English Language in Nigerian Multilingual Contexts: A Reflective Perspective

Being A Paper Presented At The 32ndAnnual National Confer-ence and 50thAnniversary of English Scholars Association of Nigeria(ESAN), Held At Oduduwa Hall, OAU, Ile-Ife.
Theme: English Studies in Non-Native Environments: Reflections and Projections.

Abstract
The authors examine the status of English Language in a Multilingual Nigerian Society by reflecting on the shift from being an “elitist” language to that of aconsolidated language apparently in use even amongst school children and the educated Nigerians with a high proficiency level. They assert that the status ofEnglish in Nigeria is rising steadily due to its functional position as enshrinedin the Federal Constitution of Nigeria 1979, revised in 1999 and National Policy on Education 1977, revised in the Fourth Edition of 2004. Using evidence from available studies on the subject, their knowledge of the language, experience on English usage and uses and as teachers of English, they make a case onthe strides it is making amidst concurrence usage with other languages. The conclusion is that a new framework for “indigenizing” and “nativizing” English in a non-native environment like Nigeria in the absence of a non-indigenous linguistic tradition that integrates the inhabitants will go a long way to foster a usage and use competence of English in Nigeria.

Key words: English Language: Nigerian English, Multilingualism, Nationism, Reflective, Indigenizing, nativizing and Perspective.