STRUCTURE AND COMMUNICATIVE FUNCTIONS OF NIGERIAN ENGLISH AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON TEACHING WRITING SKILLS AT THE SSS LEVEL
ABSTRACT
English as it is spoken in Nigeria (Nigerian English) has been localized or internalized, to use a technical term. As a result, we have developed a distinct brand of English that is influenced by our various regional dialects and languages. As a result, there is a departure from the standard British English that our schools are said to use.
This difference could be seen in lexis, phonology, and grammar. Because of interferences and other factors, Standard English may not be attainable even at the acrolectal level. These interfering factors have an impact on speech and, ultimately, writing.
Writing is an essential part of a person’s life, and mastery of the written word cannot be overstated. As a result, the impact of Nigerian English on Nigerian teachers teaching writing skills at the SSS level is highlighted. According to Chomsky, young children are equipped with what is known as a Language Acquisition Device (LAD), which aids in language acquisition.
This means that children’s minds are “sponge-like.” This is a plus because they can be easily duped with the right information. This project focuses on SSS students because they are still young and can benefit from more effective writing training.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY
Language is a critical component of the educational process. It is a necessary aspect of communication. It has very strong fundamentals for creative thought, and without it, civilization and culture would make no meaningful progress, Makinde (1997:7).
The preceding citation investigates the abilities of language as a tool for communication and creative thought. Language is used to communicate ideas through the process of thinking, which can then be translated into speech or writing.
As a result, a country’s language of wider communication is critical to its progress and growth, even academically. Nigeria is a diverse and multi-ethnic country with approximately 410 languages. Mackey’s (1992:12). However, since the introduction of the English language in 1842, these various languages have influenced, or should we say, interfered with, the way Nigerians use language at the lexical, grammatical, and phonological levels of communication.
Despite the fact that English is Nigeria’s lingua franca, a distinct brand of English has emerged to meet the country’s sociolinguistic and communication needs (which is to an extent a deviation from standard British English).
This has resulted in a process of localization or domestication. Because English has been influenced by our indigenous languages, the way we write will also change as a result of this transformation. These variations were dubbed “unusual Nigerianisms.”
Adegbite (2001:27) highlights a reduced vowel system, reduced intonation systems, and voicing of non-voiced consonant endings on the phonological level. Thumb, song, lamb, vowel insertion in syllable consonants, and so on are examples.
In everyday conversation, we hear people stretch or contact words incorrectly. In coda position, for example, the post-vocalic/L/ is deleted: “bulk” is pronounced [bÉ], “help” is pronounced [hep]. Furthermore, the word “sit” is pronounced [si:t], “ship” is pronounced [i:p], and the word “beat” is contracted to [bit]. As a result, it is possible that these incorrect pronunciations will result in poor writing and spelling.
The grammatical level focuses on how various aspects of the English language are given a Nigerian twist. For example, the following is a common statement among Nigerian English users:
“Isn’t it true that he’s guilty?” (Wrong)
“Isn’t he the one who’s guilty?” (Correct)
Coinages (chewing stick, cash madam, go-slow, senior brother, co-wife), hybridizations (kiakia bus, bukateria), and direct translations (eran igbe) characterize the lexical level “”bush/mea!” and “ese gigun” long leg).
All of these have something to do with communication and communication processes. The main purpose of it is to convey a message. All of the factors and characteristics of Nigerian English contribute to our linguistic and communicative abilities.
Linguistic competence is frequently defined as a native speaker’s knowledge of his native language. Communication competence, on the other hand, refers to an individual’s capacity and ability to produce and comprehend utterances
that may or may not be grammatical but are appropriate in the socio-linguistic context in which they are used. This means that how Nigerians use language will have an impact on communication. Writing as a mode of communication will be the focus of this research.
Writing, according to Maduekwe (2007:157), is a “It is a personal act, an expression of oneself. It is based on intuition as well as reasoning about sensation and emotion, facts and meaning “.. Language, as previously stated, serves as the foundation for creative thought and communication.
The quality of written communication will be determined by how Nigerians think in their lingua franca, because what is in the mind is transferred to writing. According to Olatunji Felicia Funsho’s (1996) research, some university lecturers code switch from time to time for the effect and fun of it. When teaching, they use words like “Oyinbo” and “Ogbanje.”
The point is that if a teacher code switches or code mixes because they don’t know the English translation of certain terms or just for fun, their students will undoubtedly imitate them and incorporate these deviations into their writings.
In fact, she claims that during her research, some English Department lecturers tried not to code switch in class so that their students would not copy them. Others, however, admitted to doing so on occasion for the sake of illustration to distinguish between English and Yoruba. As an example,”
/The boy is on his way/ (article before noun)
/mo na mbo/ (noun before article)
When there was no exact match, they did (code switching and code mixing).
English equivalents for certain words or phrases, such as:
/mammywater/ /mammywater/ /mammywater/ (water spirits)
/Ogbanje, Abiku/ (Familiar spirits)
/Olokun/ /Olokun/ /Olokun/ (the female god of the sea)
If we bring this down to the Junior Secondary level, we know that teachers at this level are not exempt from making such deviations in their teaching. In fact, expressions such as “”Mammy water” and “ogbanje” are terms learned during the early years of basic education, which include SSS classes.
Such terms are used for children’s books in literature and English textbooks that include folktales and African stories. As a result, when students write about mermaids, they will use the term “mammy water.” “in place of The crux of the issue, then, is that when teachers say this
“Their students pick up on these things from the Nigerianized version of the English language, which has a negative impact on the quality of their writing.
Finally, writing is an art form that requires a certain level of mastery.
It is clear that “Nigerianisms,” code switching, and code mixing are common in our Junior Secondary classes; such mastery may never be attained. Students in the Junior Secondary Level are still impressionable and can be assisted in improving their writing skills.
In light of this, the purpose of this study is to determine the implications of the communicative functions of Nigerian English and how it affects the teaching of writing skills, with a focus on Junior Secondary School level students who are second language (L2) users of English, as well as the implications for English teachers who use Nigerian English in the classroom setting.
1.2 THE PROBLEM’S STATEMENT
“Learning to write fluently and expressively has been argued to be the most difficult of the macro-skills for all language users, regardless of whether the language in question is a first, second, or foreign language: Maduekwe (2007: 162).
Based on the relative difficulty of writing, it is clear that factors such as interference from mother tongue and our “unusual Nigerianisms” could mar or pose a threat to the quality of writing that comes from our youth, particularly SSS students who are still in their formative years and can be assisted in improving their writing skills.
Furthermore, we must recognize that interference factors and “Niqerianisms” affect not only students but also teachers, and especially teachers because they are the ones who teach writing to their students, which is a critical matter.
As a result, the study aims to determine the structure and functions of the Nigerian deviation of Standard English, as well as how this influences the acquisition of writing skills at the SSS level.
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF STUDY
The goal of this research is to
1. Evaluate students’ writing abilities at the SSS level.
2. Identify the areas of difficulty for English teachers who teach writing to students who speak English as a second language.
3. Determine the impact of “Nigerian English” on the writing abilities of S.S.S students.
4. Make suggestions for ways to improve writing skills at the SSS level.
1.4 QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH
The purpose of this study is to provide answers to the following questions.
1. What is the nature/quality of writing at the SSS level?
2. To what extent does language/native language influence teaching and learning?
Writing comprehension in both teachers and students in a second language situation (s)?
3. What effect does Nigerian English have on the writing skills of SSS students?
4. How can we promote the art of writing among Nigerian students, particularly at the SSS level?
1.5 THE IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY
This study will assist English language teachers in determining areas for improvement in teaching as well as modifications that can be made to existing teaching skills.
It will improve the writing quality of SSS students and help parents and society at large recognize the importance of writing as one of the four language skills required for academic excellence and societal growth.
This research will also benefit curriculum developers because it will provide information on variables such as the teacher, students, and society.
1.6 THE STUDY’S OBJECTIVE
The scope of this research will be limited to SSS students at a few secondary schools in Lagos. The context of the work deals with Nigerians in English and its impact on these students’ writing skills.
1.7 DEFINITIONS OF TERMS
The following are definitions of some difficult terms or words related to this research:
Nigerian English: English as it is spoken and used by Nigerians in their own way. Nigerians have also had an impact on it.
“Peculiar Nigerianisms”: the use and modification of English words as a result of the language’s localization in Nigeria. These expressions are unique to Nigerians.
a. Lexical: The words of a language.
b. Negative Transfer: Thinking or meaning in one’s native language and translating directly into the target language, such as English.
c. Phonologically: representing Vocal/Oral Sounds
d. Dialect: A regional form of speech or dialect of a given language.
e. Phonetically: Representing Vocal/Oral Sounds
Dialect: A regional form of speech or a dialect of a specific language.
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STRUCTURE AND COMMUNICATIVE FUNCTIONS OF NIGERIAN ENGLISH AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON TEACHING WRITING SKILLS AT THE SSS LEVEL
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