Attitudes toward Anglo-Nigerian pidgin in urban Southern Nigeria: The generational variable

Abstract. A questionnaire − and interview − based survey of attitudes toward Anglo- Nigerian Pidgin (ANP) (or ‘Nigerian Pidgin English’) was undertaken on a stratified random sample of 1,200 respondents in six urban centres in southern Nigeria, in relation to perceptions of its language status, its possible use as a subject and medium of instruction, and its possible adoption as an official language in the future, given its ever-increasing sociolinguistic vitality and preponderance. An analysis of the generational variable of the survey findings indicate that, contrary to expectations, the middle age generation (40-49 years) were consistently the most favourable in their attitudes toward ANP, with regard to: 1) teaching ANP as a subject; 2) using ANP as a medium of instruction in schools; and, 3) adopting ANP as Nigeria’s official language, whereas the young generation (15-19 years) - currently considered ANP’s main users and vectors - were the least favourable. The paper discusses and attempts to explain this apparent paradox