Language choice and cultural imperialism: a Nigerian perspective

Abstract

Robert Phillipson argues in Linguistic Imperialism that the relationship between core English-speaking countries and periphery-English countries is one of dominant and dominated languages. Because of the linguicist policies of the Centre, the English language has successfully displaced or replaced the main languages in the Periphery. The dominance of English has also resulted in the imposition of the Anglo-Saxon Judaeo-Christian culture that goes with it, so that indigenous cultures in the Periphery have been marginalized. This paper argues against this thesis as it applies to Nigeria, and maintains that the sociolinguistic and sociocultural realities of the country have not been properly understood.