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The English Language and the Mass Media as Tools for Sustainable Development in Multilingual Nations

Received: 7 October 2013     Published: 10 November 2013
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Abstract

In many multilingual nations of the world, the multiplicity of indigenous languages and cultures makes the choice of a national language for the purpose of sustainable development difficult. This paper considers the media as major sources and vehicles for development through the choice and use of appropriate language. The English language, which has transformed from its initial status of a foreign language (EFL), has since assumed the status of a second language (ESL) in many former British colonies, of which Nigeria is one, and so fits the bill as the language of wider communication (LWC). This paper shows how English can be used effectively in the mass media of communications to galvanize the populace into participating in national development, through the adoption of a level of language intelligible to the majority of the people who are consumers of mass media products through reading information as news published in the mass media. The paper considers English as used in many developing multilingual nations of the world as ideal for the purpose of mass communication for sutainable national development. Without an indigenous language as a vehicle for national integration and development in many developing multilingual nations, the one language available which is English, can be properly adopted and domesticated in the various mass media of communications to achieve national integration and development in a mutually intelligible form among all consumers of mass media products from across the various ethnic divides. The paper believes the English to be used is not the one that appeals to the Queen of England or to native speakers, but alienates the people for whom it is written. It should rather be the domesticated version of the English language that is simple enough but not a representation of linguistic errors.That version of English should reflect the local nuances of the environment that the language has found itself, since we can only speak the English that we can naturally speak.

Published in International Journal of Language and Linguistics (Volume 1, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijll.20130104.16
Page(s) 124-130
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2013. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

The English Language, The Mass Media, Sustainable Development, Multilingual Nations

References
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  • APA Style

    Dare Owolab, Charles Ikechukwu Nnaji. (2013). The English Language and the Mass Media as Tools for Sustainable Development in Multilingual Nations. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 1(4), 124-130. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20130104.16

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    ACS Style

    Dare Owolab; Charles Ikechukwu Nnaji. The English Language and the Mass Media as Tools for Sustainable Development in Multilingual Nations. Int. J. Lang. Linguist. 2013, 1(4), 124-130. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20130104.16

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    AMA Style

    Dare Owolab, Charles Ikechukwu Nnaji. The English Language and the Mass Media as Tools for Sustainable Development in Multilingual Nations. Int J Lang Linguist. 2013;1(4):124-130. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20130104.16

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijll.20130104.16,
      author = {Dare Owolab and Charles Ikechukwu Nnaji},
      title = {The English Language and the Mass Media as Tools for Sustainable Development in Multilingual Nations},
      journal = {International Journal of Language and Linguistics},
      volume = {1},
      number = {4},
      pages = {124-130},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijll.20130104.16},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20130104.16},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijll.20130104.16},
      abstract = {In many multilingual nations of the world, the multiplicity of indigenous languages and cultures makes the choice of a national language for the purpose of sustainable development difficult. This paper considers the media as major sources and vehicles for development through the choice and use of appropriate language. The English language, which has transformed from its initial status of a foreign language (EFL), has since assumed the status of a second language (ESL) in many former British colonies, of which Nigeria is one, and so fits the bill as the language of wider communication (LWC). This paper shows how English can be used effectively in the mass media of communications to galvanize the populace into participating in national development, through the adoption of a level of language intelligible to the majority of the people who are consumers of mass media products through reading information as news published in the mass media. The paper considers English as used in many developing multilingual nations of the world as ideal for the purpose of mass communication for sutainable national development. Without an indigenous language as a vehicle for national integration and development in many developing multilingual nations, the one language available which is English, can be properly adopted and domesticated in the various mass media of communications to achieve national integration and development in a mutually intelligible form among all consumers of mass media products from across the various ethnic divides. The paper believes the English to be used is not the one that appeals to the Queen of England or to native speakers, but alienates the people for whom it is written. It should rather be the domesticated version of the English language that is simple enough but not a representation of linguistic errors.That version of English should reflect the local nuances of the environment that the language has found itself, since we can only speak the English that we can naturally speak.},
     year = {2013}
    }
    

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    AU  - Dare Owolab
    AU  - Charles Ikechukwu Nnaji
    Y1  - 2013/11/10
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    AB  - In many multilingual nations of the world, the multiplicity of indigenous languages and cultures makes the choice of a national language for the purpose of sustainable development difficult. This paper considers the media as major sources and vehicles for development through the choice and use of appropriate language. The English language, which has transformed from its initial status of a foreign language (EFL), has since assumed the status of a second language (ESL) in many former British colonies, of which Nigeria is one, and so fits the bill as the language of wider communication (LWC). This paper shows how English can be used effectively in the mass media of communications to galvanize the populace into participating in national development, through the adoption of a level of language intelligible to the majority of the people who are consumers of mass media products through reading information as news published in the mass media. The paper considers English as used in many developing multilingual nations of the world as ideal for the purpose of mass communication for sutainable national development. Without an indigenous language as a vehicle for national integration and development in many developing multilingual nations, the one language available which is English, can be properly adopted and domesticated in the various mass media of communications to achieve national integration and development in a mutually intelligible form among all consumers of mass media products from across the various ethnic divides. The paper believes the English to be used is not the one that appeals to the Queen of England or to native speakers, but alienates the people for whom it is written. It should rather be the domesticated version of the English language that is simple enough but not a representation of linguistic errors.That version of English should reflect the local nuances of the environment that the language has found itself, since we can only speak the English that we can naturally speak.
    VL  - 1
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Author Information
  • Department of English & Literary Studies, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria

  • Department of Linguistics & Nigerian Languages, University of Ilorin, Nigeria

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