The disqualification led to criticism from everyone: with some wondering “why the disqualification” since Nigeria’s official language is English, some saying it is a wakeup call for Nollywood to focus more on our indigenous languages, and others saying maybe it’s high time the Academy changed its rules, allowing “foreign films,” and not just “foreign language films.” The disqualification was based on the Academy rules stating that “An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States of America with a predominantly non-English dialogue track.” The data suggested that the reason for this shift in attitude is because speaking the language bridges the gap between home and abroad.In 2019, Nigeria’s first-ever entry for the international feature film Oscar category, “ Lionheart”, the directorial debut movie of Genevieve Nnaji was struck out of the Oscars as it predominantly features English dialogue, (95-minute comedy mostly in English, with a short section in the Igbo language). This indicates a significant difference between those in the diaspora and those in Nigeria, because those in the diaspora appreciate and think there is a greater need for Nigerian Pidgin English outside the country. Also, the analysis revealed that all the participants considered the language to be an important aspect of their Nigerian identity and togetherness in the diaspora. All the participants use Nigerian Pidgin English mainly to communicate with their friends, family members and other Nigerians they encounter despite living far away from home where other languages exist. Although some thought that the language can go beyond informal domains, the majority thought otherwise. The hegemonic perspective on Pidgins being an informal language that can serve only informal purposes was also present among some of the Nigerians that formed part of this study. The data analysis revealed that the Nigerians in this study use the language in their daily activities for different purposes. These same attitudes were obtainable among Nigerians living in Nigeria. The participants in this study held negative attitudes towards Nigerian Pidgin English in formal domains and positive attitudes towards the language in informal domains. ![]() The findings revealed that the attitudes towards Nigerian Pidgin English do not show significant difference from that held by Nigerians within Nigeria. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative methods in form of online questionnaires and semi structured interviews involving 38 participants to investigate the uses of and attitudes towards Nigerian Pidgin English. The study also sought to establish if those who may have held negative attitudes towards Nigerian Pidgin English while in Nigeria now hold a different attitude since being in Cape Town. This project investigated if the Nigerians who find themselves in a different geographical space like Cape Town still hold negative attitudes towards Pidgin English and whether they abstained from speaking the language or speak it freely. ![]() Also, the general attitudes held by Nigerians regarding the language can be described as ambivalent with majority leaning towards the negative attitude more. The government has continued to ignore it “despite the fact that Nigerian Pidgin is in most respects the most logical choice for a national language official attitudes towards Nigerian Pidgin remain negative, perpetuating erroneous notions inherited from the colonial period that Nigerian Pidgin is some form of ‘broken English’” (Faraclas 1996: 18). ![]() There is a general belief by some Nigerians that Nigerian Pidgin English is a colloquial form of English that is mostly spoken by those whose Standard English proficiency has not fully developed (Agheyisi, 1971:30). The language plays a major role in youth culture and most Nigerians speak the language. According to Balogun (2012: 90), “Nigerian Pidgin English has emerged as the most widely spoken language of inter and intra communication among Nigerians and across diverse ethnic groups that do not share a common language”. Nigerian Pidgin English is widely spoken in different parts of the country and “has been called the native language of a substantial population of people in the Niger Delta, particularly in the Sapele and Warri areas” (Igboanusi, 2008: 68).
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