TELEGRAPHIC SPEECH IN NIGERIAN BILINGUALS: A PRAGMA-SEMANTIC APPROACH TO CHILD LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION

Abstract

This study explored the complex nature of the relationship between semantics and pragmatics in telegraphic speech among Nigerian bilingual preschool children—an age group rarely addressed in studies of language acquisition among Africans. Based on the Interactive Cognitivism Theory of Language Acquisition developed by Surakat (2001), the study set out to examine how utterances made during early childhood are centrally co-constructed in terms of meaning through the incorporation of context, especially in instances where syntax and lexis are not fully developed. Semantics relates to the literal meaning of words and utterances, which, in children, usually has a very immature quality that renders information hard to interpret when the background or circumstances leading to the utterance are not known. The study thus attempted to address an ongoing problem in the interpretation of such discourse, especially in the multilingual Nigerian context, where more than 500 local languages interact with English. Two bilingual participants aged between 2 and 5 were observed using purposive sampling, with diary entries, audio, and video recordings used as data collection methods. The naturalistic and context-bound utterances were captured using a flexible time-sampling technique. Examples were analysed using an eclectic linguistic approach involving grammar, lexis, and situational context to understand how children exploit language as a socio-cognitive tool. The results show that although children’s utterances might lack semantic maturity, they are nevertheless filled with pragmatic meaning based on their emotional states, cultural practices, and communicative purposes. These findings demonstrate that meaning-making in child language is dynamic and contextual, particularly in a multilingual society. The study concludes that early language acquisition in Nigeria is influenced not only by linguistic factors but also by interaction with the audience, surroundings, and culture—thus requiring context-driven models in future research.