![]() Language, which OyewoYinka describe as “the medium or vehicle for conveying ideas, a system of arbitrary vocal symbol based on socialcooperation the totality of meaningful utterance in any given society” is by far the most important means of human communication. The distributive qualities of the mind that are so far as we know unique to man” “When we study human language, we are approaching what some might call the human essence. Victoria Fromkin and Robert Rodman quoted Noam Chomoky as saying that: This view is buttressed by Blakar who asserts that “we actually live and behave in a world of language”. It is through language that human beings grasp and understand reality and transmit it from one generation to another. ![]() This definition shows that language has often been identified as the most unique attribute of man. “A human phenomenon that has form which can be described in terms of units of sound (phonemes), word, morphemes, phrases, sentences and paragraphs or discourse” According to Akindele and Adegbije, language is: For instance, all English speaking countries understand the meaning of the word ‘water’. Language is only possible because within each society, people agree to understand a particular pattern of sound in a particular way. One of the most important differences between man and animal is man’s ability to speak and make others understand him. Therefore, attitudinal studies of language are important to linguistics because they could help toexplain language maintenance and shift, which is distinctly influenced by the change or maintenance, which is favouredor disfavoured by members of the speech community (Mann 1993 1998). Languageattitude study is not only a way of understanding how language is used, for example, as a symbol of identity or in-groupmembership, but also helps to inform the social importance of a given code or language (see Adegbija, 1994 Ihemere2006 Salami 1991). Language conduct implicates social meanings relative to social customs in an identified speech community. ![]() On the other hand, Nigerian Pidgin English, with possibly the largest numberof speakers, has also developed as an outcome of contact of English alongside the native languages (Dada 2007:87). English has become an official language, and formost people a second language in Nigeria. ![]() It is exciting to know that Pidginseparately exists from several local languages which constitute the mother tongue or second language of Nigerians,foreign languages such as English, French, and Arabic, similarly exist. Nigeria is certainly one of the linguistically diverse nations with a projected 516 languages (Gordon, 2005), each one hasan important function and a significant role in the society wherever it is in use. Post Views: 0 THE EFFECT OF PIDGIN ENGLISH IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY: A CASE STUDY OF UNIVERSITY OF UYO ![]()
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