Sustaining The Use of Indigenous Language at Home: A Case of Igbo and Yoruba Speakers in Yola, Adamawa State

Abstract

Maintaining an indigenous language in the language competitive environment is not a simple task, especially for Igbo and Yoruba residing in the Northern part of Nigeria where Hausa or Fulani is the main communication language of the society. This study examined the effectiveness of sustaining indigenous language amidst multi-lingual society through the adoption of indigenous language as a domestic communication medium by Igbo and Yoruba residing in Yola metropolis Adamawa State. The study intended to discover the indigenous language proficiency and passion of both Igbo and Yoruba households in the Yola metropolis. The study adopted a survey research design and purposively sampled 64 households comprised 32 Igbo and 32 Yoruba households respectively based on the number of years of residing in the study area. The study used a structured questionnaire for data collection and data were analyzed using percentage and t-tests. It was found that those households using indigenous language at their home, recorded better proficiency and passion in their indigenous languages compared to other households using non-indigenous language. It was concluded that adopting the indigenous language at the household level improved the proficiency and passion of Igbo and Yoruba households respectively in Yola metropolis. The study recommended for the Igbo and Yoruba households in Yola metropolis to encourage participation in their respective indigenous cultural functions and events. Also, the family could subscribe to digital television using their respective indigenous language for the programmes.