Research on Humanities and Social Sciences ISSN 2222-1719 9 (Paper) ISSN 2222 2222-2863 (Online) Vol.3, No.

5, 2013

www.iiste.org

The Globalization, Problems and Prospects of Teaching and Learning Yoruba as a Second Language (L2) in Colleges of Education in Nigeria
Abatan O. Luke Department of Languages, Tai Solarin University of Education, P.M.B. 2118, Ijebu-ode, ode, Ogun State, Nigeria E-mail: [email protected] Abstract Yoruba language is one of the popular languages being spoken in Africa and beyond. The owners of the language are the children of f Oduduwa who hail from Mecca before settling down at Ile-ife Ile ife in Osun State Nigeria because of sacrilege. This study therefore examines the globalization, problems and prospects of teaching and learning Yoruba as a Second Language (L2) in Colleges of Education Education in Nigeria. It focuses the global perspectives of teaching and learning the language, and the importance of learning it all over the world. Keywords: Language, Teaching, Learning, Knowledge, Unity Introduction The teaching and learning of Yoruba as a second language in Nigeria and as a foreign language in Britain, United State of America (USA), Germany and many other countries all over Europe and the world has extended the frontiers of knowledge in the teaching and learning of Yoruba language. Many people in Nigeria and in the above named countries all over the world are interested in knowing the spoken form of Yoruba, its literature, and its culture. The Federal Government in Nigerias policy on the teaching and learning of Yoruba L2, in Colleges of Education is to see that people in Nigeria live in unity and harmony as one indivisible, indissoluble, democratic, and sovereign nationals founded on the principles of freedom, equality, and justice with other ethnic groups. Government also, in the National National Policy on Education (NPE), stresses the importance of Language as a means of promoting social interaction and national cohesions and presenting cultures. Therefore, every child in Nigeria shall learn the language of the immediate environment. Furthermore, Furthermore, in the interest of national unity it is expedient that every child shall be required to learn ONE of the THREE Major Nigerian Languages; Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba (NPE 1998:8).This view of every child being required to learn one of Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba is a laudable policy statement by the government in its efforts to see that, these languages are taught and learnt as second languages in Nigeria (NL2). This paper examines the global approach to the teaching and learning of Yoruba as a second language (L2) in College of Education as well as the problems and prospect of the teaching of this language as L2 in Nigeria. 2. The National Policy on the Teaching and Learning of Yoruba as a Second Language (L2) in Nigeria. In order to implement the Language Policy of of the teaching and the learning of Yoruba as a second language (L2), the Federal Government of Nigeria made it mandatory that, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba should be taught in all the Federal Government Colleges also called Unity Schools. States were also mandated mandated to implement the NL2 Policy. The Federal Government with the establishment of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) in 1989 directed the NCCE to mandate all Colleges of Education in Nigeria to start the teaching and learning of Yoruba Yorub as a second language. 3. Globalization and Growth in the Teaching and the Learning of Yoruba as a Second Language in Colleges of Education in Nigeria All the Federal Government Colleges and Federal Colleges of Education and some States Secondary Schools, and nd some of their Colleges of Education employ teachers to teach Yoruba L2 in their Junior Secondary Schools. The National Board of Educational Measurement (NBEM), now, the National Examination Council (NECO), examines candidates in Yoruba L2 for Junior Secondary ondary Schools Certificates Examination (JSSCE). Graduates from the College of Education are employed to teach Yoruba as a second language in our Secondary Schools. Globalization and the growth and the spread in the teaching and learning of Yoruba as L2 in our Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) and the College of Education in Nigeria helps in creating a sort of consciousness that will help in creating awareness and in strengthening the desired national unity in Nigeria. Many Yoruba First Language (L1) teachers s are recruited to teach Yoruba L2 in the Federal Government Colleges, State Secondary School, Federal 1.

146

Research on Humanities and Social Sciences ISSN 2222-1719 9 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2863 2222 (Online) Vol.3, No.5, 2013

www.iiste.org

Colleges of Education, and States Colleges of Education in non-Yoruba non Yoruba Speaking States in Nigeria in Europe, Britain, and United State of America among others. others. These teachers mix freely with the indigenes of the States where they are posted or employed. According to Arohunmolase (2000), cited by Elugbe (1990), Linguistic diversity is one of the better better-known attributes in Nigeria. Ethnic divisions are also based on linguistic lines, which to say that, the existence of many languages in Nigeria means the existence of many basically distinct ethnic nationalities trying to form a nation. The global growth, spread, and the development of the teaching and the learning learning of Yoruba as a Foreign Language in the United States of America (USA), Great Britain, Ireland, South America (Brazil and other places), Germany and all over Europe among others, has helped in no small measure in encouraging many people to study Yoruba L2 in College of Education in Nigeria. These people know that, there is employment opportunities open to them after their graduation, in countries all over the world. Globalization, a recent occurrence that affects the economic, social, political and cultural tural changes all over the world has also affected the teaching and learning of Yoruba L2 in our College of Education in Nigeria. Yoruba L2 teachers with the development of modern information and communication technology (ICT) in the world and the links among among societies, and how they work together as parts of an interrelated world system can improve their knowledge of Yoruba L2 in the Web-sites Web in the Internet by browsing. 4. Prospects of the Teaching and Learning of Yoruba L2 According to Eligbe (1990), (1990), the problem of multilingualism in the developing nations such as Nigeria, and in the independent nations has been tackled by scholars such as Fishman and the others (1968). Arohunmolase (1998), is of the opinion that, we can use the linguistic, historical, historical, and the cultural evidences in Nigerian languages for our desired national development and unity. If pupils/students in our primary/secondary schools, Colleges of Education, and Universities are appropriately taught Yoruba as a second language (L2) they would know all the things that unite Yoruba language with other Nigerian languages, socially, culturally, linguistically and historically. It will also enable Yoruba and other language scholars to be able to exploit the ancestral ties among Nigerians languages ages so as to show Nigerians that they have a common history. The FRN (2004) emphasizes the importance of Nigerian language in the education of a child as means of preserving the culture of a people, and for national unity. This is a laudable policy of Ni Nigerian Government. The Federal Governments idea of the language of the immediate community (LIC), in the NPE, is seen by us as a second language (L2) to all those whose first language (L1) or mother- tongue is not Yoruba and this policy is also in our view helping in the teaching and learning of Yoruba as a second language in the States like Lagos, where we have the bilingual Egun (Ogu) speakers in Badadary, Ogun, where we have non non-Yoruba Yoruba speakers in Yewa Divison of the State, Ondo, where we have the th Izon speakers in Ese-Odo Odo Local Government Council, Uro Uro-Ahan speakers in Akoko NorthWest West Local Government ukaan speakers, (Ligau, Lisieu, Ikakun) in Akoko North East Local Government. These named speakers learn Yoruba as a language and they are all bilinguals. bilinguals. These people speak their languages and Yoruba as second a language. The National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) has developed Curricula named the Minimum Standards for Colleges of Education, for the teaching of Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba as s a second language. The Nigerian Educational Research, and Development Council (NERDC), has developed curricula on Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba as a second languages.for the JSS to replace the former one that had so many problems. The Federal Government established established the National Institute for Nigerian Language, Aba, Abia State in order to help in the production of Nigerian language L2 teachers. Students who studied Yoruba as a second language are expected to go to the National Institute for Nigerian languages (NINLAN), (NINLAN), Aba, Abia State, for their Degree Courses in Yoruba as a second language. 5. The Envisaged Problems The FRN (2004) states that, Governments major purpose for the Pre-Primary Pre Primary Education is to develop the orthographies for many more Nigerian languages a and to produce text-books books in Nigerian languages. For the Primary Education, Government will see to it that, the medium of instruction in the Primary School is initially the mothermother tongue or the language of the immediate community (LIC), and for the secondar secondary y Education, at the JSS level, the NPE provides that, in selecting TWO Nigerian languages, students should study the language of their own area in addition to any of the three main Nigerian languages, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba, subject to the availability of teachers (FRN, 1981) (Our emphasis). The FRN (1998:18) emphasizes the teaching and the learning of one Nigerian language other than that of the environment or the immediate community as L2 at the JSS level. As we have shown above in this paper, Yoruba L2 is not taught and learnt at the Pre-Primary Pre Primary and the Primary levels of Education in Nigeria. Yoruba L2 is not also a

147

Research on Humanities and Social Sciences ISSN 2222-1719 9 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2863 2222 (Online) Vol.3, No.5, 2013

www.iiste.org

subject taught at the Senior Secondary School (SSS) level of Education. The idea of not teaching Yoruba as a second language at the SSS level el of education show that the Colleges of Education admit people who are not taught Yoruba as a second language at the SSS level of education. As has been rightly observed by Arohunmolase (2000), Yoruba L2 should be taught and learnt from the Primary level of Education, which is the bed-rock rock of education in Nigeria. The Federal Government of Nigeria also states that, students as the JSS level should study any of Igbo, Hausa, and Yoruba, subject to the availability of teachers. The clause, Subject to the av availability ailability of teachers, is non-committal as regards the full implementation of the teaching and learning of Yoruba L2 at the JSS level of Education and at the SSS level to our College of Education (FRN, 2004). It is observed that, most of the Yoruba L2 teachers in the JSS classes and in the Colleges of Education are all trained as Yoruba L1 teachers. Very few teachers who are trained Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) Yoruba L1, teaches Yoruba L2 at the JSS level of education in Nigeria. The problems of even Yoruba, L1 producing adequate number of teachers to teach Yoruba, at L1 is one of the problem for even Yoruba L1 producing adequate number of teachers to teach Yoruba, as L1 is one of the problems for non implementation of the language provision of the NPE by the Federal Government. Junaidu and Ihebuzor (1993) point to the fact that, the problem of the supply of teachers in Nigeria languages represents one of the greatest problem facing the Curriculum development efforts in Nigeria. The introduction ion of Nigerian languages (Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba), as L2 at the JSS level and the College of Education worsened the compounded problem of the supply of trained teachers. It is a matter of great regret that, adequate plans were not made for the supply of teachers before the Federal Government decided to implement the Nigerian languages policy in the Colleges of Education. The NPE has no policy statement on the teaching and learning of Yoruba as a second language in College Education. The Federal Government should redesign the NPE to include the teaching and learning of Yoruba as a second language in our College of Education. The National Institute for Nigerian Languages (NINLAND), Aba, Abia State, Nigeria, established by the Federal Government to train teachers chers of Nigerian Language as L2 (NL2) since 1993 has not up till now admitted any candidate. The conventional Universities in Nigeria are not producing NL2 teachers. All the enumerated views will hinder the effective teaching and learning of Yoruba as a second language in our Colleges of Education. There are no adequate textbooks for the teaching and the learning of Yoruba L2 in our JSS classes and in the College of Education. 6. Conclusion It is observed that the development and the spread all over the world world of the teaching and learning of Yoruba as a Foreign Language has also helped in the development and in the teaching and learning of Yoruba L2 in Colleges of Education in Nigeria. The Federal Government in our view should introduce the teaching and learning lear of Yoruba L2 from the Primary level of Education to the University level. All subjects taught in our Secondary Schools (JSSI (JSSIIII, SSSI-III), III), Colleges of Education, and the Universities are introduced from the Primary School, which is the bedrock of Nigerian gerian Education. The Federal Government should adequately fund the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), Sheda, Abuja so that, NERDC can develop Yoruba L2 Curriculum, produce textbooks on Yoruba L2. The National Institute for Nigerian Nigerian Languages (NINLAN), Aba, Abia State, should be mandated and well funded to start Degree Courses in Nigerian language as second languages (N L2) so as to help in the production of teachers to teach Yoruba as a second language in our College of Education Educatio in Nigeria. United Nations Educational and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has been helping immensely in the development of Nigerian languages. Apart from the major Nigerian languages, UNESCO is helping in sponsoring researches and the documentation of Endangered Endangered Nigerian Languages. This author and four others are being sponsored by UNESCO to research and document he endangered by nearly Extinct Ukaan Group of Languages in Nigeria. References Arohunmolase, Oyewole. (1998). Exploiting Linguistic, Historical, Historical, and Cultural Evidences in Nigerian Languages for our Desired National Unity. pp 22 22-28. Arohunmolase, Oyewole. (1998). Nigerian Language for National Development and Unity: Ibadan: Lolyem Communications. Arohunmolase, Oyewole. (2000). Introducing Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba as Second Language. In Primary School Curriculum. In Akindehin, O. and Adeboyeje, Reuben.,A. (eds.), Challenges of The Third Millennium for Primary Education in Nigeria. Readings in Nigeria, Readings and Research on Schooling. Akure: Onward Onwar Printers. Elugbe, B. O. (1990). National Language and National Development. pp. 11-12.

148

Research on Humanities and Social Sciences ISSN 2222-1719 9 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2863 2222 (Online) Vol.3, No.5, 2013

www.iiste.org

Emenanjo, E. Nolue (1990). Multilingualism, Minority Language, and Language Policy in Nigeria. Agbor: Central Books Ltd. Jinaidu, I. and Ihebuzor, N. (1993). Developing Developin Curricula: Nigeria Languages. Pp. 28-38. 38. Ivowi, U.M.O. (1993).Currilum Development in Nigeria. Ibadan: Sam Bookman Educational and Communication Services. Federal Republic of Nigeria (1998). National Policy on Education. Lagos: NERDC Press. Federal Republic ublic of Nigeria. (2004). National Policy on Education. Revised ed.. Lagos: NERDC Press.

149

This academic article was published by The International Institute for Science, Technology and Education (IISTE). The IISTE is a pioneer in the Open Access Publishing service based in the U.S. and Europe. The aim of the institute is Accelerating Global Knowledge Sharing. More information about the publisher can be found in the IISTEs homepage: http://www.iiste.org CALL FOR PAPERS The IISTE is currently hosting more than 30 peer-reviewed academic journals and collaborating with academic institutions around the world. Theres no deadline for submission. Prospective authors of IISTE journals can find the submission instruction on the following page: http://www.iiste.org/Journals/ The IISTE editorial team promises to the review and publish all the qualified submissions in a fast manner. All the journals articles are available online to the readers all over the world without financial, legal, or technical barriers other than those inseparable from gaining access to the internet itself. Printed version of the journals is also available upon request of readers and authors. IISTE Knowledge Sharing Partners EBSCO, Index Copernicus, Ulrich's Periodicals Directory, JournalTOCS, PKP Open Archives Harvester, Bielefeld Academic Search Engine, Elektronische Zeitschriftenbibliothek EZB, Open J-Gate, OCLC WorldCat, Universe Digtial Library , NewJour, Google Scholar