Religious Issues and Foreign Language Learning in Nigeria: A Matter of Politics or Policies?

Abstract

This paper tends in the first instance, to look critically at the issue of religion,
then other issues like: attitude of teachers, parents and students as they
affect foreign language learning before looking at politics and government
policies as factors that mar or make the teaching/learning of foreign language
in Nigeria.
This is because, when it comes to foreign language learning, especially
French and Arabic in Nigeria, issues abound; as a matter of fact, most
Nigerian students are almost already divided along Christian and Islamic
religion lines. Some believing that French language is meant for the
Christians while others are of the opinion that its Arabic counterpart should
be for the Muslims.
As a form of conclusion, answers were provided to the question of
weather if it is politics or policies all in a bid to lay to rest, the popular and
erroneous bone of contention that a particular language belongs to a
particular religion.