Language Choice and Family Language Policy in Inter-Ethnic Marriages in South-Eastern Nigeria

Ensuring continuity in the intergenerational transmission of language is a crucial element in the process of its maintenance (Fishman,1991). The family has been identified as the bedrock of such social transmission thus raising questions about language choice which usually ignites emotional reactions especially in inter-ethnic marriages. This paper investigates the issue of language socialization and language choice in inter-ethnic marriages from a macro-sociolinguistic perspective involving the intersection of Efik-Ibibio, Igbo and Lokaa couples and children who are products of these unions, given that parents make decisions with regard to the family linguistic choices and children are the agents of socialization and change in language ecology and family dynamics. The study is rooted in Hyme's (1962) theory of ethnography of speaking which is concerned with the linguistic resources people use in context and the socially situated uses and meaning of language; what language to use in what place, to whom and upon what occasion etc and Giles' (1979) socio-psychological theory of accommodation which seeks to explain cognitive adjustments in the choice of language adopted by children. The study discovers that the motivation for indigenous language transmission is weaned as the family does not provide the bond to foster sufficient indigenous languages activities, therefore, children raised in inter-ethnic marriages are not balanced bilinguals. The study has implications for language shift and maintenance in Nigeria.Key words: Language choice; Inter-ethnic marriages; Code-mixing/switching; Linguistic ecology; Multilingualism; Family language polic

The Efik Language: A Historical Profile.

The Efik language which is spoken in the Southern part of Nigeria is one of the first languages to be written and studied in Nigeria. The profile of the language was very high before the amalgamation of the Southern and Northern Nigeria. Missionaries developed the orthography, the lexicon, the grammar, and the literature of the language. We are determined to analysis the language looking at it from a historical perspective, specifically from the diachronic angle. The paper is searching for historical facts which is nothing more than a scholarly interest in truth. Our sources are mainly from classified materials and documents. Also the instrument used to generate the performance data from the subjects comprised of structured questions. The samples used in this paper aids us determine the dependent variables. We are therefore trying to gain a clearer perspective of the present using the past as it concerns Efik. This paper benefits from Whorfian theory in the sense that linguistic determinism and cultural relativism are both socially and culturally bound. The study discovers that the profile of Efik is at its lowest ebb like most minority languages the world over. The paper notes that Efik which had very early contact with English when compared to most other Nigerian languages is gradually losing its security because of lack of encouragement from parents, teachers, government and the native speakers themselves. Therefore, there is an agitation by the language owners to revitalize the language. Keywords: Contact, culture, language classification, orthography, Whorfian hypothesis

Sociolinguistic Survey, Advancement of Indigenous Languages in Relationship to the use of English Language in Southern Senatorial District of Cross River State, Nigeria

Sociolinguistic information is needed for proper diagnostic survey of indigenous languages in a society where multilingualism strives. The survey discussed here which is cross sectional, is designed to provide information on the parameters in a multilingual community. There are several languages in the Southern  part of Cross River State of Nigeria where the survey is carried out. The English language is the official language spoken in the area of study. The study presents a macro sociolinguistics profile of the languages of the Southern Senatorial District of the State, shows where loss and endangerment are strong and appropriates measures for revitalization and maintenance. As a qualitative research, we use the participant observation and content analysis methods to elicit the survey in order to determine the need to use English language as the official  language of the State and at the same time enhance, maintain and develop the indigenous languages to avoid endangerment. Inter-generational transmission theory of Fishman (1991) is applied in this study as a key  to  revitalizing the indigenous  languages spoken. The study is carried out to find a way of  balancing the use of English and advancing the indigenous languages. Keywords: indigenous languages, Cross River State, maintenance, intergenerational transmission, multilingualism, revitalization, survey

Nigerian Pidgin Variations in the Ikom-Ogoja Axis of Cross River State, Nigeria

This Paper focuses on lexical items in the Ikom Ogoja variety of Nigerian Pidgin (NP). This however does not mean that the regularized Nigerian Pidgin (NP) is not being used in the area. However, factors such as contact with the substrate languages in the area and borrowing have all influenced the emergence of some variations in NP usage. The Paper highlights these variations in the Ikom-Ogoja axis of Cross River State in areas of borrowing, reduplication, metaphors and metaphorical extensions and euphemisms. This has helped to show the dynamism of NP which is constantly growing and expanding to suit the needs of a pluralistic society such as Nigeria in general and Cross River State in particular