Patterns of Language Preferences of Educated Nigerians: The Case of Yoruba-English Bilinguals

Abstract

The subject of this thesis is a sociolinguistic study of the language preferences of Yoruba-English Bilinguals. It is an empirical investigation into the motivation which propels Yoruba-English bilinguals in making linguistic choices in various domains.From time immemorial, preference for one language or another has characterized the human condition in linguistically heterogeneous societies. It is quite important for us to establish the indices of these variations and why one language should take pre-eminence over another in social, religious, political, educational and economic domains. Researches such as Akinnaso (1993), Akere (2009) and Ogunnaike and Dunhan (2010), which have given new insight into language preferences are enough to provoke fresh studies on the motivations involved in such language behaviour.  This study also intends to fill the gaps in language preference studies;   Kurniasih (2005), Arua (2010), and Jabeen (2011) which were carried out in other parts of the world specifically Indonesia, Botswana and Pakistan respectively.  This present study builds on the reports of the above and provides fresh insight into language preference phenomenon in the Nigerian setting. It aims to investigate the nature and causes of language Preference of Yoruba-English bilinguals, especially the intervening sociolinguistic variables that underlie such preference. The fieldwork involves a language survey carried out to investigate the usage of English and Yoruba in specified domains as well as the motivations behind it. 800 subjects spread across the South-West and North-Central geo-political zones of the country where the Yoruba language is spoken were used for the study. Findings show that many Yoruba-English bilinguals display unmistakable preference for the English language in the formal domain while language ambivalence occurs where language preferences become situationally variable.

Keywords: Language Preference, Yoruba-English Bilinguals, Variation, Indigenous languages