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ABSTRACT
The study examines the effect of Mass Media on Indigenous Language to the next generation. The media today has become a source of entertainment and information for many in our society, as the media becomes very easy to access, so are its effects spreading like wild fire among us. The study of media influence on Indigenous Language has been carried out long time ago in other parts of the world. During those studies, it was realized that, the mass media is somehow pushing other indigenous language called minority languages into extinction. The research design adopted in this study is a stratified sampling and survey which seeks to establish the nature of the relationship between the dependent and independent variables of study, copies of questionnaires were distributed to respondent to elicit responses for analysis is which was done using the simple percentage. Findings of the study revealed that more people have not really taken the effect of mass media on indigenous language into consideration less people are aware of the effects of social media, television and radio on indigenous language. More people think more local programs, establishment of more community media and reduction of foreign media context should be done to promote our local language on our media. The recommendation made after the research would assist the general public to take note and be aware of the detrimental effect of mass media on the next generation as per indigenous language. It will also be known, how one can use the mass media to promote our indigenous language and pass it on to the next generation.
CHAPTER ONE
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
1.3 INTRODUCTION
Mass media has been defined in so many ways. Amongst which is a definition by Hanson (2010: P.11), mass media refers to technological tools or channels, used to transmit the messages of mass communication. Mass media include print media such as books, magazines, newspaper, and electronic media such as audio, television, movies, and the internet.
Mass media is of great importance in the present era. People have folded the world into their pockets in the form of mobile internet. Right from the children till old aged, everyone is into the trap of the media. Life is slowly becoming impossible without media. We can hardly find any nook or corner in the country free of the media and its wreckage.
Media has definitely got its hard-set impact on the culture, as well as our indigenous languages our country is very much famous for its rich indigenous languages, but the status of the country with respect to its local languages and its derangement, we can hardly feel proud of the same.
There was a time when a simple landline telephone was considered to be a big deal. Then came the age of television the news agencies got a spark. With the entry of computers, we have turned the world upside down. The internet has given a wide scope of entry to shrink the world into just a click away. The social interactive sites like facebook, the blogging sites like twitter have made interactions very easy. With the video calling facilities like Skype and Viber, everyone finds very close to each other and people feel a lot better interacting face-to-face. The news channels have decreased the difference between the common man and government which is of most important in a democratic set-up. Media has planted its deep roots into the day-to-day life of the common man. People could hardly smell the air of freedom without the impact of media.
According to Wikipedia, an indigenous language is a language that is native to a region and spoken by indigenous people, often reduced to the status of a minority language.
Nigeria is very much famous for its culture and language. Our languages or indigenous languages itself is a great evidence of our traditions and customs. Nigeria has a special diversified language, which is unique in the world. We have varied type of languages, traditions, customs etc. every language is equally good and important in the eyes of Nigerians.
We as Nigerians try to pay equal status and respect to every language. This is one of the reasons that we have paved way to the westernization. We have adapted and incorporated the western language and culture, which has been made possible through the media. This has had a lot of negative effect on our indigenous languages, and because of the impact of the media on our local language; some of them is gradually going into extinction. In some cases, some are struggling to survive. It is obvious that this trend it allowed to continue will have a lot of effect on the coming generations.
The media has a lot of wonderful benefit to the society. No wonder Ogunyem, Olatunji Isola in his article on the role of media in promoting African indigenous language” states that “Local Nigerian media should be restructured to reflect the socio-cultural dimension of the country; its people, their culture, language, and education. He also added that “media in indigenous languages epitomizes a people oriented communication approach to programs of national development and the preservation of socio-cultural values, ensuring in the process cultural self-determination”. Sadly, instead of using the mass media to project our indigenous languages, we have allowed our mass media to be consumed with a lot of western contents. This has made our media to promote things that have negative influences on our people and our indigenous language.
Professor Sheila Mmusi, the head of department of media communication and information studies at university of Limpopo in South Africa stated that “print media publish mainly in English. No mainstream media are publishing in the indigenous languages”. She also added that, “the media is not taking the languages seriously”.
That is why many today have allowed their selves to be so influence by the media in such a way that, they hardly speak their local language, observe their traditions or take part in local celebrations. They want to live and be like what the media is projecting. And sometimes, what the media projects are the live styles of Western countries. Take for instance, if you go to some homes, the parents of those families has giving all their children English names, neglecting our beautiful native or traditional names. Some families too have made the only language of communication to be English language. They have also played down on their indigenous languages, making the language of the media, which is English to be the only valid language in their homes. Hence, this has made some children to grow up without knowing how to speak their local languages fluently, or not knowing how to speak at all.
Even on our local media, while making some adverts, it has been noticed that only few media company use our local language to advertise their goods or services. What they usually use is the Western language which is English or French. Because of local media has also made our local language look like it has no value, it has also contributed to the growth of foreign languages (e.g English, French, Chinese, Dutch etc) in our society, living ours in a continuous state of collapse.
Through this same process, our local language has been made to look inferior and has been exposed to unhealthy competition among other languages in the world. In this case, the growing generation are made to believe that the Western language as projected by the media is the best, and while their local language is inferior.
As they bear this in mind, the local language gradually fades away because they were not made to be proud of their language. This will eventually hinder the transmission of local languages from different generation to generation.
1.4 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The media today has become a source of entertainment and information for many in our society. As the media becomes very easy to access, so are its effects spreading like wild fire among us. According to McQuail (2005: 458), the media were credited with an almost limitless omnipotence in their ability to shape opinion and belief, to change life habits, and to mold audience behavior more or less according to the will of their controllers.
Too many foreign contents on our media have made us to forget about our language, food, greetings, culture and tradition. Despite continuing resistance from mainstream socio linguistics that the media may not influence change in our language, recent results from Glasgow force us to entertain this as a serious possibility.
The advent of social media has also affected writing in our local languages negatively. This is because majority of conversations that goes on social media is done in English language.
This study would encourage more local content programs on our local media. This will help in the transmission of our indigenous languages from generation to generation. Carrying out this study will encourage writing in our indigenous language even in our conversation on social media which is not very popular now.
Looking at the statements above, it can be seen that there are some gaps in our society which this study would likely fill. Currently in our society, we lack more local content on our media, and most of our coming generation cannot write in our local languages, even when chatting on social media. This study will turn the current situation around by showing to the general public the need for more local content on our media. Also, this study will encourage and revive writing in our local language.
1.5 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The general objective of this study is to examine the effect of mass media on indigenous language to the next generation, however, its specific objectives include;
- To know if the effect of mass media on indigenous language is taken into consideration.
- To examine if members of the public are aware of the effect of the media on indigenous language.
- To know the ways in which mass media could be used to promote indigenous language.
1.6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Getting data for this study involved the use of some questions which assisted in the process of data collection. Some of the questions include:
- Is the effect of mass media on indigenous language taken into consideration?
- Are members of the public aware of the effects of social media, television and radio on indigenous language?
- In what ways can the mass media promote indigenous language?
1.5 DELIMITATION (OR SCOPE) OF THE STUDY
This study covers some selected areas in Rivers State. These areas were carefully selected to examine and ascertain the effect of mass media on indigenous language on the next generation.
The areas selected for the research includes: Bori, Bonny and Kpite. These area covered by the research was selected in order to present proper findings and provide quality recommendations for this research.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study will be beneficial to the community and for national developments, educate the people about the need to preserve and transmit our indigenous languages to the next generation.
This research is based on the effect of mass media on indigenous language on the next generation, the study will be used as a source of information to anybody and it can be referred to at anytime. The study will serve as an encouragement to the sustenance of our indigenous language also as enouncement to never allow our local languages to go into extinction.
1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
Many challenges were faced during the course of carrying out this research. Some of the challenges include.
- The researcher encountered language problem.
- Respondents responded poorly to the researcher.
- Retrieving the questionnaires was difficult.
- Financing the study was a challenge.
- Making out time to conduct the research considering the fact that I’m a student was very difficult.
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
- Mass Media: Mass media is the means that are used to communicate to the general public.
- Indigenous Language: the language which a person has grown up speaking from early childhood.
- Social Media: They are computer-mediated tools that allow people or companies to create, share, or exchange information, career interests, ideas, pictures etc.
- Western countries: It is a term usually referring to different, depending on the context, most often including at least part of Europe.
- Internet: A global computer providing a variety of information and communication facilities, consisting of interconnected networks using standardized communication protocols.
- Negative Influence: Something bad or harmful on a person.
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