THE USE OF INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES IN TERTIARY EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

Abstract

An indigenous language is a language that is native to a region and spoken mainly by those in that region. Across the globe, different languages are spoken by different people of various tribes. The language a person speaks serves as an identifying factor. Language is therefore unique and accounts for almost all form of human expression. The aim of this study is to analyze students’ perception and attitude towards using the indigenous language as the language of instruction in most language courses. A questionnaire was constructed in order to collate data that was used in the analysis of this paper. Findings reveal that, a higher percentage of students either consider it difficult coping with the indigenous language used for instruction in their language courses or show indifference in learning their indigenous language in the course of their language courses. To conclude, better ways of using the indigenous language in teaching in order to spur the interest in learning were recommended.