Globalization And English Language Education In Nigeria

Education and ethnicity, culture and religion, and indeed all of man’s endeavour cannot be discussed without taking language into account. This paper therefore discusses language complexity and ethnic plurality which is largely brought about as a result of globalization. Globalization processes such as immigration and internationalisation lead to contact situations in which different people with their different and or distinct languages and cultures meet. These contacts have consequences at a content level i.e for the languages and cultures involved at an individual level i.e for the users of these languages and cultures; and at an institutional level, i.e for the societal structures in which these languages and cultures are situated. The paper further reveals that while there is now greater recognition of the importance of language both for economic and educational development, as well as human rights, the forces of globalization are leading towards uniformity in the language use, in culture and even in education.