The Language-Identity Nexus for Nigerian Mandarin Speakers: An Empirical Investigation

Language learning is intimately connected to identity construction, and the acquisition of Mandarin Chinese by Nigerians involves complex negotiations of national, ethnic, professional, and global identities that have not been empirically examined in the Nigerian applied linguistics literature. This study empirically investigates the language-identity nexus for Nigerian Mandarin speakers across three universities in Lagos, Enugu, and Kano. A qualitative-dominant mixed-methods design was adopted, with phenomenological interviews conducted with 45 advanced Mandarin learners from each of the three universities, supplemented by a survey of 180 students measuring identity orientation changes since commencing Mandarin study. Reflexive thematic analysis was applied to interview data. Results identify four dominant identity themes among Nigerian Mandarin speakers: the emergence of a cosmopolitan global identity that transcends Nigerian ethnic boundaries, heightened critical reflexivity about Nigerian-Chinese power relations, professional identity investment in Chinese language as a career differentiator, and occasional social stigma from peers who associate Mandarin learning with uncritical China alignment. Identity shifts are more pronounced among students with Chinese immersion experience. Ethnic identity remains stable and is not threatened by Mandarin acquisition. The study fills a significant gap in the applied linguistics literature on Nigerian language learners and contributes original phenomenological evidence on how Mandarin learning reshapes identity among African learners in ways distinct from European or Asian Mandarin learner populations.

Keywords: language identity, Nigerian Mandarin speakers, applied linguistics, identity construction, empirical investigation