An Assessment of the Communicative and Developmental Needs of English Language in a Multilingual Nigeria

Communication in a monolingual society, poses no problem to man as everybody would make use of the one available language for that purpose. This is not so in Nigeria where there are about 514 indigenous languages existing side-by-side the English. Although English as a foreign Language has taken the number one position even within the country, the rate of development has not been very easy for the users. This obvious communication reality calls for proper teaching of the English language especially at the foundation level. This paper examines the communicative needs of the learners of the English language in a multilingual Nigeria of the 21st century and identifies inadequate manpower development, poor method of teaching, lack of learning materials/ text books, teachers’ lack of commitment to duty and students’ lack of interest in learning as impediments to effective English language development. It concludes with the way forward on the parts of government, school administrators, teachers, parents and students.