This research carries out a sociolinguistic phenomenon of code switching in Urhobo language. Its aim is to explore and analyze Urhobo language from a sociolinguistic perspective in the context of English as a second language in Nigeria. This will go a long way to offer a sociolinguistic insight to the contributions of Urhobo language, culture and way of life in the sociolinguistic context of English as a second language. 

The data for the study was sourced and collected orally from competent Urhobo native speakers from the context of use and Urhobo music. The qualitative and analytic research designs were adopted for the analysis. In all, some Urhobo language statements were analyzed using Dell Hyme’s Ethnography of Communication theory as the major analytical framework with insights from Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis. This is because of the relevance of Dell Hymes’ SPEAKING which accounts for such sociolinguistic variables as setting, scene, participants, ends, act sequence, instrumentality and genre as is evidenced in the data; and how the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis allows this study to relate its data to aspects of Urhobo world view and culture. 

On typology, Adedimeji’s (2003) typological classification is applied for the classification of the data into types. It was discovered that SPEAKING allows for a comprehensive understanding of the data for this study as a result of its explicit and analytic potentials while the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis shows aspect of Urhobo culture that manifest in Urhobo Language.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  - - - - - - - - i

Approval Page/Certification - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -ii

Dedication - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  - - - - - -  iii

Acknowledgements - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -   iv

Abstract - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  - - - - - v

Table of Contents - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - viii

CHAPTER ONE: GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -1

1.2Statement of the Problem - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - 3

1.3 Objectives of the Study -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  4

1.4 Research Question - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  4

1.5 Significance of the study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5

1.6 Scope of the Study- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -6

1.7 Operational Definition of Terms - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -8

2.2 Conceptual Frame Work - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8

2.3 Concepts of Sociolinguistic - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -9

2.4 Examining Urhobo Language From Sociolinguistics - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 11

2.5 Showing the Socio - Cultural Relevance, Communicative Effect and Conversational Value of Urhobo Language - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -12

2.6 Examining the Functions of Language in Relation to the Linguistic Community and by Extension the Society in General - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -13

2.7 Summary - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -17

CHAPTER THREE: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -18

3.2 Research Design - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 18

3.3 Population of the Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- 18

3.4 Sample Size and Sampling Procedure - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -19

3.5 Instrumentation- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -19

3.6 procedure for Data Collection - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -20

3.7 Method of Data Analysis - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 20

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

4.0 Introduction - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 21

4.1 Presentation of Data - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 21

4.1.1 Response Rate - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 21

4.2 Demographic Information of the Respondents - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -22

4.3 Discussion of Findings - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 30

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

5.0 Introduction - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 31

5.1 Summary - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  - 31

5.2 Conclusion - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -32

5.3 Suggestions for Further Research - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -32

Appendix - -33

Bibliography - - - - - - - - 36