CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY        

Communication is also the transmission of experience from one person to another, from one person to a group of people or from a group of people to another group of people. Communication is pervasive. It is an index of existence and regarded as lively. Okunma (1996) sees communication as a complex process of sharing information or a message which requires certain basic components. It is essential to conclude that communication is pervasive and a fundamental way by which human beings interact through language and other symbolic means. Communication sustains, lubricates and dominates every facet of human existence.

Communication is pervasive, ubiquitous and takes place everywhere, every time n and every day. Man existence can be traced to communication. Communication started between the first man and his Creator. Biblical account noted that God established communication with the first man, Adam. Since the creation of first Man, communication has come to stay as Adam communicated with his family and the animal folks. It is vital to conclude that communication is the basis of human and animal existence and interaction.

This paper examines the interrelatedness of language and communication, how language can aid and how misuse of language obstructs communication as well as tips for communicators on effective use of language.

Effective communication require concerted effort on the part of message encoder, the appropriate choice of words, correct contextual application and simplicity Communication is traced to a Latin word “communis” meaning to share and that it is the activity of conveying information through the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, visuals, signals, writing or behavior.

The existence of Pidgin English began as a result of the colonial masters coming into Africa. Well respected philosophers noted that there is no language that is an island meaning that language can also develop through a pre-existed one (Akinfeleye, 2008). The existence of Pidgin English was through the English language. The use of Pidgin English began in the colonial era, when it was necessary for Africans to understand the language of the white man in order to be able to fit in the happenings of the society. At that period, if an African man gets to be able to understand the language of the white man, he is placed on a big position ahead other fellow Africans (Ihemere, 2006). As a result, a lot of African’s endeavor to try to fit in with the English language and during the process of change developed the Pidgin English.

The term Pidgin English refers to a language that is developed in the situation where the speakers of another language have to communicate but do not have a common language to share with another (Ndolo, 2005).

Pidgin English is a mixture of English and local languages which enables individuals who do not share a mutual language to communicate (Akinfeleye, 2008) Stated that the Nigerian Pidgin English accommodates fun and creativity, therefore, it has been able to fill significant actual space of communication in Nigeria.

All these must have been considered by Ihemere (2006) stating that the Pidgin English flourishes better being an inter-ethnic medium of communication. It is identified as being important to be adopted at some state or private broadcasting stations to give daily news in it and generally believed to be a very useful broadcasting language in the country. At recent times, job opportunities arise for those that are well spoken and fluent in the Pidgin English language. For instance there are job opportunities within the movies industry, newspapers published in Nigerian Pidgin, magazines and radio programs that are presented on Nigerian Pidgin entertainment.

Generally, the Nigerian Pidgin is proposed as being a replacement to standard English broadcasting in Nigeria such that the uneducated people are able to survive the society, knowing very well that the language appeals to wider audience from all parts of the societies in the country (Deuber, 2005). Therefore, since communication stands as a major life wire of all societies, at all sphere of the societal, cultural, industrial, educational, and all the levels needs information to optimally function in the society (Akinfeleye, 2008).

A Pidgin is therefore regarded as a ‘reduced’ variety of a ‘normal’ language. It is used to refer to a language which develops in a situation where speakers of different languages and socio-cultural origins have a need to interact but do not share a mutual language. Once a pidgin has emerged, it is generally learned as a second language and used for communication among people who speak differently. Nigerian Pidgin in this case is a situation where normal language pattern is altered, but generally recognized to convey specific meaning. The language does not only evolve but also has its origin from a mixture of other indigenous languages spoken in Nigeria. Experiences have shown that among the residents of Benin-City for which this work was conceived, Nigerian Pidgin English has gained a wider audience in all sectors of the economy, especially in advertisements.

Therefore, advertisement is a communicative process that informs and influences the audience. This reveals advertisements as a vital marketing tool as well as a powerful communication force. It is further revealed as an action of calling the attention of people to something, especially by rapid announcement, usually in succession known as advertising campaign. What is more, it is a message designed to make known what we have to buy or sell, by using various channels of communication – radio, television, newspaper, magazines, posters, billboards and the internet. In view of the above-mentioned, the various aims of advertisement can only be realized through effective communication (Dada, 2013).

It is a communication tool for marketing, public relations, and promotional management, as well as social and political mobilization. It is the primary source of revenue for the mass media in a free market economy. It has not only become an integral part of man’s social, political, and economic life, but has also grown both as a business activity and as a profession. Therefore, this study focuses on audience perception of Pidgin English usage in broadcast media.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

It is clear that with the level of illiteracy and knowledge-gap between the literates and the illiterates in the country, there seem to be an ignorant discrimination in the rate at which information, especially advertisements, is disseminated, at the time it is, its accuracy and the populace in the country that it reaches. There is however, the general perception that majority of the Nigerian populace, especially those in the rural areas are not carried along on issues of national interest due to their inability to understand what is being broadcast or advertised on television and radio.

Consequently, there has been a lot of misinterpretations and misconceptions of adver