FACTORS AFFECTING LANGUAGE CHOICE IN A MULTILINGUAL SOCIETY
ABSTRACT
The work looks into the factors affecting language choice in a multilingual society, from a sociolinguistic point of view. This study brings to light a number of what affect individuals language choice.
This work comprises of four chapters. The first chapter talks about the introduction, the second chapter
is the literature review, the third one deals with data presentation and analysis, lastly, the fourth chapter
discusses the findings, recommendations and conclusion.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGES
Title page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgement iv
Abstract v
Table of Contents vi
CHAPTER ONE:
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study 1
1.1 Statement of
Problem 10
Research
Questions 10
Purpose of Study 11
Significance of the Study 11
Limitation of Study 12
CHAPTER TWO:
2.0 REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.1 Causes of Multilingualism
21 Language choice
24 Determinants of Language choice. 26
CHAPTER THREE:
3.0 DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 Findings
57 Recommendations
58 Conclusion
59 References
61 Appendix I
64 Appendix II
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Most cultures have stories which seek to explain the origin of life and to explain why things are as they are in
the world today. The story from Genesis would have us believe that linguistic diversity is the curse of Babel
(Genesis 11:1-11).
And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech… And they said to one another… Let us build
us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad
upon the face of the whole earth. And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the Lord said, behold, the people is one, and they have all one language,… Let us go down,
and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So, the Lord
scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore, is
the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth.
In primordial time, people spoke the same language.God, however, decided to punish them for their presumptuousness in erecting the tower by making them speak different languages. Thus, multilingualism
became an obstacle to further co-operation and placed limits on human worldly achievements.
Most communities in the world are multilingual. In these communities, there is more than one language that plays
an important role, and many or all of the individuals in such communities are at least bilingual. Here, the
context you find yourself determines the kind of language you use. When you talk of language choice in any country, one
bears in mind the multilingual societies. In monolingual countries, there is no worry about choice of language to
use, they only have to use the language available to them. One of the most obvious problems associated with newly
formed multilingual communities, for example, in countries such as Australia and Canada which have
seen considerable immigration from different parts of the world, is that of cross-cultural communication.
Sociolinguistic research has made it clear that to communicate successfully in a language other than your
own, it is not enough to learn the phonology, grammar and vocabulary of that language. You also have to learn
how to use it appropriately in particular social situations according to the norms employed and accepted by its
native speakers.
