THE EFFECTS OF THE MASS MEDIA ON STANDARD ENGLISH USAGE.

CHAPTER ONEINTRODUCTION1.1 Background to the StudyWithout a question, English retains its worldwide standing as a world language, as the most commonly spoken language in the world, particularly outside of its homeland. This is in contrast to Mandarin Chinese, which, while having the highest number of speakers in the world, is … See more

CHAPTER ONEINTRODUCTION1.1 Background to the StudyWithout a question, English retains its worldwide standing as a world language, as the most commonly spoken language in the world, particularly outside of its homeland. This is in contrast to Mandarin Chinese, which, while having the highest number of speakers in the world, is mostly spoken in China. “One look at the global map indicates that English today exists in every strategic corner of the planet, either as a mother tongue, as an official or second language,” writes Ukoyen (2005, p. 34). According to a study, English is used in more than half of the world's scientific publications (Ogunkeye, 2004). The internet's primary language is currently English. The language "serves as a language of power, inclusion, and exclusion in global activities" all over the world (Egwuogu, 2011, p. 31). Despite its colonial origins, English has evolved into a language that has a significant impact on its immediate surroundings, often dominating the linguistic landscape. Despite the language's non-indigenous nature in the nation's linguistic family, it has established itself as a second language in Ghana, where it was previously a foreign language. The usage of English in most of Ghana's linguistic areas ensures that it will continue to be used as a second language for a long time. “The...language came to us through colonialism, but, like colonial religion, it has developed beyond being a simple remnant of colonialism,” according to Egya (2008/2009, p. 3). It has become part of everyday life in many poor countries throughout the world. Unlike some other foreign languages, which are restricted to the classroom or diplomatic circles, the usage of English is not limited. English is a language that is learned and widely used in Ghana, in addition to the vernacular (a variety of mother tongues). The English language's dominance in Ghana, like Nigeria's, is obvious in its superimposition on the country's various indigenous languages (Akeredolu-Ale & Alimi, 2002), as well as its inclusion in Ghanaians' socio-economic and political lives (Joshua, 2002). At the national level, it is the language of governance and administration, and it is quickly becoming the same at state levels across the country. The country's laws, as codified in the Republic of Ghana's Constitution of 1992, are coded and interpreted in English, with occasional translations into indigenous languages. Furthermore, English is the primary language of broadcast and reporting in Ghana's mass media (particularly the electronic and print media). Indeed, except for a few instances where local languages are used, all of Ghana's national newspapers (including the "Daily Graphic," "Daily Guide," "Phobia News," "Ghanaian Times," and "The Mirror") are written in English. Mass media relate to communication technology, which may be utilized to disseminate information and connect with a wider audience in multiple languages (Sociology Central, 2011). (Sociology Central, 2011). It comprises graphic communications of the early eras, or the advance-technology media that are available now. It has evolved into a necessary component of man's existence. Media and entertainment are inseparable. Information, advertising, sales, and marketing can all be shared more effectively through the media. There are three types of mass media: (i) print media, which includes newspapers, magazines, booklets and brochures, and billboards; (ii) electronic media, which includes television and radio; and (iii) news age media, which includes smartphones, electronic books, tablets, internet, and computers. The mass media are strong instruments for setting agendas and bringing attention to issues, solutions, or persons in ways that benefit the powerful while detracting from opposing individuals or groups (McQuail, 1983, p. 90). Furthermore, they promote knowledge development by assuring growth, sustenance, and preservation through documentation. Indeed, “information encourages group action since it is impossible to coordinate and modify without it” (Yusuf & Isah, 2001, p. 201). This is where appropriate language, both in terms of choice and intelligibility, becomes critical. Standard English is described as "spoken and written English that is deemed acceptable by most people" by the Macmillan Dictionary (2010). Pyles and Algeo (1993) go on to say that "part of the idea about Standard English is that it is christened the real form of the discourse and that other forms are wrong." Standard English is the “dialogue of choice both in government and the law; it is the dialect of literacy and education; and it is the dialect of the upper social classes” and renowned version of English, they state again. Pyles et al. (1993) go on to say that adopting Standard English in such high-status situations as the ones listed above strengthens Standard English's status. Furthermore, it implies that using Standard English is required for participation in high-status functions/contexts. Accents show this plainly. Received Pronunciation (RP) is a British English variant, for example. There are “three main types of RP: conservative, general, and advanced.”Conservative RP is a historic accent associated with older speakers from specific socioeconomic backgrounds, whereas General RP is typically regarded neutral in terms of the speaker's age, career, or lifestyle, and Advanced RP is the speech of the newer generation of British speakers.” This type is frequently referred to as "British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) English," according to Rönnerdal and Johansson, because it is utilized in the media as well as in public schools. Approximately 3% of native English speakers use Received Pronunciation (2005:12). Pyles et al. (1993) go on to say that Received Pronunciation is the affluent and educator’s accent, which doesn't reveal where the speaker is from. Linguists have discovered that, due to the widespread usage of English over the world, there are various different variants of the language. This is especially evident in locations where native English speakers once invaded. These types are distinct from one another as well as from the common varieties prevalent in Native English-speaking areas. English is often used alongside various local languages in these situations, typically as an important second language with an official role. The exoglossic language is inevitably influenced by its linguistic and socio-cultural context in various language contact circumstances (Kioko & Muthwii, 2015). This is referred to as nativisation and/or acculturation. English is utilized to transmit people's socio-cultural experiences, and it is no longer regarded as a foreign language, but rather as one of several languages that multilingual speakers can employ. “Consequently, the English language in these circumstances acquires some structural elements that make it different from native English at all linguistic levels” (Kioko & Muthwii, 2015). (Kioko & Muthwii, 2015).Mohammed (2003, p. 646) situates it more concisely: “Since people learn about new breakthroughs in science and technology through the mass media, mass communicators must package the message efficiently for the end users.” He goes on to explain that if English must be used, it must be simplified for the average person to read, in keeping with Defoe's concept of a language of mass communication (Ashe, 1972). Hicks (1998, p. 1) sums up the situation by advising journalists to write in plain English for their audience, avoiding jargon, slang, pomposity, academic obscurity, and jargon.. To mobilize people, it is necessary to use acceptable language that is communicated in a clear and straightforward manner, among other things. As agents of growth and development through communication, the media should enable free flow of information by making new development ideas available to the majority of the population through proper choice and a level of language that is easily understandable. “As it is today, there is no other language...for official and inter-ethnic communication aside from...English,” according to the Nigerian government. The question isn't whether we embrace it or not; it is how one uses it to meet the communicative and social needs of people” CITATION Egy09 \p 33 \t \l 1033 (Egya, 2008/2009, p. 33).Information need and its widespread dissemination has always been apparent, even in man's infancy, because information is "a data value in decision making that works as the live wire of every organization," according to Momodu (2001, p. 30), quoting World Book Encyclopedia. “Communication is a necessary aspect of social cohesion at whatever evolutionary level,” Banjo and Unoh (1976, p. 62) had previously stated. In many multilingual countries, it is considered as a language bridge across the mucky waters of Babel of voices. “As a window to the world, English is seen as the finest method of achieving economic, social, and political success,” it has been said (Svartvik & Leech, 2006, p. 7). The Bible confirms this by saying, "...who shall ready himself for the war if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound?" (I Corinthians 14: 8). Similarly, who will understand what is communicated and then prepare for participation in sustainable national development if those who are to disseminate comprehensible development messages to the people use inappropriate or complex language, especially when the language is not indigenous? This makes publishing in vernacular languages unattractive. In terms of development, English is an irresistible language because “English language becomes a sine qua non for any nation, particularly in the third world, to be relevant and derive maximum benefit from the opportunities that abound in every area of human need, for both personal advancement and national development” (Babajide, 2002, p. 52). This is considerably more persuasive in the context of globalisation. This is why English continues to be the development language in the great majority of developing nations across the world, as well as in some developed Asian countries where it is studied and used as a foreign language. According to research, comprehensibility is hampered by Nigerian journalists' complex use of English (Owolabi, 2007), but this is unique to the print media, since the electronic media's use of English is understandable to encourage people to engage in sustainable development. Nigerian print journalists may not be alone in their sophisticated usage of English. Pickup (1989, p. 5) observes that “journalists all seem to share a great delight in juggling with words” and concludes that while unnatural use of words through the adoption of figurative expressions may be highly inventive and fulfilling for journalists, it is linguistically challenging for readers who are not as linguistically endowed as the writers. According to Nostrand and Pettigraw (nd), a writer and his reader have a contract, and if the writer forgets his reader's frame of reference, he fails to communicate. Because “no reader will make an effort to understand if the writer has not first made an attempt to communicate,” a writer should not presume that gratifying oneself would satisfy readers (Nostrand & Pettigraw, p. 62). Information must flow unhindered if people are to be actively involved in progress, especially in developing multilingual nations, because nothing happens without information unless it is divine (Womboh & David, 2002). 1.2 Statement of ProblemMass media as amply demonstrated above serve a critical role in the lives of people around the globe with information and education. Another vital role of the mass media according to experts is the agenda setting by focusing public attention on key public issues through a well-tailored and documented influence. People get real knowledge about current events through the news media, and readers and viewers learn how much importance to place on a topic based on the media's attention on it. Newspapers, radio stations, and television stations present numerous indicators of the importance of a topic in the daily news, such as lead stories, front page headline articles, and the amount of time devoted to a story item. Ghana has a solid legal and regulatory framework for the media, guaranteeing that it has the space and freedom to operate. Ghana has detailed media provisions, according to the Africa media barometer report for 2013, and the constitution acknowledges the essential function of the media as the watchdog of society and the state. It also makes it a responsibility for all agencies of the mass media, whether state-owned or commercial, to be free to respect the constitution's principles, provisions, and aims, and to hold the obligation of maintaining government accountability to the people. The National Media Commission (NMC), which was established by the constitution to govern the media and defend media freedom and independence, is another example of this. Given the constitutional and legal framework within which the Media operate and the fact that it is the watchdog of both society and the state, it is important to examine the possible effects that the Media have in promoting the use of Standard English in Ghana.The mass media's educational significance in helping readers develop their English language skills cannot be overstated. Yanar and Tutunis (2016) conducted a study to assess the usefulness of authentic resources in the mass media for learning colloquial English. The study's findings demonstrated the benefit of providing realistic materials in the development of foreign language speaking skills. On the one side, the study looked at the data acquired from EFL students' speaking, and on the other, it looked at the effectiveness of real mass media materials. The questionnaire revealed considerable evidences of the research undertaken rather than non-authentic course book contents, and the outcome showed a significantly high success rate of 80 percent. In comparison to the beginning of the year, the rate of precisely and fluently speaking a foreign language in class increased, according to the survey. Furthermore, the study's findings demonstrated that actual mass media materials used in class are far more effective and efficient than those found in textbooks.Indeed, mass media tools provide learners with authentic experiences and resources that capture their attention and aid in the comprehension of language mechanics. They discovered that, notwithstanding their ignorance, English students believed that mass media tools had a beneficial impact on their speaking skills. Similarly, Heinich (1996) believes that the media plays an important role in education. It has the potential to become a teacher or an interlocutor. Students' listening, accuracy, and fluency tend to improve as a result of exposure to the media. Students who are exposed to mass media tools or materials a lot, are more likely to produce more common daily expressions. This is even highly possible when the mass media tools or materials in question are chosen according to the spoken language in the context.Additionally, notwithstanding the fact that the Media presents so many programmes for public consumption mostly in English, it is imperative to examine how the Media have possibly affected Standard English usage in Ghana and many parts of Africa. Ukoyen (2005) presented a paper at Ekiti State University's Department of English and Literary Studies and the University of Ilorin's Department of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages. The article focuses on the English language and the media as tools for long-term growth in a multilingual country. The document revealed that the English utilized was a simplified version of Standard English that could be understood by the general public. Another research titled print media as a resource in the development of Cameroon English by Camilla Arundie Tabe (year of publication ) of the University of Maruoa showed that the print media mixed indigenous languages to Standard English to narrate and give a proper accounts of events to the admiration of the local masses. Thus, the print media were seen borrowing indigenous words and employing idiomatic expression to covey meaning not be found in Standard English. This research is grounded on the assumption that the Mass Media influence Standard English usage. It is against this backdrop that the researcher saw it necessary to find out the possible effects of the Mass Media (particularly Electronic and Print media) on Standard English usage in Ghana, using Sunyani as a case study. The study thus examines the connection between the Mass Media and Standard English as perhaps in some jurisdictions mentioned above. The purpose of this study then is to bridge this gap in the literature in Ghana and also to contribute to the literature on Media and Standard English usage.

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