Pidgin English, which is common among the people with little
or no education, though highly educated Nigerians sometimes also use
113

this variety in order to ensure intelligibility. Some scholars such as

Jowitt (1991), Dadzie and Awonusi (2004), Adegbija (2004) have
identified some features of Nigerian English. Some of them are
discussed below:
Category Shift: reclassification of noun/adjective/adverb as verb, e.g.:
1 Horn before overtaking!

2 Off the light!
3 I was not chanced/opportuned to come.
Reclassification of countable nouns as uncountable: give chance, take

bribe, make mistake
Progressive in Stative Verbs:
1 I am seeing/hearing/smelling.
2 I am not having much money.
3 Let me be going.
Object Patterns:
He allowed them go.

She made him to work hard.
The child refused going to bed.
Prepositional and Non-Prepositional Verbs:
1. You should dispose your car.

2. Why did you not reply my letter?
3. The library comprises of many sections.
4. They are demanding for money.
5. He emphasised on the importance of rest.
Indiscriminate Use of Infinitive/Basic Form:
1. Yesterday they go to your office.

2. She cook delicious peppersoup.
Double marking:
1. He did not went.

2. Did she wanted him?
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ENG 251 MODULE 6
Wrong Formation of Parts of Irregular Verbs:
3 The car hitted his car.

4 They splitted the money into two.
5 Have you grinded the pepper?
Spelling Errors (faulty inflexions due to wrong analogy): dinning,

strength, maintainance
Wrong use of prepositions:
at: at my old age

as at now
I left Lagos to Ibadan
Nobody knows the answer, unless myself
You cannot receive the money except you show your I.D. card
Object Copying in Relative Clauses:
The car which he bought it last year is already giving trouble.
Relative and Possessive Sequence:
I know the man who his father died.
Wrong ordering
this our town
Loan Words
Food: akara (Yoruba: small deep-fried bean balls), buka (Haussa: cheap
eating-place), ogbono (Igbo: soup based on the seed of the Williamson
tree), ogogoro, kai-kai etc. (various languages: local gin)
Dress: agbada (Yoruba: large gown worn by men, often embroidered at

the neck and cuffs and with flowing sleeves that can be hitched over the
shoulders), danshiki (Hausa: gown with wide armpits reaching to the
knees)
Forms of Address and Titles: alhaji (Hausa: Muslim who has been to
Mecca), oba (Yoruba: primarily a specific title, often used loosely to
refer to any traditional ruler), obi, eze (Igbo: specific titles), oga
(Yoruba: big man, master, fairly general in the South), baba (Hausa,
Yoruba: father, old man, fairly general in the West and North)
115

Traditional Religion: babalawo (Yoruba: diviner), Ifa (Yoruba:

oracle), chi (Igbo: personal god)
Interjections, Discourse Particles: a-a! (Yoruba: strong surprise,

disbelief), ... abi? (Yoruba: isn't it?), kai, chei (Haussa, Igbo: strong
surprise), ooo! (various languages: yes)
Source: David Jowitt. Nigerian English Usage: An Introduction. Ikeja:

Longman Nigeria, 1991.
i. Observe and record the speech of some Nigerian English

speakers in different domains of interactions. Discuss the major
features of the language
ii. Write out 10 instances of the following you have noticed in the
utterances of Nigerian English speakers:
(a) category shift

(b) spelling error
(c) wrong use of prepositions
3.3 Language in Education
The major language for education in Nigeria is English. Though in the

National Policy on Education, it was stated that the language of
immediate environment be used for educating the child in the early years
of education, this is not practiced in reality. Most children still study in
their early years in English, especially with the fact that private schools
have taken over the early childhood education in Nigeria. The few
government owned schools are not considered good enough by most
Nigerians since their running by the government has not been efficient.
The school year is not run smoothly due to labour and industrial
problems between the teachers and their government employers. The
attitude of an average Nigerian to the idea of early childhood education
in the mother tongue is completely negative, because there is the general
fear that the children trained under this system may not be good
speakers of English.
The National policy on education published first published in 1977 and

revised in 1981, 1998, and 2004 states the following:
(a) in primary School, which lasts six years, each child must study
two languages, namely:
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ENG 251 MODULE 6
(b) (i) his mother-tongue (if available for study) or an indigenous

language of wider communication in his area of domicile, and
(ii) English language;
(c) in Junior Secondary School (JSS), which is of three years'
duration, the child must study three languages, viz:
(i) his mother-tongue (if available for study) or an indigenous
language of wider communication in his area of domicile,
(ii) English language, and
(iii) just any one of the three major indigenous language in the
country, namely, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba, provided the
Language chosen is distinct from the child's mother-tongue;
(d) in Senior Secondary School (SSS), which also lasts three years,
the child must study two languages, viz:
(i) an indigenous language, and
(ii) English language.
This policy has not worked because people generally do not believe in it.
The minority language speakers also resist it as they see it as a way of
de-emphasising the importance of their languages.
The government also backs up these policies with statements in the

constitution by stating the educational objectives of the Nigerian state
policy. The subsection in question, viz: sub-section 19(4), says simply
that
"Government shall encourage the learning of indigenous languages."
Thus, it sanctions the policy requiring the teaching at the Primary and
Junior Secondary School levels of the child's mother tongue or, in the
alternative, some indigenous language of wider communication in his
place of domicile.
English is taught as a school subject and it is compulsory for every

student from the primary to the tertiary level. A credit pass in English is
a compulsory requirement for candidates to enter any higher institution.
It is also a compulsory requirement taken in the first year toward from
higher institutions in the country.
4.0 CONCLUSION
The language situation in Nigeria is no doubt a complex one. Nigeria is

a country with a population of about 140 million people and estimated
510 languages. The language policy of the country has adopted English
as the national-official language, while some of the local languages are
given roles in education in the early years. Nigerians are also
encouraged to learn the indigenous languages. It is however clear that in
117

spite of the stipulations in the Nigerian Constitution and the National

Policy on Education, English is still the dominant language in the
various domains of the Nigerian discourse. It is the language of the
media, politics, official business, and even in some homes it is the
language of conversation.
5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, we have examined the sociolinguistic situation in Nigeria.
We have been able to identify the emergence of English in Nigeria,
multilingualism in Nigeria, Nigerian English and its features, and
language in education in Nigeria.

1. How did English get to Nigeria?
2. Explain the role of English in education in Nigeria.
3. Discuss some features of Nigerian English.
4. Write an essay on ‘Multilingualism in Nigeria’.

Adegbija, E. (2004). “The Domestication of English in Nigeria.”
In: S. Awonusi & E.A. Babalola. (Eds). The Domestication of
English in Nigeria. Lagos: University of Lagos Press.
Awobuluyi, O. (nd). Language Education in Nigeria: Theory, Policy

and Practice. Retrieved on 25th November, 2006 from
http://fafunwafoundation.tripod.com/fafunwafoundation/id8.html
Dadzie, A.B.K. & Awonusi, S. (Eds). Nigerian English, Influences and

Characteristics. Lagos: Concept Publications.
Igboanusi H. (2001). Varieties of Nigerian English: Igbo English in

Nigerian Literature Centre. national de la Recherche
Scientifique, France.
Igboanusi, H. (2003). ‘Knowledge, Use, and Attitudes towards

Americanisms in Nigerian English.’ World Englishes 22 (4),
pp.599–604.
Jowitt, D. (1991). Nigerian English Usage: An Introduction. Lagos:

NERDC.
Ogbulogo, C. (2006). “Another Look at Nigerian English.” A Public

Lecture delivered on November 24, at Covenant University, Ota,
Nigeria.
118

ENG 251 MODULE 6
UNIT 5 SOCIOLINGUISISTICS AND OTHER

DISCIPLINES
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Sociolinguistics and Sociology
3.2 Sociolinguistics and Psychology
3.3 Sociolinguistics and Anthropology
3.4 Sociolinguistics and Education
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assessment
1.0 INTRODUCTION
In this unit, you will be taken through how Sociolinguistics relates to

other disciplines, which study human behaviour in relation to the
society. It has been established that language is a form of behaviour.
Thus, every discipline that has to do with human behaviour in the
society shares some things in common with Sociolinguistics. However,
we have identified four disciplines that are closely related to
Sociolinguistics. We shall examine the extent of the relationships and
the points of divergences. The disciplines we shall be examining are
Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology and Education.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
• explain the major concerns of sociolinguistics

• discuss how sociolinguistics relates to other allied disciplines
discussed in the unit
• identify the points of divergence between sociolinguistics and the
disciplines discussed in this unit.
3.0 MAIN CONTENT
3.1 Sociolinguistics and Sociology
Sociolinguistics has a lot in common with Sociology. Sociology,

according to Giddens (1989) “is the study of human social life, groups
119

and societies. It is a dazzling and compelling enterprise, having as its

subject matter our own behaviour as social beings. The scope of
sociology is extremely wide, ranging from the analysis of passing
encounters between individuals in the street up to the investigation of
world-wide social processes". Sociolinguistics, on the other hand, is the
study of human language but from the point of view of its impact on
social life in a given society.
Sociolinguists attempt to isolate the linguistic features used in particular

situations that mark the various social relationships among the
participants and the significant elements of the situation. Factors
influencing the choice of sounds, grammatical elements, and vocabulary
may include age, gender, education, ethnic identity, occupation, and
peer-group identification. So, the meeting point is the focus on the
human institution and how what humans do in the society, and how the
society constrains human behaviour.
To the end that Sociolinguistics and Sociology study the same

phenomenon, they also have the same approach to their study. The two
disciplines often rely on quantitative and qualitative methods of social
research to describe patterns in social relationships. Quantitative
methods include the use of statistics, while qualitative methods involve
the use of focus group interviews, group discussions and ethnographic
methods. All these allow for a better understanding of social processes.
One strong link between Sociolinguistics and Sociology is Ethno-

methodology, a sociological discipline which focuses on the ways in
which people make sense of their world, display this understanding to
others, and produce the mutually shared social order in which they live.
The term was initially coined by Harold Grafinkel to describe the
methods by which the social order is produced and shared. The approach
of Ethno-methodologists just like Sociologists is field methods, which
makes the researcher to conduct his/her research by being a participant
observer in the community he/she is investigating. This is also used in
Sociolinguistic research.
The results of sociolinguistic and sociological research aid educators,

lawmakers, administrators, and others interested in resolving social
problems and formulating public policy.
3.2 Sociolinguistics and Psychology
Psychology, just like Sociology, can be said to belong to the Human or

Social Sciences. It is the scientific study of human and animal behaviour
and mental processes. It relates to Sociolinguistics in the sense that it is
concerned with the study of human behaviour – particularly with
120

ENG 251 MODULE 6
reference to the human mind. Language takes its source from the mind,
because it is what the mind perceives that finally comes out as language
(spoken, written or gesture). Psychology is however different from
Sociolinguistics because it also studies animal behaviour in addition to
that of man. Sociolinguistics is purely concerned with human behaviour
as they use language in the society.
There is an aspect of Psychology that is concerned with human

behaviour and that is Social Psychology. Social Psychology is the
science that studies individual beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors in
settings where other people are present. So the focus in Social
Psychology is the individual within the group, rather than the individual
in isolation. Sociolinguistics may study both the speech of an individual
in the society and that of a group of individuals also in the society.
Just like other social sciences, the method of inquiry is scientific and the
data may be qualitative or quantitative. The goal of Psychology is
similar to that of Sociolinguistics. They both study human behaviour
with a view to be able to explain why humans behave the way they do.
To this extent, any finding from these two disciplines can be relevant for
public policy makers.
3.3 Sociolinguistics and Anthropology
Sociolinguistics equally shares something in common with

Anthropology–the study of the races, physical and mental
characteristics, distribution, customs, social relationships etc., of
humankind, its study is often restricted to the institutions, myths, etc. of
primitive peoples.
Anthropology is closely related to Sociology because it also studies

aspects of human life (customs, beliefs, social relations, myths, etc.),
which govern their behaviour.
Two fields have grown out of the close relationship between Linguistics
and Anthropology–Anthropological Linguistics, which is the study of
the relationship between language and culture. In the United States this
close relationship between Anthropology and Linguistics developed as a
result of research by anthropologists into the American Indian culture
and language. This discipline strongly overlaps, but is somehow
different from Linguistic Anthropology, which is the branch of
anthropology that studies humans through the languages that they use.
121

3.4 Sociolinguistics and Education
Sociolinguistics also shares a lot in common with Education in the area

of language learning, especially, when language is learnt formally in
schools. This therefore links language with schooling. Some of the areas
of concern of sociolinguists in Education are: the role of mother tongue
in education, how attitudes of the learners affect their learning in the
language classroom, and so forth. Sociolinguists play significant roles in
the designing of curriculum on languages and policy on language in
education, especially in bilingual/multilingual educational setting. Since
education is an integral aspect of human experience, and an agent of
development of humans, the sociolinguist will naturally be interested in
it.
Arrange for a discussion with students studying Sociology and

Anthropology, Psychology, and Education. Discuss with them and find
out the relationship between language and their disciplines. Document
your observations and findings.
4.0 CONCLUSION
Sociolinguistics is a discipline that has a lot to do with other disciplines

that concentrates on studying human behaviour in the society. The inter-
relationships between these disciplines have been clearly shown in this
unit.
5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, we examined how Sociolinguistics is related to other

disciplines in terms of the object of their study – the human social life.
Specifically we looked at how Sociolinguistics relates with Sociology,
Psychology, Anthropology and Education. Due to these relationships,
some new disciplines have emerged.
1. How does Sociolinguistics relate with Sociology?

2. What is the difference between Anthropological Linguistics and
Linguistic Anthropology?
3. Discuss the aspects of Sociolinguistics that relate to education.
122

ENG 251 MODULE 6
Alatis, J.E. (1985). Perspectives on Bilingualism and Bilingual

Education. Georgetown University Press.

London: B.T. Batsford Ltd.
Coulmas, F. (Ed.). (1998). The Handbook on Sociolinguistics. Blackwell

Publishers.
Giddens, A. (1989). Sociology. Cambridge: Polity.
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COURSE

Course Team Dr. Rotimi Taiwo (Course Developer/ Writer) –

NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA

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National Open University of Nigeria

All Rights Reserved

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ENG 251 Language and Society is a three-unit course that is available in

• introduce you to the study of language and how it relates to the

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• explain clearly the concept of language as a social phenomenon;

WORKING THROUGH THE COURSE

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS COURSE

This course will introduce you to issues that bother on language as a

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The major components of this course are:

Module 1 Introduction to Language and Society

Unit 1 Language as a Social Phenomenon and its Functions

Module 2 Language Varieties I

Unit 1 Dialect, Accent, Sociolect and Idiolect

Module 3 Language Varieties II

Unit 1 Standard, Non-standard, Native and Non-native Varieties

Module 4 Language Types, Ethnography and Acquisition

Unit 1 Language Typologies

Module 5 Multilingualism and Language Development

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Module 6 Sociolinguistics and Discourse

Unit 1 Discourse Analysis

The presentation schedule included in your course materials help you to

Your assessment in this course will be based on Tutor-marked

TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENTS (TMAs)

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FINAL EXAMINATION AND GRADING

COURSE MARKING SCHEME

Unit Title of Work Weeks Assessment

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4 Languages in Contact (Pidgin 9 Assignment 9

HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM THIS COURSE

You are provided exercises to do at appropriate points, just as a lecturer

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1. Read this course guide thoroughly. It is your first assignment.

2. Once you have created your own study schedule, do everything to

5. Keep in touch with your study centre. Up-to-date course

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8. When you are confident that you have achieved a unit’s

9. When you have submitted an assignment to your tutor for

TUTORS AND TUTORIALS

I wish you success in this course.

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Module 1 Introduction to Language

Unit 1 Language as a Social Phenomenon and

Module 2 Language Varieties I……………........... 14

Unit 1 Dialect, Accent, Sociolect and Idiolect….. 14

Module 3 Language Varieties II…………………… 31

Unit 1 Standard, Non-standard, Native

Module 4 Language: Types, Ethnography

Unit 1 Language Typologies…………….……… 54

Module 5 Multilingualism and