The Importance Of The English Language In Nigeria

Introduction

English, undoubtedly, continues to enjoy the international status of a world language, being the language most widely spoken, especially outside its place of origin.

This is unlike the Mandarin Chinese, which though has the largest number of speakers in the world, has them restricted mainly to China. Ukoyen (2005:34) says “One look at the map of the world reveals that English now exists in every strategic corner of the globe, either as a mother tongue or as an official or second language”. It is on record that more than half of the world’s scientific literature is in the English language (Ogunkeye, 2004) and currently the major language of the internet. The language “functions across the world as the language of power and of inclusion

Its use is not limited unlike some other foreign languages which have their use restricted either to the classroom or diplomatic circles. In the case of English, it is a language learnt and extensively used in addition to the various mother tongues in Nigeria (Ogunsiji, 2004). The dominance of the English language in Nigeria is evident in its superimposition on

Nigeria’s numerous indigenous languages (Akeredolu-Ale

& Alimi, 2002) as well as being part and parcel of Nigeria’s political life (Joshua, 2002). It is the language of governance and administration at the national level and increasingly becoming the same at the state levels nationwide.The laws of the country are coded and administered in English wth occasional translations into some of the indigenous languages.

2. Man, Language and Development

Considering man’s gregarious nature, language remains an indispensable tool, as a means of development and social cohesion, and in the current era of global information technology, it plays a major role, because no technological innovation is conceived in abstraction, that is, without

This has necessitated the National Policy on

Education, in its various versions, to recommend Hausa,

Igbo and Yoruba as major languages to be studied in schools throughout the country. The provision requires a student to choose and study another indigenous language other than his/her mother tongue These are three of the many languages in Nigeria that are considered predominant and spoken in the major ethnic enclaves in the country. This policy has remained what it is, a policy, without any commitment to ensure its implementation up till now that it is moribund. This is where English has readily come in as

126 Dare Owolabi et al.: The English Language and the Mass Media as Tools for Sustainable Development in

Multilingual Nations the linguistic bridge across the mucky waters of Babel of voices in many multilingual nations. It has been observed that, “As a window on the world, English is looked upon as the best means to achieving economic, social and political success” (Svartvik & Leech, 2006: 7).

3. English in the World

English is one language that has travelled round the world and now has almost as many speakers as its native speakers; a feat that is unparalelled in the history of any language in the world. That is not all, “The language