LANGUAGE POLICY AND PLANNING VERSUS IMPLEMENTATION IN ONDO STATE A BLESSING OR A CURSE?

Abstract

Several efforts have been made to influence the function of language in Nigeria owing to its long historical antecedents in the country. Language policy, planning and development is a deliberate effort to influence the function, Structure, or acquisition of languages or language variety within a speech community. It is often associated with government planning, but is also used by a variety of non-governmental organizations, such as grass-roots organizations and even individuals. The goals of language planning differ depending on the nation or organization, but generally, it includes making planning decisions and possibly changes for the benefit of communication. Despite many efforts that have been made to influence the function of language in Nigeria owing to its long historical antecedents in the country, yet scholars are still observing successive governments attempts coming up with different language policies that seemingly contribute to the development and decline of the use of language in Nigeria. This paper attempts to analyze the contribution of language policy and planning to the development and function of languages in the pre-colonial Nigeria as well as the effects of language planning to the decline of languages as well as the reduction of students admitted for indigenous language in Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) and perhaps in other universities in Nigeria recently