Attitudes Toward Yoruba Language Standardisation Among Speakers of the Ijebu Dialect

Language standardisation processes impose a normative variety on diverse dialectal communities, inevitably generating attitudinal responses ranging from acceptance and identification to resistance and linguistic identity assertion. This study investigates attitudes toward Yoruba language standardisation among speakers of the Ijebu dialect in Ogun State, South West Nigeria. Using a mixed-methods design combining matched guise experiments, attitudinal questionnaires, and focus group discussions, data were collected from 150 Ijebu Yoruba speakers across Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Igbo, and Ijebu North local government areas. The study applies language attitude theory, specifically Gardner's socio-educational model and Giles' accommodation theory, alongside Yoruba dialect geography research to contextualise attitude findings. Existing research on attitudes toward Yoruba standardisation has relied primarily on questionnaire methods and has not systematically sampled speaker attitudes across major dialects. This study fills that empirical gap with Ijebu-specific data. The research examines whether Ijebu speakers identify positively with standard Yoruba or perceive it as a culturally alien Oyo-based imposition, how age and education level mediate standardisation attitudes, and whether strong Ijebu dialect identity co-exists with acceptance of standard Yoruba as a formal register. Findings are expected to reveal high practical acceptance of standard Yoruba for formal and educational purposes alongside strong emotional attachment to the Ijebu dialect for cultural and identity expression. Recommendations will address dialect inclusion in Yoruba standardisation policy and the development of dialect-sensitive Yoruba language education materials. Keywords: language standardisation, Ijebu dialect, Yoruba, language attitudes, dialectal identity.