SOCIOLINGUISTIC STUDY OF CODE-SWITCHING AMONG YORUBA USERS OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN SOUTH WESTERN NIGERIA.

Adetuyi, Chris Ajibade¹, Owaniyi Rebecca Omolola², Adeniran Adeola Adetomi³

^1&3Department of English and Literary Studies, Lead City University, Ibadan.

²Department of English Education, Lead City University, Ibadan.

Email: dradetuyi2016@gmail.com, beckyowaniyi@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Code Switching is a widespread phenomena in bilingual communities like Nigeria, where the speakers use their first language L1 (native language) and their acquired language called the second language (L2) in different settings. This paper therefore examines the sociolinguistic study of code-switching among users of English language as a second language in south western Nigeria. This paper also examines various reasons for code switching; which may be to compensate for deficiency in the other language, or to exclude a person from conversations and to show identity that the audience have a shared knowledge of the two languages. Data elicitation research method with the application of random sampling technique in recording the conversations of some Yoruba users of English Language sampled is adopted. The paper however, recommends that, the indigenous language should be developed, modernized and standardized so as to widen their cognitive frames.  Also that code switching should be seen and treated as rich and a veritable communicative tool because of its role in the process of communication.

Keywords: Sociolinguistics, Code Switching, Diaglossia, Language, Code Mixing, Bilingualism.