Adapting Data Gathering Methods to Multilingual and Multicultural Settings

Abstract

Abstract African Multilingual nations are in dire need of empirical investigations, which will expose the real language situations, attitudes, and how all of these can be harnessed for development. This study attempts to show that a rich variety of research methods can serve this purpose. An illustration is carried out by adapting the matched guise to study language attitudes in Nigeria. The findings show that apart from working in a simple and direct way in Nigeria, the matched guise reveals subconsciously held language attitudes which the questionnaire or interview methods may not have shown. Descriptive statistics, and paired t-test results show significant p-values in favour of RP (as against the PNEP). It is recommended that new language attitude studies in Nigeria, and Africa as a whole, should enrich their findings through the increased use of the matched guise and other fresh methods. The attitude shown towards RP implies that it will continue to serve as a model for English pronunciation in Nigeria. PNEP will remain relevant in non formal domains of communication.