New Englishes: a West African Perspective. Ibadan: Mosuro,' 1995
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Book reviews Links & Letters 5, 1998 263 under the label Black South African Eng- perhaps be seen as an indication of a new lish must become a focus of research; interest in issues of language cultivation: black attitudes towards these and other the clarification and implementation of language varieties must also be investi- the standard-to-be, and the development gated. But in addition, Wright notes a of strategies to facilitate and enhance the ‘tremendous imbalance’ in research into acquisition of L2 English, especially in language in South Africa, in so far as the multicultural classroom. ‘(l)anguage policy has been emphasised to the virtual exclusion of any attention Elizabeth de Kadt to language cultivation’ (Lanham et al. Dept of Europe Studies 1995: 5). This is certainly true; but the University of Natal, Durban, publications under review here should South Africa Ayo BAMGBOSE, et al. (eds.). New Englishes: A West African Perspective. Ibadan: Mosuro,' 1995. xvii + 417 pages. This volume is a compilation of several ia, the speech delivered by the vice-chan- talks presented at the international con- cellor of the University of Ibadan, the ference on «Communicative Compe- British High Commissioner's opening tence and the Role of English as a Second address, and the one given by the Nigeri- Language» organized by the British an Minister for Education and Youth Council in December 1993 in Ibadan, to Development. The powerful foreword is commemorate its fiftieth anniversary in written by none other than the guru of Nigeria. It contains a tasteful and timely New Englishes, Braj Kachru. Attention collection of papers and opening ad- will be drawn to points of interest in the dresses, the bulk of which discuss the role different articles. of English in Nigeria. On a broad level, The volume emphasizes the pivotal the papers reflect three geographical per- role English plays in Nigeria (and also in spectives —that of noted Nigerian lin- Cameroon and Ghana) and identifies le- guists, language teachers, and adminis- gitimate linguistic concerns such as the trators; that of the British representatives need for a current language census in of the British Council and the British Ghana and in Nigeria (see Dolphyn: High Commission in Nigeria; and the 27-33; Jowitt: 34-56), the need for a view of a few Cameroonian and Ghana- curricular change to address the «mass ian linguists. failure syndrome» at the Nigerian sec- The book contains 21 articles (14 of ondary level (see Mohammed: 130-52), which are written by Nigerians) and is the nonchalance displayed by the Eng- organized into five parts, viz. «English in lish language examination boards such as Language Policy» (Part I), «English Lan- WAEC and JAMB in Nigeria toward guage Teaching» (Part II), «Varieties of Nigerian English (see Jowitt: 34-56; English and Domains of Use» (Part III), Adekunle: 57-86; Bowers: 87-98; Brum- «Literature in English» (Part IV), and fit: 99-112; Afolayan: 113-129; Akere: «Corpus Research on English» (Part V). 178-202), and the continued stigmatiza- Four opening addresses delivered at the tion of Nigerian Pidgin, in spite of its conference are also included in this vol- widespread use, its inherent creativity, ume. They include the one given by the and the unique process of «de-pidginisa- Director of the British Council in Niger- tion» it appears to be undergoing (see Ji- 264 Links & Letters 5, 1998 Book reviews bril: 232-247; Elugbe: 284-299). What The SS1 English curriculum lists adds authenticity to the issues raised in (un)countable nouns and phrasal verbs this volume are the varieties of English as the focus areas. One is tempted to ask: employed; most of the Nigerian writers «In which dialect?» The mismatch be- use Nigerianisms. Take, for instance, the tween what is taught and what is expect- use of the verb sanctioned in the sentence ed of the students in English examina- «[C]ode-mixing involving English and tions therefore deserves immediate the not-so-statusful Nigerian languages attention. While Mohammed makes val- is seriously sanctioned in Nigeria» (273), id suggestions, he advocates primarily and on page 281 (line 15). Numerous methodological changes and some struc- lexical mirrors of the mesolectal variety tural ones. Like Bamgbose (9-26) and of Nigerian English (see Bamiro, 1991) Akere (178-202), he does not' give exam- can also be found. ples of inappropriate test items or of how A most detailed repudiation of the the curriculum can be redesigned. In linguistic status quo in Nigeria is provid- other words, only passing reference is ed in Mohammed's article, which ad- made to this paradigm gap (see Sridhar dresses a fundamental problem —the in- and Sridhar, 1982). Interviewing the effectiveness of the Senior Secondary students who fail, and their English School (SSS) English curriculum. As teachers, would be a good start. Holding Mohammed rightly observes, the West national and regional conferences in African Examinations Council (WAEC) which language teachers, English exami- creates English tests that are «dysfunc- nation preparers, and examiners are in- tional and inappropriate” (139). Nigeri- vited to exchange ideas and arrive at a so- an universities require a credit pass in lution is another possibility. What is English, but statistics indicate that 70- quite surprising is that this golden anni- 75% of Nigerian students get F9 —a versary conference did not have a panel failing grade. Poor performance in Eng- discussion on this very important topic. lish in the WAEC English test and in the Ironically, in the September 1991 «Re- General Certificate in Education test are port of the Language Group», the Com- also reported for Ghana (see Dolphyn: mittee, chaired by an advocate of Nigeri- 33). Another important point Moham- an English, concluded that: «The med raises is the faulty assumption that English Junior Secondary School and Standard British English is being taught SSS curricula are adequate as they are at by the teachers. This is clearly not the the moment». In view of the fact that case, as most speak Nigerian English. A these reviews are conducted only at 10- few speak Indian English. Having at- year intervals, one can expect no major tended high school and college in Niger- curricular changes in Nigeria in the near ia and having sat for both the WAEC future. and JAMB examinations, I recall being Another surprising thing about this tested on idioms that contained items volume is that the contributors refer to (italicized) foreign to the culture and Nigeria as an ESL environment. This is natural environment. Examples included a misnomer, and so is the use of the the following: having a finger in every term ESL in the theme designated for pie, comparing apples and oranges, look- the conference. The theme should have ing for a needle in a haystack, and over read «…the Role of English as a Nativ- the grapevine. I also recall being tested on ized/Indigenized Language». After all, noncount nouns like information, and English does serve as the L1 for some equipment and hearing every Nigerian Nigerians (see Adekunle: 86), and as the use the plural Nigerian English forms. third for others, so the terms «bilingual» Book reviews Links & Letters 5, 1998 265 and «second» are not as appropriate. interesting difference between the two Having lived in Nigeria for 12 years, I settings is that, in Ghana, «it is mostly know from personal experience that the boys who speak it» (Dolphyn: 32). early English acquisition is the norm in Bobda's article (248-68) is eye-opening, Nigeria. Several of my Nigerian friends as it draws attention to the false features were most fluent in English and, even of Cameroonian English reported in a though they had a receptive knowledge couple of studies, and to the tendency to- of one or more Nigerian languages ward overgeneralization. In his words, (their L1(s) in theory), in practice, Eng- «There is …the temptation to make Ni- lish was their L1. geria a reflection of the whole of West Essien (269-83) provides interesting Africa as far as English is concerned… examples of code-mixing involving National varieties like Cameroon Eng- Ibibio and English. He observes that lish, Ghanaian English, Sierra Leonean «[I]t appears that the bilingual mind English and Gambian English are con- keeps track of items which are alike in spicuously ignored» (268). In the vol- the two languages and selects only one of ume under review, none of the articles them at a time, thereby avoiding embar- focuses on Sierra Leonean English and rassing repetition» (277). However, this Gambian English. interpretation does not account for why This being the first edition, it is not such code duplication is common in cas- surprising that there are quite a few ty- es of Hindi-English code-mixing and pos. The publishers acknowledge the switching. Essien makes an interesting three that appear in the foreword. The point —that Ibibio speakers tend to use following are some of the others spotted: English when they quarrel and lie. In «if» instead of «of», on page 53 (lines 21 fact, there is even an Ibibio proverb and 23); «into» instead of «on» on page which ‘condones’ lying in English. This 73 (line 22); «less» instead of «fewer» on says something about the Ibibio speak- page 94 (line 16, although this could be er's associations with English. an error); «the» has been omitted on page One of the strengths of this volume 144 (line 4; i.e., «through the content lies in its presentation of multiple themes of…); the auxiliary verb has been omit- and perspectives. Brumfit makes a very ted on page 146 (line 2); the word «rela- valid point, namely, that «debates about tionship» should be pluralized in line 20, the future of English, in any part of the and line 27 erroneously contains the world, are arguments, in part, about the noun phrase «nouveaux riches».