ABSTRACT

This study explored the impact of code mixing and code switching on secondary school students’ written composition with a particular reference to Ijebu-Ode Local Government Area (LGA) of Ogun State. The study adopted survey research design. Structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the research participants drawn among audiences in Ijebu-Ode Local Government Area (LGA) of Ogun State. A total of 150 copies of questionnaire were administered to respondents during the field study, while a total of 143 copies were properly filled and returned. Data collected from the field work was analysed using frequency counts, simple percentage analysis, Chi-square and student t-test. Among other things the result revealed that: there is a significant impact of code mixing and code switching on secondary school students’ written composition, there is a relative impact of code mixing on learning of English language among secondary school students in Ijebu-Ode LGA of Ogun State, and there is a significant impact of code switching on secondary school students’ academic performance in English language. The study recommended that English language teachers in Ijebu-Ode Local Government Area (LGA) of Ogun State should adopt the technique of error analysis as a procedure for guiding against code mixing and code switching. This becomes very germane as the result of the study has revealed that there is a significant impact of code mixing and code switching on secondary school students’ written composition.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

The achievement of secondary school students in English written composition in Ijebu-Ode LGA of Ogun State is very discouraging. The students’ failure in English written composition is due to different types of errors which they commit and this may not be unconnected to code-switching and code-mixing.

The influence of code-switching and code-mixing on English language written composition in secondary schools in Ogun State, specifically in Ijebu-Ode LGA, is a crucial study because little has been documented so far. Code-switching and code-mixing on secondary students in Ogun State has been observed as one of the most common reasons for students learning poor and ungrammatical English language which results to produce teachers who teach students ungrammatical English language in secondary schools.

Hence, code-switching and code-mixing deserves attentions so that secondary school students can advance linguistically. However little has been done as code-switching and code-mixing still exists; this instigated the researcher to undertake this study particularly to examine the impact of code mixing and code switching on secondary school students’ written composition with a particular reference to Ijebu-Ode Local Government Area (LGA) of Ogun State.

1.3     Purpose of the Study

The general objective of this study is to examine the impact of code mixing and code switching on secondary school students’ written composition. Other specific objectives are:

        i.            To investigate the relative impact of code mixing on learning of English language among secondary school students’ in Ijebu-Ode LGA of Ogun State.

      ii.            To find out the impact of code switching on secondary school students’ academic performance in English language.

    iii.            To identify the reasons for code-switching and code-mixing in the learning of English language in secondary schools in Ijebu-Ode LGA of Ogun State.

    iv.            To provide recommendations on ways to avoid code-switching and code-mixing in learning English language.

1.4    Research Questions

This study is guided by the following research questions:

a)      What is the impact of code mixing and code switching on secondary school students’ written composition?

b)      What is the relative impact of code mixing on learning of English language among secondary school students’ in Ijebu-Ode LGA of Ogun State?

c)      What is the impact of code switching on secondary school students’ academic performance in English language?

1.5     Research Hypotheses

The research is intended to test the following hypotheses:

H_o1:  There is no significant impact of code mixing and code switching on secondary school         students’ written composition.

H_o2:     There is no relative impact of code mixing on learning of English language among secondary school students’ in Ijebu-Ode LGA of Ogun State.

H_o3:     There is no significant impact of code switching on secondary school students’ academic performance in English language.

1.6    Significance of the Study