CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      Background of the study

The term pidgin is used to refer to a language which develops in a situation where speakers of different languages have a need to communicate but do not share a common language. Once a pidgin has emerged, it is generally learned as a second language and used for communication among people who speak differently.  Language is the most creative and unlimited instrument for social communication and it helps us to understand the deep seated social relevance, culture involvement and the human relatedness of language. Having said this, we can therefore agree that pidgin is a language of its own and not just a supplementary tongue as some people see it, since it serves as an unlimited instrument of social communication especially in a multilingual community as Madona University. According to R. Linton he states that “the culture of a society is the way of life of its members, the collection of ideas and habits which they learn, share and transmit from generation to generation” (12). These cultures, ideas and habits can only be transmitted from generation to generation through language. In linguistic, every language is considered adequate to represent the communicative needs of its people and as such should not be made to suffer any biases. 
This cannot be said of Nigerian Pidgin – even though it is a language – because various attempts have been made by different faction to eradicate the use of Nigerian Pidgin English. These attempts have however been unsuccessful because of the significant value the language has to its users. It is a language that has brought people together in spite of their differences in ancestral culture and language by creating a local culture for itself which blends ideas from different cultures.

1.2      STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Nigerian Pidgin is a language just as English and there is enough room for both language to co-exist and be mutually enriching. Despite this and the fact that Nigerian Pidgin English appears to be the most popular means of communication among diverse groups and is easier to learn than any other language in the country today it is generally asserted that it is not the suitable language for use in formal setting and its use in such setting is usually frowned at. This research work will explore the potentials of Nigerian Pidgin English as a language. If Nigerian Pidgin English does have this potential, why is its usage and status denigrated? Also, does the speaking of Nigerian Pidgin affect the student’s academic performance? Answers to these questions will enable us make useful recommendations for future studies.

1.3      OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objectives of the study are;

1.   To ascertain whether Nigeria Pidgin English has any effect on the student’s academic performance in Madona University

2.   To look into the effectiveness and status of Nigerian Pidgin English

3.   To ascertain whether lecturers influence students with pidgin English

1.4 RESEARCH HYPOTHES

For the successful completion of the study, the following research hypotheses were formulated by the researcher; 

H0 there is no effectiveness and status of Nigerian Pidgin English

H1:   there is effectiveness and status of Nigerian Pidgin English

H02:   there is no relationship between Pidgin English and student academic performance

H2:   there is no relationship between Pidgin English and student academic performance

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is important because its results can go a long way to finding out the causes of students’ negative or positive academic performance. If Nigerian Pidgin English has contributed negatively or positively to the students. This work will in no doubt contribute to one’s knowledge especially in the department of English, Madona University, Enugu as it will highlight some issues in educational planning. It will be a guide for the federal government in planning for effective educational system.

1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The scope of this project is on the effects of Nigerian Pidgin English in university community. An assessment of its use in various forms will be carried out. This research is limited to Madona University, Enugu even though the findings might be generic. The researcher encounters some constrain which limited the scope of the study;

 a) AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL: The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study 

b) TIME: The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.

c) Organizational privacy: Limited Access to the selected auditing firm makes it difficult to get all the necessary and required information concerning the activities.  

 1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS

 PIDGIN: Nigerian Pidgin is an English-based pidgin and creole language spoken as a lingua franca across Nigeria. The language is commonly referred to as "Pidgin" or Broken.

STUDENT: A student is primarily a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution who attends classes in a course to attain the appropriate level of mastery

1.8 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows

Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), historical background, statement of problem, objectives of the study, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study, definition of terms and historical background of the study. Chapter two highlights the theoretical framework on which the study is based, thus the review of related literature. Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding.  Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study

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