LANGUAGE ENDANGERMENT AND THE SURVIVAL OF TYAP: IMPLICATIONS FOR TRANSITIONAL BILINGUAL EDUCATION

ABSTRACT

This study, entitled, “Language Endangerment and the Survival of Tyap: Implications for Transitional Bilingual Education” examined the phenomenon of language endangerment as it affects Tyap language. The study was triggered by concerns expressed by stakeholders in Tyap-land at a recent seminar that Tyap could be an endangered language. The study, therefore, set out to find out if Tyap was endangered, how such endangerment could affect the survival of the language, and the implications of such a development on bilingual education. To achieve the purpose of the study, research questions were formulated to establish whether Tyap is endangered or not, the variables responsible for the endangerment, which of the variables has the greatest impact in the endangerment of Tyap and the implications of the endangerment of Tyap for bilingual education.

In pursuit of the objectives of the study, questionnaire and informal interview were used for data collection. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics of frequencies for biodata variables and the mean standard deviation and standard errors including cumulative mean to answer the research questions. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) statistics was used to test the research hypotheses at 0.5 alpha level of significance to determine the relationship of the independent variable with the dependent variable (survival/endangerment of Tyap language).

The findings of the study showed that Tyap is endangered and that Hausa language and the non-transmission of Tyap by the older generation of Atyap to the younger generation largely accounted for the endangerment of Tyap. The study recommended, among other measures, that the Atyap Community Development Association (ACDA) should set up a committee to create awareness on the need for Atyap to rise up and save their language and another to work towards establishing vacation schools where older adults would provide pre-school child care where Tyap children could be immersed in the language. To achieve this end, a curriculum has been developed for the teaching of Tyap to young and adult Atyap. The study concluded that the fate of Tyap language lies in the hands of Atyap and urged them to rise up to the occasion and salvage their language.

LANGUAGE ENDANGERMENT AND THE SURVIVAL OF TYAP: IMPLICATIONS FOR TRANSITIONAL BILINGUAL EDUCATION