International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume V, Issue X, October 2021|ISSN 2454-6186 www.rsisinternational.org Page 496 Teachers‟ Experiences with Yoruba-English Bilinguals: Implications for Learning Yoruba and English in Public Primary School Classroom in Ekiti State, Nigeria Oladunni O. Deji-Afuye and Felicia T. Obadare Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere-Ekiti, Nigeria Abstract: This study investigated teachers’ experiences with Yoruba-English bilinguals in public primary schools in Ekiti State. The sample used for this study consisted of one hundred (100) public primary schools teachers in the state. A simple self- developed questionnaire was used to get information from the respondents regarding their experiences with their pupils concerning the pupils’ communication behaviour and competence in Yoruba and English. The research hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance during the study. The findings showed that the pupils found it relatively more comfortable to communicate in their mother tongue than in the English language; that the issue of general preference for the use of English in the Nigerian educational sector which had imposed communication in the language on the pupils and their teachers was a major factor constraining the use of mother tongue at the elementary schools; and that teachers had resorted to the use of code mixing/switching to ensure pupils’ learning and understanding. These findings indicated that there were significant effects of English-Yoruba bilingualism on Yoruba and English learning among public primary school pupils in Ekiti State. This has negatively affected the learning of both languages by the pupils. Thus, the study recommended that the implementation of early Mother Tongue instruction should be made workable by ensuring adequate development of the mother tongue; teachers’ competence in the mother tongue; availability of teaching materials to be used and proper monitoring of the school to follow the stipulations in the policy. Key words: experiences, bilingual, mother tongue, teaching, learning, indigenous language. I. INTRODUCTION ven though Nigeria has over four hundred indigenous languages as well as a number of non-indigenous ones, English has gained more prominence than any of the languages. One of the things indicating the aforementioned issue is the widespread of bilingualism among Nigerians. The multilingual nature of the country has created much room for English to be considered as a unifying language. The knowledge of English is a plus to any Nigerian child as it is the instrument with which we determine the quality and quantity of education possessed by the users (Deji-Afuye & Obadare, 2019). This explains why both literate and non- literate accord respect for whoever has good proficiency in English. This further explicates why the situation of the country is now evolving semi-exoglossic bilingualism whereby English and one indigenous language are learned mostly by the educated ones. The present language learning environment in Nigeria has been created by the contact and conflict that exist between the English language and the indigenous languages whereby, according to Dada (2007), the indigenous languages are already conquered by the English language. Hence, most learners are now exposed to indigenous languages that have been influenced by English. Moreover, the dominance of English at the present has obviously reduced the use of the indigenous languages among Nigerians, especially children (Adegbite & Babalola, 2008; Ajepe & Ademowo, 2016). The fact remains that children are no longer encouraged to acquire their mother tongue as their first language. Instead, some are exposed to both the mother tongue and the second language at virtually the same time with more preference for English while some are not even given any opportunity to have a taste of their mother tongue at all. From the foregoing, it is apparent that English has influenced many Nigerian indigenous languages in a number of ways. According to Akere (2004) not only has the English language provided some lexical items that have been loaned and assimilated into these indigenous languages, it has also influenced the linguistic habits of many Nigerian bilinguals in their mother tongue and the English language. Furthermore, in the words of Akere (2004: 276), There are many literate Nigerians today who command native-speaker competence (spoken and written) in English language. But, although they can speak their mother tongue, they cannot produce any lengthy discourse in it; and, for many of them, it is just an impossible task for them to write an informal letter to their friends and close relations. Many of them cannot deliver a public address in their mother tongue. Oluga and Babalola (2012) have noted that there are several implications for the decline in the use of the indigenous languages. One of these implications is a situation whereby learners are becoming semi-lingual or limited bilinguals E