A Survey of the Yoruba-English Translation Skills of Secondary School Students in Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Language and culture are Siamese twins that share the same heart. 
Yoruba idioms form a large window for showcasing culture through 
communication and by their interpretation into English language which 
is not only a central language in Nigeria but also the leading 
international language. This study investigated the knowledge of 
Yoruba idioms among Yoruba-speaking secondary school students in 
Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State. It also examined their 
ability to properly give a contextual interpretation to the idioms in 
English language. It also looked into the possibility of employing the 
English language itself as a metalanguage to revive and teach proper 
interpretation of Yoruba idioms into English language. Data collected 
from twohundred teachers and a focus group of fifty students 
wasanalysed using the chi square statistics and the descriptive survey 
method. Findings show that students have a poor knowledge of Yoruba 
idioms and they cannot properly interpret the few they know into 
English language. This already endangers a linguistic feature of the 
Yoruba culture. Recommendations include the use of modern 
technology and the English class in the promotion and the 
interpretation of Yoruba idioms into English language.