Codemixing and effective communication: a study of University of Nigeria, Nsukka and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka undergraduates

Abstract

Language is the basic reason communication is made possible. It is essentially a means of communication among the members of a society. Based on this, the research appraises the nature of language use in the University environment especially as it concerns students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria. From the point of view of the theory of interactional sociolinguistics which uses discourse analysis to study how language users create meaning via social interactions, the study examines some peculiar codes that are used by the students of UNN and UNIZIK in their different locations: classrooms, hostels and relaxation centres; and how these codes create unimaginable meaning while communicating in English. These codes were tabulated and analysed based on their lexical and morphological implications. It is important to state that these codes are intelligible and acceptable among the users even though they make conscious effort not to use these codes in formal communications. However, when one is not familiar with the linguistic background of the users, the person may be at sea in the midst of these students during communication. Therefore, for one to understand these codes and the way students mix them in their English language expressions, one has to observe and study the linguistic structures of their language use.

Keywords: Code-mixing, effective communication, lexis, morphology