The Multilingual Country Nigeria. Analysis of the Use of Nigerian Pidgin and English in the Past and Today

Seminar paper from the year 2011 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 1,7, University of Münster, language: English, abstract: Both English and Nigerian Pidgin do not only occur in the described domains, but in individual contexts such as in the media, especially in the field of music. Considering the linguistic spread of Nigerian Pidgin and English, this thesis will concentrate on the two songs 'Sweet Mother' by Prince Nico Mbarga, published in 1976, and 'I love you' by the twins-duo Peter and Paul Okoye alias 'P-Square', presented to the public in 2009. Due to the fact that both songs are sung by native Nigerians, an overview of the Nigerian Pidgin's characteristics will be given in the beginning, which will then be applied to both songs, taking into account their similarities. In a further step, the songs' differences will be analysed, while the possible ascendancy of Standard British English over Nigerian Pidgin shall be considered at the same time. But before outlining all of these aspects, a brief summary of the current language situation in Nigeria will serve as an introduction to the topic, followed by a historical view on the development of both Nigerian Pidgin and English within this country.