CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTIONEnglish is one of the major languages out of about 5000 estimated languages spoken in the world. About 200 years ago, English was simply the language of less than 15million peoples.Today, however, English is used by more than 300million people and second only to Chinese as regards the number of people using a particular language. Oga R.O (2007), ascertained that English Language is one of the most influential and fast growing languages spoken across the globe.One fifth of the earth’s land surface use English either as native tongue or official language.Of the entire World’s Languages English is the most widely studies language, especially in areas where it is not native. Today, English is used in several countries in the American continent including the United States of America and Canada, New Zealand, Republic of South Africa, Australia, Nigeria and Ghana, including other countries in the West African, Sub continent. Though English was actually the language of colonization in these countries like India they have since remained the official languages in most of the colonized territories. In other countries including Japan and China according to Udemba S.C (2007), English Language is usually taught as the chief foreign language.Equally, about half of the world’s scientific and technical journals, as well as newspapers, are printed in English. During the cold war the former Soviet Union used English in their propaganda broadcasts across the developing countries in Africa and Asia. The spread of English is further enhanced through the establishment of British Council and United States information service by the British and U.S governments respectively with centers and libraries in various countries including Nigeria. All these factors have therefore made it easy for anyone who understands and speaks English, and moves around major cities in the world to communicate effectively with one another.According to Anibueze (2007), English Language is a lingua franca. As a lingua franca, it is the language for unification. It is highly established so that the people of varied language will have purposes to relate together maturely and work in union. For example, Hausa man may comfortably stay and effectively speak with a Yoruba man or an Igbo man, advice versa.

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDYThe English Language has remained a very important tool for socialization and bureaucracy activities in Nigeria, since the days of colonialism. Then, English was taught to their native servants just to equip them for domestic functions.It was only natural that emphasis wad laid on spoken English only and not either on written English or both of them. However, with the emergence of a new class of people, with time, the civil servants, and their new roles in the colonial administration, the teaching and learning of the language took another forms:Written English become prominent. Edward W.T. (2003) ascertained that this was very important as Nigeria which is a British began to interact with other British Colonies and citizens in Africa. Today English is the language for the international community, According to Ezugu (1995), the English Language is the most widely spoken language in the world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many countries. It is the Language of education administration, law, World trade, International diplomacy as well as that of pop culture.It is therefore worth while acquiring mastery of this very important language for whoever does not, has deprived himself of access to the world’s brightest of idea and modern technologies.In Nigeria today English remains the language of pedagogy, students can hardly make commendable progress in their studies without adequate mastery of English, through which most of the courses in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions are taught and examined.

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