INTRODUCTION
In Unit 1, you were introduced to some definitions of language as well as to the concepts of ‘first language’ and ‘second language’. In this unit, we shall continue with the domains and status of language focusing on the concepts of ‘foreign language’, ‘national language ‘and ‘official language’. You will recall that language is very essential to man as it is used to perform many functions. The functions which a language performs, the attitude of the speakers to the language, the origin of the language and the manner of learning or acquisition of the language, among others, determine whether the language will be accorded the status of foreign language, official language or national language.
3.1 Foreign Language
Generally speaking, a language that is not indigenous to a speaker is a foreign language. This is why Akindele and Adegbite (1999:52) say that a foreign language “can be defined as the sequentially second language of a bilingual person”. They proceed further to say that it could be “the second, third, fourth...language of a multilingual person” .
Strictly speaking, however, a foreign language is that which a bilingual or multilingual person uses for restricted purposes and in which he possesses only partial linguistic competence. In other words, the speaker of a foreign language has very limited linguistic facility in the language.
If you compare a second language with a foreign language, you will realise that a foreign language is of less utilitarian importance than a second language. Technically speaking, a foreign language ceases to be foreign when it is used for wide-ranging purposes. Going by this, we shall regard English as a second language in Nigeria and not a foreign language, although the language is not indigenous to Nigeria.
An important feature of a foreign language, therefore, is that it is used for certain restricted or specialised activities like foreign travels, tourism and contact with foreign cultures (Alo, 1995: 2). The fact that the speaker’s exposure to a foreign language is minimal accounts for his inadequate linguistic facility in the language. In Nigeria, French may be used as a foreign language, while English may be used as a foreign language in France, Germany, Japan, Togo etc.
Self-Assessment Exercises
1. Mention two other countries in West Africa in which English is used as a foreign language.
2. In view of the fact that Nigeria is surrounded by many French-
speaking countries, do you think that French should continue to be used as a foreign language in Nigeria?
3.2 National Language
Having learnt about what a foreign language is, let us proceed to consider what is meant by a national language. According to Akindele and Adegbite (1999: 52), a national language “refers to language which has the authority of the government conferred on it as the language of a number of ethnic groups in a given geo-socio-political area”. In a multilingual setting like Nigeria, the use of one language may confer on that language the status of a national language. Such a language will become a symbol of nationhood and, of course, unity. However, for a language to be truly a national language, it must originate in the environment where it will be used as a national language and it must have a wide spread use in the environment; that is, it must span the whole society in its use. This is the status of the English language in places like England, Canada and the United States of America, for example.
Self-Assessment Exercise
1. Now, reflect for a moment on the characteristics of a national language. Considering the characteristics, will you say Nigeria has a national language?
If yes, what language is it? If no, why do you think Nigeria has no national language?
No doubt, Nigeria is a multilingual country. Indeed, the actual number of the indigenous Nigerian languages is not yet known. But the languages have variously been put between 250 and 400. Out of these numerous indigenous languages, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba are politically recognised as major languages (to the displeasure, of course, of the speakers of the so-called minority languages). Although Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba are regarded as major languages none of them enjoys national acceptability and spread to be taken as a national language. The absence of a truly national language in Nigeria therefore creates a linguistic vacuum. It is the English language that is serving to fill in the gap. But the English language cannot be regarded as a truly national language in Nigeria because (among other things) it is not indigenous to the place.
3.3 Official Language
An official language is the language used by the government for the conduct of its day-to-day activities. An official language is therefore the language of administration, commerce and industry, mass media, education and so on.
In Nigeria, English is used as an official language -It is the language in which government affairs, especially at the state and national levels are conducted. Among other things, it is also the language of the judiciary, education and the mass media. In African countries like the Republic of Benin, Cote d’ Ivoire, Chadand Cameroon, French is used as an official language. It has also been suggested that French should be adopted as Nigeria’s second official language.
Self-Assessment Exercise
1. List at least three benefits that Nigeria can derive from adopting
French as its second official language.
4.0 CONCLUSION
In a bilingual or multilingual society, people may assign different roles to their different languages. The roles assigned the languages will determine the status of the languages as well as the attitude of the speakers towards them. Similarly, the status accorded a language determines its roles and domains of use. As you were made to realise in unit 1, factors other than linguistic come into play in this connection. Most of these factors (if not all) favour the English language in the world today. This makes the language to enjoy the status of a global language, spoken as either first language, second language or foreign language across the globe.
5.0 SUMMARY
Our pre-occupation in this unit has been mainly to elucidate the concepts of foreign language, national language and official language. If you have followed the discussion so far, you should, by now, be able to accomplish those things which we set out as objectives in 2.0. you should also get the fact straight that Nigeria is a multilingual country, and being so the choice of one indigenous language as a national language is not an easy one. This is because language is an essential part of culture. No ethnic group will want its language relegated to the background. This situation gives English added advantages as official languages, as well as a language functioning in place of a truly national language.
6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT
1. As carefully as you can, explain what do you understand by foreign language, national language and official language;
2. Distinguish carefully between foreign language and official language;
3. What are the distinguishing features of a national language?
4. Will you regard English as an official language in Nigeria? Give reasons to support your answer.
ENG 151 INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
7.0 REFERENCES / FURTHER READINGS
Akindele, Femi and Adegbite Wale (1999) The Sociology and Politics of
English in Nigeria: An Introduction Ife: O.A.U Press Limited.
Alo M.A (1995) Applied English Linguistics; An Introduction. Port Harcourt: Aeddy Link
Crystal, D (1997) English as a Global Language: Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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