The Effect of Pidgin in the Teaching and Learning of Standard English in Nigeria

Abstract

This study was aimed at investigating how the Pidgin variety of the English language,
otherwise known as “Brokin”, has influenced the teaching and learning of the Standard English
variety in Nigeria. Having adopted the English language as was introduced by the British as
Nigeria’s lingua franca for over four decades, one would have expected a thorough mastery of
its usage but the reverse is the case. It is quite obvious that the world has turned into a global
village with the English language still gaining wide spread usage having several other peculiar
varieties: the Nigerian English, the American variety, the British English and the Pidgin English
to mention a few; which in themselves have other varieties. Relatively evident, is the fact that
both students and teachers grapple to gain mastery of the Standard English and this has brought
about a limitation in their competence and performance; the Nigerian graduate still finds himself
code-switching from the Standard English to the Pidgin and this may negatively affect both his
spoken and written English. This paper surveyed the origin of the Nigerian Pidgin and its
features, made semantic comparisons with the Pidgin and Standard English. It also x-rayed the
extent to which Pidgin has influenced the teaching and learning of the Standard English. It was
recommended among other points that teachers be trained to understand the pedagogy of the
language and, a concerted effort should be made to carry out on the job training because once
their skill is improved, it will positively affect students at all tiers of the educational system.