INTRODUCTION
You have just dealt with the definition, types and extent of bilingualism. You have noticed that some people have defined the concept in different ways. In addition, you have also seen that bilingualism can be individual or societal and that individual bilingualism varies in degree. In order to conclude our discussion of bilingualism, we shall turn in this unit to its origin and effects. Anywhere it develops, bilingualism is brought about by some factors, and having developed, it leads to some consequences.
3.1 Factors Responsible for the Development of Bilingualism
Many factors can be responsible for the genesis and development of bilingualism. Among these factors are colonialism, conquest, trade and commerce, annexation and borderline areas.
In Africa, colonialism is a major factor that led to bilingualism. You will recollect that European colonialists came to colonize different parts of Africa the way they did to some other parts of the world. British and French governments came to dominate different parts of Africa. English and French as foreign languages were consequently introduced in Africa. This led to the development of Anglophone and Francophone African countries. Of course, the African countries had (and still have) their own indigenous languages. The introduction of English and French, for example, then led to the development of bilingualism where the indigenous languages of Africa existed side by side with an English or French.
Another factor that can yield bilingualism is conquest. For example,
U.S.A was originally dominated by the Indians. But later the place was conquered and taken over by British migrants who brought the English language and culture to the area. Australia also had a similar experience.
Bilingualism may also arise as a result of commercial activities. If you can recollect, trade was one of the factors that led to the implantation of the English language in Nigeria. Through the activities of the European traders who had to transact business with the local inhabitants, the vehicular language of pidgin developed along the coast of West Africa. In addition, European languages like English, French and Portuguese started to be used in the areas.
People can also become bilinguals in the indigenous languages in their community through trade and commerce. For example, trading activities between Yoruba and Hausa, Hausa and Igbo can lead to bilingualism in Yoruba and Hausa languages, and Hausa and Igbo languages.
Annexation can also lead to bilingualism. Annexation occurs when and where a community forcefully acquires another community. In this situation, exchange of languages occurs although one language may eventually supersede the other. The language of the stronger community that annexes the weaker community may supersede the language of the annexed community. Reflect on this for a moment. Why do you think it is possible in such a situation for one language to supersede the other? Think of any place in the world where this has happened.
Bilingualism can also be brought about by the existence of borderline areas. Such is the situation in Idiroko and Bakassi areas. Have you ever been to any of these places? You can take a trip to any of the areas and observe the language behaviors there
Self-Assessment Exercise
1. Can religion lead to the development of bilingualism? Relate your discussion to:
The implantation of the English language in Nigeria; and The development of Islam in Nigeria.
3.2 Consequences of Bilingualism
One consequence of bilingualism which you should readily think of is biculturalism. This is because language is part of culture, and the ability to speak two languages predisposes one to being bicultural. Learning to speak a language definitely means more than learning about the rules of syntax, phonology and semantics of the language; it also involves learning about the culture of the people who speak the language.
Bilingualism can also lead to the sociolinguistic phenomena of code- switching and code-mixing. Code- switching is a phenomenon of making one utterance in one language and another in a different language within the same discourse e.g. ‘omo o ya. Let us go’ (code- switching involving Yoruba and English). On the other hand, code
-mixing is a phenomenon of making use of elements of two languages in the same utterance e.g. ‘Awon students naa perform well; (English code- mixed with Yoruba).
Apart from this, bilingualism can also lead to language borrowing. Languages are like human beings, they borrow from one another. In Nigeria, for example, the English language has borrowed such words as Oba, Obi, Emir etc. from the indigenous Nigerian languages; ‘Oba’ from Yoruba, ‘Obi from Igbo and ‘Emir’ from Hausa (first from Arabic to Hausa and then to English). The indigenous languages also borrow from English (most of the time with phonological modifications).
Self-Assessment Exercise
1. Cite five words which your indigenous language has borrowed from English.
One other effect of bilingualism which we should mention here is mother tongue interference. This is a phenomenon in which the system of one’s first language or mother tongue intrudes into the system of the second language. Mother tongue interference is pronounced in the area of pronunciation. Mother tongue interference can also be noticed to some extent in syntax and semantics. In Nigeria, most people speak English with Yoruba accent, Hausa accent, Igbo accent and so on.
The way people fare with the suprasegmental phonemes or units of stress and intonation often reflects mother tongue interference.
Self-Assessment Exercise
1. Cite five examples of mother tongue interference in the
pronunciation of English in Nigeria; and five examples of
mother tongue interference in each of syntax and semantics.
4.0 CONCLUSION
Bilingualism is a sociolinguistic-phenomenon; it is a product of language in society. Whenever and wherever languages are in contact, bilingualism is bound to develop, and many non-linguistic factors can bring languages into contact. Bilingualism is now a world-wide phenomenon which should be seen as a merit rather than a demerit; it is a sociolinguistic reality of our own period and place in the world today.
5.0 SUMMARY
This unit has been devoted to the origin and consequences of bilingualism. We should note here that apart from the individual and the societal bilingualism which we observed under types of bilingualism in unit 8, bilingualism can also be stable or transitional. In Canada, Nigeria, Ghana and many other parts of the world where two languages are in perpetual contact, bilingualism is said to be stable, whereas in places like Germany, Turkey and some other places in the world where tongue influences diminish, bilingualism is said to be transitional.
6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT
1. Describe the origin of bilingualism
2. What are the possible consequences of bilingualism?
7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS
Akindele, F and Adegbite, W (1999) The Sociology and Politics of English in Nigeria: An Introduction. Ile-Ife: Obafemi Awolowo University Press.
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