Paper short abstract:

This research, based on sociolinguistic and ethnographic interviews, investigates language attitude of Nigerians, Cameroonians and Ghanaians towards learning the German language. Results show that German is seen as an addition to an existing lingua-franca repertoire comprising English and Pidgin.

Paper long abstract:

This research contributes to the sociolinguistics of migration and globalisation. An investigation of the language attitude of Nigerians, Cameroonians and Ghanaians towards learning and acquiring of German will be guided by the generation 1 and generation 1.5 paradigms. Generation 1 constitutes recently arrived first-generation immigrants. Generation 1.5 comprises pre-adult children who either migrate with their parents or are brought over after a couple of years. These children, who already have a language and cultural behaviour upon migration, are stuck in-between two languages, two cultures, and two generations. The psychological experiences of these pre-adult immigrants, as opposed to the parent generation, display cultural and linguistic hybridity reflected in their attitude towards learning the German language. Generation 1.5 children are "cultural brokers" who negotiate between the host community and the parent generation. This responsibility serves as a vital motivation towards learning the German language. These children are very active within the African diasporic community; they translate and help as bridge-builders between their parents and the rest of the community. Language attitude viewed in this research as a disposition to react favourably or not towards the L2 under study will be examined under the social variables of age, gender, ethnicity and level of education. Ethnographic evidence found in formal and informal language use and linguistic practices of these two generations of speakers is obtained through semi-structured interviews and observations. Findings suggest that German is seen as an addition to an existing lingua-franca repertoire comprising English and Pidgin.