NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE ON NIGERIAN LANGUAGES: IGBO CASE STUDY

Abstract

Language attitude refers to people's perceptions, evaluations, and reactions to language use and to speakers based on their linguistic behaviour. In every speech community, there is a desire to maintain loyalty to the indigenous language, preserve it, and protect it from the influence of other languages. This paper examines the negative effects of the English language on Nigerian languages, using the Igbo language as a case study. The findings reveal that factors such as religion, education, and government policies promote the use of the English language at the expense of the Igbo language. The study also found that the adverse effects of English on the Igbo language include language shift, language endangerment, borrowing, loanwords, code-mixing, and code switching. The paper concludes by proposing strategies for addressing the negative attitude towards the Igbo language and promoting its preservation and revitalization.