REFLECTIONS ON THE ROLES OF CODE-SWITCHING AND CODE-MIXING AS INNOVATION FACILITATORS IN NIGERIA

Résumé

Code-switching and code-mixing are common phenomena found in multilingual societies, such as Nigeria. These phenomena usually occur when multilinguals and bilinguals need to communicate effectively through a foreign language. This is to say that code-mixing and code-switching are effective communication tools, which can, directly and indirectly, facilitate innovations. The objective of this paper is to analyse the impacts of these linguistic phenomena and to reflect on how it can influence Nigerians to become more innovative. The study anchored its analysis on Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis of Linguistic Relativity and Rogers’ Innovation Diffusion Theory to reveal how communicating with people’s language could aid innovation. The researchers, thereby, concluded that since Nigeria is a multilingual nation, where a foreign language – English – is the only unifying factor, code-switching and code-mixing should be adopted for effective communication between innovators and the prospective adopters of their innovations.