ABSTRACT: The research examined audience perception of Pidgin English Usage in Broadcast Media in Nigeria with a focus on WASOBIA TV and WASOBIA FM. Lagos. It was observed that pidgin English otherwise known as broken English is now gaining popularity in Nigeria society particularly in Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja, Aba, Onisha, Enugu, Owerri, Uyo, Edo and most of the cities in Nigeria. Although, Pidgin English is still considered as a language of the uneducated and there will be decline in pure English language if Pidgin English continues to thrill in broadcast media. But today is been used in both formal and informal setting to include radio programme. Survey research method was used in this study, questionnaires were administered to the selected respondents of 100 who were accidentally selected while 90 copies of questionnaires were returned for analysis, however, the frequency and percentage method of data analysis was used. Language planners in Nigeria should work towards improving the status of pidgin by borrowing from the experience of Papua New Guinea and Tanzania where Pidgin has become the official language used in parliament. Even in Cameroon, pidgin language is very popular, though it is not an official language. Findings show that people especially in cites, both the enlightened the less educated enjoy pidgin programmes and offers them quick understanding of issues debating.
Keywords: PIDGIN ENGLISH
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
According to Marshal (1950) cited in Abiola (2010) says, language is a means of communication via which myriad of message are transmitted day by day. The term Pidgin English or Nigeria Pidgin otherwise known as “Brokin English” is a term used to denote an English based pidgin; a marginal language used among Nigerians to facilitate communication needs in certain interaction contexts. Like any other pidgin language in other cultural climes where the language is not native to its users.
Nigerian pidgin is contact language that emerged from the fusion of indigenous languages and foreign language (English). Supporting this view, Elugbe and Omamor (1991), cited in Temitope, A. B. (2012). In their attempt to define pidgin, see it as “some kind of a marginal language that arises to fulfill specific communication needs in well-defined circumstances.”
The above definition shows that pidgin is not an official language, but a marginal language used for communication especially by people who do not speak each other’s language. Writing further, Elugbe and Omamor, quoting Hall (1966), stated two conditions for a language to be qualified as pidgin. In their submission, for a language to be pidgin, “Its grammatical structure and its vocabulary must be sharply reduced; secondly, the resultant language must be native to none of those who use it” (Elugbe and Omamor, 1991).
In consonance with the above position, Temitope, A. B. (2012) quoting Rickford (1998) said: A pidgin usually combines elements of the native language of its users and is typically simpler than those native languages in so far as it has fewer words, less morphology, and a more restricted range of phonological and syntactic options. Rickford’s excerpt to some extent is contextually applicable to Nigerian pidgin in the sense that its phonological, morphological and grammatical structures are basically restricted compared to any other standard language.
In addition to this, its social communicative functions are usually limited to the verbal and informal settings. Though scholars like Rickford (1998) are of the view that “a pidgin is sharply restricted in social role, used for limited communication between speakers of two or more languages who have repeated or extended contacts with each other, for instance through trade, enslavement or migration,” such position on pidgin is not generally applicable to all pidgins.
The sociolinguistic reality in Nigeria today reveals that Nigerian pidgin is not used only in informal settings, but also in other formal settings (Akande, 2008). Other places where pidgin is now common is on the media especially in television and radio programme presentation, comedy presentation, advertisement and jingle production among other forms of programmes. To this end, the research examines audience perception of pidgin English usage in broadcast media: Wazobia Fm, Lagos
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS
The use of Pidgin English otherwise known as Brokin English is creating a decline in the use of pure, standard and correct English language to the extent that students and teachers that supposed to be speaking good English language are now speaking pidgin because they believe they can speak the language anywhere because broadcast media use the same on programmes. It affecting the correct English speaking and most of the speakers use it unconsciously in some former occasions that demanded use of pure English language.
On the other hand, many audience who speak pidgin English very often find it difficult to understand broadcasting message that are disseminated in pure English language and as such, try to ignore such information. They find it difficult to give a satisfactory and accurate meaning of the communicated messages on pure English language. In view of this, the research aims at finding out audience perception of Pidgin English usage in broadcast media: Wazobia Fm, Lagos.
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
As a result of the research problem stated above, this study examines the following questions;
i. Do audience understand massages disseminated in pidgin English more than in standard English?
ii. What are the reasons for pidgin English popularity among audience?
iii. What future hold for standard English language if pidgin English continue to thrill in broadcast media?
1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
i. To know whether audience understands massages disseminated in pidgin English more than in standard English.
ii. To know the reasons for pidgin English popularity among audience.
iii. To x-ray what future hold for standard English language if pidgin English continue to thrill in broadcast media.
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The research will benefit different people, media practitioners, organization, students and other agencies. Media practitioners will through the findings of this research come to realize the benefit of using the popular language that their audience speak or understand.
It will form part of the research materials that will be used in the future especially those that will be working on the related topic or aspect. The research will be value to students and scholars of mass communication and people who are seeking knowledge on the influence of language on broadcast media audience.
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study which examined the audience perception of Pidgin English usage in broadcast media in Nigeria has been narrowed in scope to of Wazobia 95.1 FM, Lagos. Thus, the geographical scope of this study is Lagos State. The choice of Wazobia 95.1 fm Lagos is due to inadequate time, lack of funds and other logistics.
1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
The work has been limited in scope to the audience preference and of broadcasting in Pidgin English and standard English with a particular focus on Wasobia F.M and audience in Lagos state.
It is not an overstatement that a work of this nature cannot be carried out without some hard experiences; however below are some of the constraints to this work.
There are many limitations ranging from not knowing where to start, not knowing who to consult or approach for materials not knowing what next to write in various segment of this study and not actually knowing who to put me through in achieving my work and others are:
- Stress from other academic activities is one of the limitations to the research work
- Financial constraint to travel to different places.
- Duration for the research work is relatively short
- Materials that are available on this topic is relatively small as the concept is new or people are not written from that angle.
1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS
Impact: It refers to the role, influence or contribution of Pidgin English in both radio and television to the audience.
Language: It refers to the means of communication to the people within a particular environment such as the use of Pidgin English, Yoruba language, Igbo language, Hausa Language e.t.c
Pidgin English: Pidgin English also known as Brokin English is the mixing of English language with native language. Without English structure and grammatical rule. Such as no wahala.
Standard English Language: This the formal and pure way of speaking English in society.
Broadcasting media: This is a form of electronic media such as WASOBIA fm that disseminated information, programmes to the audience in Lagos state.