ECOLOGICAL FEATURES OF NSUKKA AND THEIR LINGUISTIC IMPACT

Abstract

This study examines the ecological features of Nsukka in south-eastern Nigeria and their influence on the Igbo language. Language ecology emphasises the interaction between language and its social, cultural, economic and geographical environments. Nsukka represents a complex ecological setting characterised by a blend of rural agrarian communities and an urban academic centre. This dual structure creates varying linguistic environments that affect language competence, dialect variation, language attitudes and patterns of code-switching. The study adopts a mixed-method ecological sociolinguistic approach combining survey data and interviews from selected Nsukka communities. The findings show that rural environments support strong Igbo competence and positive language attitudes, while urban and higher socio-economic environments encourage English dominance and code-switching. The paper concludes that ecological factors significantly shape the vitality, transmission and variation of the Igbo language and that language planning must consider these ecological realities.