Reference:


And what profit is there in an Itsekiri language distinction. An itsekiri only blog. Pally the world is consolidating languages and cultures around superpowers. You are swimming against the tide.

I know. Seems Nigerian languages wont last the next century

fr3do:


its like you dont know what culture is! Culture is the way of life of a people, it isnt the way people lived, it is the way people live in the present. not only is culture dynamic, it is also learned, so a people can learn culture (atleast parts of it) from another, so, english is Nigerian culture because it is the way we communicate now.


Do you mean we should invent our own Nigerian English? Why would we when we have got Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa?

yes! why shouldnt we?
Having native languages is even more reason we should reinvent english.


Mate, stop defending those semi-literate journalists or are you one of them Change is one thing constant in this world and when English evolves, all English speaking countries should adapt, when they lag-behind, they would rather appear ill-informed. Don't tell me we should invent our English or stick to the blunders we yell everyday when change is constant, if English is much of a problem to you, swerve to Igbo or Yoruba whichever is easiest for you to escape blunders in.

how do you mean that when english evolves, everyone follows suit? When America formed american english, did britian adopt it?
And English only left britian for other countries after the 17th century reaching Naija 100 years ago, there has not been enough time for serious change as it happened during the medieval times.
What you call 'blunders' are not blunders because they are generally spoken and accepted, they are now Nigerian variations in English.

Fredo. Examiner go fail you if you write that shiiit for WAEC or NECO ooo.
You made nice points though.

Craigston:

In my opinion, 'but' can be followed by either positive or negative events. The safety precaution is to avoid using but as a conjunction for two events of the same tone: it must between a negative event and a positive event in no definite order.

I agree

Marc9:


U may as well hold ur TV and start twisting till the volume is down.

when it comes to TV or radio, u tune! U don't turn! U tune to a station, u tune the volume, u tune its menu, u tune! U don't turn!

U turn ur tap open, u turn ur table upside down! U don't turn down the volume of a TV set. U tune down!

The word tune means set! When u tune the volume, u set the volume down!

Oga. The expression 'Turn down the volume' is correct. It simply means to lower the intensity. Sound, heat, vibration, etc. Anything under control can be turned 'on, off, up, down, around, inside out, back and forth...' can I go on....

I tire for English language and it changing nature, more reason i like mathematics.
well, if i speak what i know anyhow,if you like tell me you don't understand that's your problem

Craigston:

In my opinion, 'but' can be followed by either positive or negative events. The safety precaution is to avoid using but as a conjunction for two events of the same tone: it must between a negative event and a positive event in no definite order.

How much is your opinion worth?

Don't blame me for bad english , don't expect me to be 100% bcus am not from england only my forefather were colonise by british not me

ellalina:
In a related development

this phrase is grammatically correct but the error is in it usage.
the word development is generically a positive word so you cannot use it to explain something negative.

eg you can't say : 3 students were shot dead during a protest.in a related development, 5 student were also killed during a political rally.
you can not also say developing a cancer or brain tumor etc. instead why don't you just say similar event etc

2: BUT CANNOT BE FOLLOWED WITH A POSITIVE STATEMENT .

but signifies negativity or something opposite of a pleasant experience.

e.g they were involved in a ghastly motor accident but they are fine.
a correct expression would be.

they survived the accident but they they sustained injuries.

pls note that this is just my opinion and understanding

Pls can finish up that true life story....plssssssssssssssssssssssssss,ive been creating video scenes in my head of how all u wrote hapened...its really disturbing

AllNaijaBlogger:



I know. Seems Nigerian languages wont last the next century

Those poor souls in the village who have not grasped a foreign language will shortly be holding the shorter end of the stick. The majority language always wins.

OP...nyc one,,Educating

This man you must be coming from london, you try.

ellalina:
In a related development

this phrase is grammatically correct but the error is in it usage.
the word development is generically a positive word so you cannot use it to explain something negative.

eg you can't say : 3 students were shot dead during a protest.in a related development, 5 student were also killed during a political rally.
you can not also say developing a cancer or brain tumor etc. instead why don't you just say similar event etc

2: BUT CANNOT BE FOLLOWED WITH A POSITIVE STATEMENT .

but signifies negativity or something opposite of a pleasant experience.

e.g they were involved in a ghastly motor accident but they are fine.
a correct expression would be.

they survived the accident but they they sustained injuries.

pls note that this is just my opinion and understanding

I am afraid you are technically wrong.

Reference:


Those poor souls in the village who have not grasped a foreign language will shortly be holding the shorter end of the stick. The majority language always wins.

Majority will depend on the number of speakers right? American English is widely accepted as "correct" because they made it so. Why can't Africans and Nigerians precisely, speak their pidgin?

I was so disappointed when I saw the source at the end. I was about to profess undying "luff" for you, OP.

Nigerian journalists are the most irritating abusers of the English language.

As a psychiatrist my job is to read people, not
just what they say, but who they are.
Interpreting
verbal and nonverbal cues, I want to see past
their masks into the real person. Logic alone
won’t tell you the whole story about anybody.



http://mygramnews.com/2014/11/three-techniques-to-read-peoples-mind-three-techniques-in-the-art-of-reading-people-the-third-technique-sense-emotional-energy/

DjAndroid:


Is The language yours? If you must speak a language, speak like the owner of the language. You may not have the accent but the grammar/technicalities must be revered.

English is not made in Nigeria, so there is nothing like "this is Nigeria for you".

Speak English the way it should be spoken.

Many people ascribe 'brilliant' to one who's an eloquent speaker of English language. However, those who have difficulty speaking the alien language are placed in the nadir point in the society.
Non-native speakers even place more value on the so called English language over their mother tongue.
The unfortunate aspect of is that our mother tongue is rapidly going into extinction. Yet we remain uninterested in saving the poor mother tongue that is crying for help everyday in her poorly constructed and enslaved confinement.
Almost all Nigerian parents prevent their wards speaking even their mother tongue.
I once met one of my students who is half a Delta and half Yoruba by birth. She can't communicate either in Delta language or Yoruba language. She only communicates in English language and she's proud of it. I would always tell her to learn her mother tongue because a day is coming that her ability to communicate in her mother tongue may be her saving grace...
I rest my case here.
God bless our Country Nigeria. Amen

fr3do:
Nonsense! Do you expect us to speak english exactly like the british? This is Nigeria and thats Nigerian english for you.
I expected you to criticize their horrible foreign accents.

may God bless you, especially the OAP who.we all know were born and bred here in nigeria in relatively bad neighborhood, forming britiko

What of "Brought to the fore" and "I assure you" in IBB's voice.

Sodiq3:
This is what you should expect when most of our reporters and editors are SSCE holders or graduates of other fields. How many of them read Journalism? most of them by chance found themselves reporting for a medium, They don't really have passion for the profession which would definitely make learning difficult for them.

Thanks so much Op. As an upcoming journalist, I will with all energy available take into cognizance the pointed mistakes and corrections.

Exactly what I said to my father, just yesterday. People turn up their noses to study certain fields, but then end up working at those very things, with something like a microbiology degree. No wonder nothing gets done the way it's supposed to. From Nollywood cameramen and directors who actually studied some random science course because of so-called prestige, to the journalists referenced in this article.

And to those people yammering about my father's language (as usual), it's not entirely about English. It's about CARELESSNESS and an infuriatingly dismissive attitude towards QUALITY, that is evident in every aspect of our professionals.

How many times have you seen typos in a printed medium: a newspaper, a poster, film credits, even on TELEVISION? Wrong names and facts in articles, misshapen or blurry photos... misuse of English sayings is the least of these.

#TiredOfMediocrity

Original Poster, i guess u school at England

manny4life:


Majority will depend on the number of speakers right? American English is widely accepted as "correct" because they made it so. Why can't Africans and Nigerians precisely, speak their pidgin?

Stop with this argument. Firstly, this article is NOT about Pidgin, which is clearly and globally recognized as different from Standard English.

Re: your comparison: American English is standardized. Is Nigerian English standardized? You can't just accept all grammar errors and misuse and classify it as "Nigerian English". First of all, that's insulting to Nigerians.

English as a language has no permanent rule. There's always a change.

scampered for safety

SaintRobs:
5.“Names withheld.” This expression rankles

6.“Electioneering campaign:” “Electioneering” and “political campaign” mean the same thing. So “electioneering campaign” is tautologous. It’s either electioneering or campaign.

I thought I was the only one that get irked whenever I heard electioneering campaign with the Nigeria media illiterate graduates. It's like saying short-knickers.
Another nonsensical one is the misuse of the expression " Mr President" as if it's a name, instead of a quantification of a title. And you use it mostly when the person is in your presence if you decide not to call him by his name.
I have heard Mrs Jonathan used the same Mr President instead of saying my husband.

eziotu:
English as a language has no permanent rule. There's always a change.

Don't kid yourself. Every language has a rule. Don't tell me that my dynamic Igbo language do not have rules.

oh eeet oh... = 080...

Jasi7:


Pls can finish up that true life story....plssssssssssssssssssssssssss,ive been creating video scenes in my head of how all u wrote hapened...its really disturbing

sure
expect an update today

ellalina:

sure
expect an update today

Confirm...u too much jare

pyyxxaro:
English Migwo

Bros I for like make you teach Patience Jonathan first , b4 you teach us

area, dis warri people sef... u wan kill me with. laff.the op try sha....

It baffles me that most Nigerians are still ignorant of the fact the Nigeria is a native of the English language as it is the country's official language.

When a language is your lingua franca, you are expected to be a native speaker of such a language. Therefore knowing how to express yourself fluently and accurately in it should be a priority.

So asking if the OP can write or even speak his local language is not only pointless but senseless.

@Topic, OP thank you for such an enlightening subject. Believe me, most of this over used and ill-used expressions is one of the reasons I can't stand Nigerian journalists.

@OP, I wonder who, between you and patrick obahiagbon speaks the best english.

Hmmm

Mr. President is a formal way..unlike president


If you are addressing the president directly and protocols has to be observed you will not call him Mr. Jonathan or President...if its in a formal way you can say Mr. President

Campaign and Electioneering are basically same, so media is wrong


just like saying short but brief statement...both are same...either short statement or brief


just like saying he is living up at the 12ft floor...12 floor is just up, why telling us that he is up and at 12th floor

I no be britico



lol


You did a good one



but instead of committing suicide why dont they kill themselves...Patience


lol

Eziachi:
I thought I was the only one that get irked whenever I heard electioneering campaign with the Nigeria media illiterate graduates. It's like saying short-knickers.
Another nonsensical one is the misuse of the expression " Mr President" as if it's a name, instead of a quantification of a title. And you use it mostly when the person is in your presence if you decide not to call him by his name.
I have heard Mrs Jonathan used the same Mr President instead of saying my husband.