"Japa," a Nigerian slang term meaning "to escape with the intention of not returning," has gained widespread popularity in the Nigerian public sphere. Studies on migration in the Nigerian context have focused on the socio-economic implications of emigration, with inadequate attention paid to the linguistic and discourse analysis of talks and texts on the recent quest to emigrate to the West, primarily to find greener pastures. This study adopted a qualitative critical discourse analytical approach to analyse a purposively selected dataset of 152 pro-japa Facebook posts between 2022 and 2024, using Van Leeuwen's theory of legitimation because of its emphasis on legitimation, ideology, and context in discourses. The findings reveal that authorisation, evaluation, rationalisation, and mythopoesis construe japa as necessary given the unfavourable situation in Nigeria.
Youth language scholarship has often centred on male-dominated, mixed-gender urban contexts, reinforcing the assumption that males drive linguistic innovation. This study challenges that narrative by examining the creativity, social functions, and gendered dynamics of youth language among young women in three female-only tertiary institutions in Ghana. Drawing on qualitative interviews, observations, and focus group discussions, the analysis highlights female students' metalinguistic reflections, motivations, and the social meanings of their linguistic choices. The findings reveal a vibrant linguistic culture marked by humour, playfulness, secrecy, and identity work. The young women actively construct expressive codes to foster belonging, manage emotions, and negotiate gendered expectations. Their innovation flourishes without male peers, contesting the view that youth language is inherently male-driven. This study broadens global scholarship on youth language by highlighting female-only spaces as fertile grounds for linguistic creativity and calls for recognition of hidden, intimate practices as legitimate and influential forms of youth language.
Ancient Greece is often portrayed as the birthplace of diverse intellectual and cultural traditions. In Johannesburg, the Greek diaspora draws on such associations with antiquity to signal authentic group belonging. This article examines how references to antiquity are used to construct and inscribe Greek cultural identity in the contemporary city. Using multimodal data-photographs, field notes, interviews, and archival newspaper articles-the study shows that allusions to Greek antiquity play a central role in shaping the city's semiotic landscape. These practices are probably linked to more than a century of deliberate nation-building efforts by Greece since independence. The article contributes to scholarship on the influence of non-colonial diasporas on Johannesburg's semiotic landscape and extends sociolinguistic research on the Greek diaspora in South Africa.
In 2020, the University of Cape Coast's School of Medical Sciences introduced the Akan proficiency course to address linguistic disconnects usually observed during community-based experience and service rotations. This study adopts an interpretive phenomenological design to explore medical students' perspectives on how the course enhances their clinical competence. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and analysed thematically. The findings reveal a significant evolution in student perceptions: the course was initially viewed as an academic burden and a form of linguistic imperialism but later seen as an indispensable clinical tool for professional practice. The course facilitated access to localised disease terminologies and was crucial to building trust and psychological comfort. However, students found the course's short duration challenging and expressed the need for more practical sections. Based on these results, recommendations for strengthening this language-based medical education initiative have been offered for consideration.
