A Case for the Promotion of the Nigerian Pidgin English in the Corporate Workplace in Nigeria
Introduction
In Nigeria, Pidgin English currently suffers wide unacceptability in the workplace. According to Dadzie (1985), Nigerian Pidgin arose due to a felt need for communication between the colonizer and the colonized. Therefore, it is surprising that there is stiff resistance to the adoption of Pidgin English in formal and corporate settings. There are reported workplace rules against the use of Pidgin. It is termed informal and thus unfit for "formal" settings. The purpose of this study is to assert that there is a strong case for the adoption of Pidgin in the workplace in the era of globalization and increased acceptability of multilingualism in the workplace. The scope is not to erase the current use of the English language but to promote Pidgin English to at least a parallel language alongside English in the workplace.
The current globalized world of a new work order as described in the works of (Gee et al. 1996) and the advent of advanced technologies recognizes a multilingual workplace as a necessity. Employees are sensitized and admonished to interact effectively with colleagues and clients worldwide (Angouri & Miglbauer, 2014; Gunnarsson, 2013; van den Born Peltokorpi, 2010). There is a case for the inclusion of Pidgin English. Schneider 1966 argues that Pidgin is not a mere simplification of the English language but a different and describable language. Its vocabulary, though predominantly English, has its linguistic forms changed to suit the value system and worldview of the African people. In the Nigerian workplace situation, there is already increased adoption of local languages for increased fluidity and efficiency, whereas Pidgin is even well suited for such a task. Research conducted by Euromonitor International in 2009 shows that while 43 percent of the Nigerian population speak English, the closest language with such popularity is Pidgin, which has approximately 23 percent of the people. It is only logical to conclude that Pidgin should not be given the back seat when adopting multilingualism but considered a parallel to the English Language.
How Pidgin Can Help the Workplace
Accepting Pidgin English in the corporate workplace can help organizations achieve three results. First, it allows them to understand better, communicate, and connect with their customers. In the business context, currently, there are 33,460 companies in Lagos, Nigeria (Business List, 2017), all of which are keenly contesting to position their brands in the minds of their customers. The employees in these companies develop marketing strategies and advertising campaigns in English for their customers in which a vast majority cannot speak or write proper English (Vanguard, 2018). As a result of this illiteracy, about 75 million people- or customers- speak Pidgin English as their second language (BBC, 2016), and some five million speak it as their first language (Densmer, 2020). This portends a good marketing opportunity.
Considering that employees do not speak Pidgin English frequently, and officially, in the office, their vocabulary and use of the language is very restrained and are, therefore, not able to deeply connect with the customers during their advertisement jingles with the sophisticated English that not so many people optimally understand. Yet, Pidgin English would not only suit topical marketing strategies linked to current events but would also serve to create a more profound sense of engagement with consumers (Densmer, 2020). The cumulative effect of this would help organizations to increase their values, build their brand reputation, create customer engagement, increase lifetime values of customers, and increase top and bottom-line revenues for the organization (Bradley, 2012).
Asides from marketing, allowing employees to speak Pidgin English would also create a better customer relationship engagement. For example, organizations like banks with more than 73.2 million customers (Varella, 2021) and with a sizable number visiting the bank every day for different customer-related issues allow for more flexibility to engage non-English speakers. More importantly, customers- such as mechanics, carpenters, and a host of others who work in the informal sector- who are either unbanked or avoid banks because of their inability to speak and understand English- and the inadequacy and inferiority that comes with it- can be better engaged through a Pidgin-oriented customer service that allows them to feel connected to (Ogunjimi, 2018).
Secondly, allowing Pidgin English in the workplace would aid the organic team-building process in the organization. Common language generally fosters connection; Pidgin English can, especially, foster more connection in a multilingual setting, with people from different cultural backgrounds needing to communicate with one another in a more relaxing way (Agbo & Plag, 2020). Thus, allowing Pidgin English in the workplace would allow employees to engage in conversations because no standard rules are guiding its usage, unlike Standard English, where they have to abide by the rules of concord, syntax, phonology, and semantics, among others (Samphina Academy, 2020). This, therefore, makes employees feel more comfortable when they express themselves in Pidgin because they do not have to worry about breaking the rules of concord, syntax, grammar, among others. This, therefore, will allow them to share information freely with one another, thus fostering fruitful ideas exchange and sharing their repressed emotions, thus promoting healthy living. These altogether improve the team bonding efficiency beyond superficial office relationships.
Third, it shifts the basis for earning more from English speaking capability to performance-based ability. According to research by Euromonitor, based on interview respondents from companies, as well as recruitment agencies, individuals with strong English language skills typically earn as much as 30% more in terms of gross annual salary than non-English speakers, with their English skills one of the leading factors behind this (Pinon & Haydon, 2010). Furthermore, approximately two-thirds of companies interviewed stated that employees with a good command of English advance more quickly within the company. Therefore, most of the higher-educated graduates with the most robust levels of English are attaining the most senior positions (Pinon & Haydon, 2010). This report depicts who rises to the senior class can be decentralized if the performance abilities are based on holistic assessment rather than skewed towards English speaking ability.
While there are reservations around the use of Pidgin English in the workplace- with some scholars skeptical about the use, especially in official engagements (Azubuike, 2013); others view them as inferior languages and believe that those who use them are also inferior (Edionhon, 2018). However, they hinge their argument on the fact that Pidgin could adulterate an individual's capacities in written and spoken English (Azubuike, 2013). Considering that Pidgins are expanding daily as new lexical items are introduced into them, organizations can deploy a two-prong strategy: ask employees to speak in Pidgin while also organizing training on increasing their proficiency and writing official communications with clients, and document in English.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the advantages of imbibing Pidgin English as a language of communication in the workplace abound and can be measured. It holds various benefits, including increased market reach, in-house team bonding, and the opportunity to hire the right talent based on productivity levels instead of being assessed based on standard English-speaking practices. While the rebuttals for the acceptance of Pidgin English hold significance, it is a middle ground that can easily make a broader range of individuals feel relevant and included in the workplace. Hence, Pidgin English should be promoted as a way of communication in the corporate workplace in Nigeria.
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