An Investigation into Mother Tongue Dearth Among Senior Secondary School Students in Jos Metropolis of Plateau State Nigeria: And its Implication on English Language Proficiency

Anthony James PhD; Tongshinung Goteng PhD

doi:10.56201/ijelcs.vol.11.no4.2026.pg46.59

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An Investigation into Mother Tongue Dearth Among Senior Secondary School Students in Jos Metropolis of Plateau State Nigeria: And its Implication on English Language Proficiency

Anthony James PhD, Tongshinung Goteng PhD

Abstract

This study investigates the causes of Mother Tongue dearth and its implication on English language proficiency among Senior Secondary School Students in Jos Metropolis, of Plateau State, Nigeria. Consequently, the study is anchored on Chomsky’s Universal Grammar and Cognitive Linguistic theories. These two theories are used to give the findings of the study a broad- based insight. Similarly, the study adopts mixed-methods research design, because the approach allows the researchers to integrate both qualitative and quantitative data. With the target population of the Senior Secondary Schools in Jos Metropolis of North, South and East being streamlined into 2 schools each, with a figure of 40 students per school, giving a total of 240 students sample size. In line with this, the English Proficiency test, covered 3 aspects of English; reading comprehension, writing (essay mechanics) and oral reading (phonology). Qualitatively, the researchers applied semi-structured interviews to determine the students use of mother tongue both at home and in their schools. Quantitatively, essay writing was used to determine students’ proficiency in English. Paradoxically, it was discovered that mother tongue dearth among the students was caused by two major factors; parental deliberate use of English at home, at the expense of their mother tongue, with the belief, that this action will help their children’s English proficiency, and institutionalized penalties against students who speak their mother tongue at school. Ironically, it was discovered that these measures did not help the students’ proficiency in English language. It was rather discovered, that the neglect of mother tongue, both at home and in schools had a negative effect on the students’ English proficiency. The study concludes, by recommending that parents should be encouraged through PTAs to speak their mother tongue to their children at home and schools should establish Language Clubs, to Forster the use of local languages. With the aim of boosting English proficiency among students. Key Words: Dearth, English Language, Jos-Metropolis, Mother-Tongue, Proficiency

Keywords

DearthEnglish LanguageJos-MetropolisMother-TongueProficiency

References

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An Investigation into Mother Tongue Dearth Among Senior Secondary School Students in Jos Metropolis of Plateau State Nigeria: And its Implication on English Language Proficiency

Abstract

Keywords

References

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