Language Attitudes and Identity Construction among the Urhobo Community in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigates how language attitudes shape identity construction among Urhobo migrants in Bayelsa State, Nigeria, focusing on their interactions with their heritage language (Urhobo), the language of the host community (Ijaw), English and Nigerian Pidgin (Naija). It seeks to document patterns of language use across age groups and to identify the key sociolinguistic factors that influence attitudes, proficiency, and identity negotiation. This study adopts a mixed-methods approach. A total of 350 copies of the questionnaire were administered, out of which 334 were valid and used for analysis. Respondents were sampled from three Local Government Areas of Bayelsa States (Sagbama, Southern Ijaw, and Yenagoa) and grouped into three age groups: teenagers (13-19 years), young adults (20-49 years) and older adults (50 years and above). Qualitative insights were gathered through semi-structured interviews and open-ended responses. The research is guided by the mentalist theory of language attitudes and draws on ethnolinguistic vitality concepts. Across all age groups, respondents predominantly use Urhobo in intra-ethnic interactions, indicating a strong orientation towards ethnolinguistic identity. The Urhobo value their language with corresponding high proficiency rate (71% of teenagers, 79.4% of young adults, and 89.5% of older adults. Use of Ijaw is considerably limited, attributed to complexity in dialectal variation and perceived hostility within the host community. Although respondents express generally positive evaluations of Ijaw, self-reported proficiency remains low. English, on the other hand, is widely valued for its instrumental functions. The study concludes that Urhobo migrants manifests multiple linguistic identities, favouring an ethnic identity represented by Urhobo and a modern identity represented by English. The findings suggest that the Urhobo community should identify more with the Ijaw language and culture to promote integration and diversity. The results of the study have implications for language policy, identity construction, and community development in multilingual settings, highlighting the need for further research in this area.