ASociolinguistic Analysis of Language Use in Selected Markets in Ado-Ekiti
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Date
2025-12
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Lead City University Ibadan
Abstract
This study examined how language is used in selected markets in Ado Ekiti, with a focus on the social meanings and cultural values that shape everyday communication. The study was based on the Interactional Sociolinguistics Theory, which explains how people use language in social contexts to create meaning and maintain relationships. The main objectives of the study were to identify the languages used by sellers and customers; to examine the language strategies they employed during interaction, and to explore the sociocultural factors that influenced their language choices. The study adopted a qualitative research design. Data were collected through observation and interviews from sellers, customers, and apprentices across three major markets in Ado Ekiti: Oja Oba, Oja Bisi, and Agric Market. The data were analyzed thematically. Findings revealed that Yoruba, Nigerian Pidgin, and English were the main languages used in the markets. Yoruba served as the dominant language, while English and Pidgin acted as bridge and prestige languages. Sellers used different strategies such as greetings, praise, humor, repetition, persuasion, and code-switching to attract customers and maintain friendly relationships. The study also found that sociocultural factors such as gender, age, level of education, social class, and the relationship between sellers and customers influenced language use. The study concluded that language use in Ado Ekiti markets went beyond business transactions. It reflected cultural values, social identity, and interpersonal relationships. The study contributes to knowledge by showing how everyday market interactions serve as a mirror of community life and how language helps to sustain social harmony in multicultural settings.
Keywords: Sociolinguistics, Market discourse, Ado Ekiti, Communication strategies, Interactional Sociolinguistics
Word Count: 253
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Keywords
Sociolinguistics, Market discourse, Ado Ekiti, Communication strategies, Interactional Sociolinguistics
Citation
Kate Turabian