Abstract
This study investigateslectal lexical use among Yoruba speakers of Nigerian English (NgE) in the United States, researching how lectal choice is shaped by age, education, exposure, and communicative context. Using recorded interviews of 40 participants, 25 younger (under 40) and 15 older (40 and above), the study analyses the distribution of basilectal, mesolectal, and acrolectal features in casual conversation and guided elicited narratives. Quantitative analysis reveals a striking divergence: younger participants used the basilect 75% of the time, while older participants significantly favored the acrolect (67%). A chi-square test of independence confirmed that the lectal distribution differed significantly between the two groups, χ² (2, N = 40) = 28.38, p < .001, with per-lect z-tests further showing that basilect and acrolect use were each highly significant (p < .001). In contrast, mesolect use showed no significant difference across age groups (p = .76). The study suggests that the intersection of educational background, migratory experience, and social identity conditions lectal choice in Nigerian English.
Keywords: Nigerian English, lectal
continuum, basilect, codeswitching, World Englishes, language and identity
DOI: 10.36349/sojolics.2026.v02i01.015
author/Abdulqayyum Olalekan AKINDELE
journal/Sokoto JOLICS 2(1) | June 2026 |
