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THE ROLE OF THE FAMILY IN CHILD’S LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AND DEVELOPMENT IN FUNTUA EDUCATION ZONE, KATSINA STATE
There has been shortage of speculation about the origins of human speech. One general fact however is that no human being is born speaking a language. Some of the speculations about the origin of language include the divine source which holds that God created Adam and whatsoever Adam called every living creature that was the name there of (Genesis2:19). The Hindus also hold the view that language originated from the goddess Sarasvati, wife of Brahma, creator of the universe. Other view about the origin of language is the natural sound source which holds that the beginning of human speech is based on the imitations of the natural sounds which the people of old heard around them as made by objects (Yule,1-2).
One surprising thing however is that none of the available experiments supports any of the views above. As reported in Yule (2), the speculation that infants growing up without hearing any language would spontaneously begin using the original God given language has been proved wrong. The experiment of an Egyptian Pharaoh called Psammetichus around 600B. C. with two infants proved it wrong. According to this report, “after two years in the company of sheep and a mute shepherd; the children were reported to have spontaneously uttered not an Egyptian word, but Phrygian word ‘bekos’ “meaning bread”. The children may not have picked the word from any human being, but from the sounds made by sheep. The crux of the matter is that human infant is certainly helped in his or her language acquisition by the typical behaviour of the adults in the home environment; that is, adults interact with children to improve on their language acquisition.
There has been shortage of speculation about the origins of human speech. One general fact however is that no human being is born speaking a language. Some of the speculations about the origin of language include the divine source which holds that God created Adam and whatsoever Adam called every living creature that was the name there of (Genesis2:19). The Hindus also hold the view that language originated from the goddess Sarasvati, wife of Brahma, creator of the universe. Other view about the origin of language is the natural sound source which holds that the beginning of human speech is based on the imitations of the natural sounds which the people of old heard around them as made by objects (Yule,1-2).
One surprising thing however is that none of the available experiments supports any of the views above. As reported in Yule (2), the speculation that infants growing up without hearing any language would spontaneously begin using the original God given language has been proved wrong. The experiment of an Egyptian Pharaoh called Psammetichus around 600B. C. with two infants proved it wrong. According to this report, “after two years in the company of sheep and a mute shepherd; the children were reported to have spontaneously uttered not an Egyptian word, but Phrygian word ‘bekos’ “meaning bread”. The children may not have picked the word from any human being, but from the sounds made by sheep. The crux of the matter is that human infant is certainly helped in his or her language acquisition by the typical behaviour of the adults in the home environment; that is, adults interact with children to improve on their language acquisition.
THE REPRESENTATION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN SELECTED AFRICAN FICTION
The concept of disability as an entity worthy of study in African literature is hardly ever considered, yet it an engaging issue. Disability means different things to different people at different times and that is what the research work sought.
The four works under study: Aminata Sow Fall’s The Beggars’ Strike, Elechi Amadi’s The Concubine, Cyprian Ekwensi’s The Drummerboy, and Gabriel Okara's The Voice looked at the subject of disability and depicted persons with disabilities in these three dimensions. They achieved this through the use of some key literary devices that served as a medium to efficiently carry out the assignment of depicting persons with disabilities and their experiences.
The research work looked at the following as it discussed the subject of disability in these four texts: how disability is viewed in the selected works; the imagery that is recurrent in these works; how disability is connected to traditional, moral and ethical norms and what disability means for the subject.
This was achieved by doing a Marxist analytical study of some characters with disabilities in the texts in order to show the relationship between the disabled characters and society. This work discovered three ways disability has been portrayed in literature – positive portrayal, negative portrayal and ambivalent portrayal.
The concept of disability as an entity worthy of study in African literature is hardly ever considered, yet it an engaging issue. Disability means different things to different people at different times and that is what the research work sought.
The four works under study: Aminata Sow Fall’s The Beggars’ Strike, Elechi Amadi’s The Concubine, Cyprian Ekwensi’s The Drummerboy, and Gabriel Okara's The Voice looked at the subject of disability and depicted persons with disabilities in these three dimensions. They achieved this through the use of some key literary devices that served as a medium to efficiently carry out the assignment of depicting persons with disabilities and their experiences.
The research work looked at the following as it discussed the subject of disability in these four texts: how disability is viewed in the selected works; the imagery that is recurrent in these works; how disability is connected to traditional, moral and ethical norms and what disability means for the subject.
This was achieved by doing a Marxist analytical study of some characters with disabilities in the texts in order to show the relationship between the disabled characters and society. This work discovered three ways disability has been portrayed in literature – positive portrayal, negative portrayal and ambivalent portrayal..
Nigerians and Politeness Expression in the English Language: A Study of the Non-teaching Staff of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka
In Nigeria, the English language is the language of everyday communication, especially in work places. To support this, most employers of labour expect a high level of proficiency in the language skills, from would-be employees. However, probably because English is a second language in Nigeria, most Nigerians are yet to grasp its intricacies, they lack necessary linguistic capacity to express their feelings appropriately. Many a time, required tact and courtesy expected in social interactions during service encounters are found wanting. This often causes a setback in communication. One of such work places where the above stated is exemplified is the university community, the haven of polished people. The researcher’s focus in this study is, therefore, to show that everyday communication in the English language is to be peppered with linguistic politeness, demonstrate different ways in which communication could be face threatening and suggest how one could couch speeches and compositions with politeness strategies in order to sustain cooperative communication. The choice of the non-teaching staff of the University of Nigeria was made considering the fact that they are the service providers to students, staff and even visitors to the university community. The expositions, discoveries and suggestions of this study are worthy of note.In Nigeria, the English language is the language of everyday communication, especially in work places. To support this, most employers of labour expect a high level of proficiency in the language skills, from would-be employees. However, probably because English is a second language in Nigeria, most Nigerians are yet to grasp its intricacies, they lack necessary linguistic capacity to express their feelings appropriately. Many a time, required tact and courtesy expected in social interactions during service encounters are found wanting. This often causes a setback in communication. One of such work places where the above stated is exemplified is the university community, the haven of polished people. The researcher’s focus in this study is, therefore, to show that everyday communication in the English language is to be peppered with linguistic politeness, demonstrate different ways in which communication could be face threatening and suggest how one could couch speeches and compositions with politeness strategies in order to sustain cooperative communication. The choice of the non-teaching staff of the University of Nigeria was made considering the fact that they are the service providers to students, staff and even visitors to the university community. The expositions, discoveries and suggestions of this study are worthy of note.
STYLE AND LANGUAGE IN ORAL LITERATURE A STUDY OF TALES FROM IGBERE
Analyses of oral literature have for long concentrated on function and form, with little or no attention paid to the aesthetic and linguistic aspects. This work applies linguistic principles to the analysis of oral literature. The purpose is to arrive at an interpretation of the tales, based on the structure, to enable us study some of the lexical and grammatical categories isolated from the tales, and to attempt constructing a tentative theory of the linguistic properties of oral tale. After the introduction, the work is divided into four chapters. Chapter one is an introduction to the text. Chapter two presents a literature review of related works, chapter three is our research method while chapter four analyses a selection from our corpus, while five concludes the thesis. While analyzing lexical and grammatical categories in the tales, this thesis further argues that to understand the meaning of oral literature, one has to understand its distinctive language and style and concludes that narrators use words deliberately to achieve the reaction they desire from the audience.Analyses of oral literature have for long concentrated on function and form, with little or no attention paid to the aesthetic and linguistic aspects. This work applies linguistic principles to the analysis of oral literature. The purpose is to arrive at an interpretation of the tales, based on the structure, to enable us study some of the lexical and grammatical categories isolated from the tales, and to attempt constructing a tentative theory of the linguistic properties of oral tale. After the introduction, the work is divided into four chapters. Chapter one is an introduction to the text. Chapter two presents a literature review of related works, chapter three is our research method while chapter four analyses a selection from our corpus, while five concludes the thesis. While analyzing lexical and grammatical categories in the tales, this thesis further argues that to understand the meaning of oral literature, one has to understand its distinctive language and style and concludes that narrators use words deliberately to achieve the reaction they desire from the audience.
Adoption of Gender-Specific Innovations by Women in Gombe State
This work focuses on the Adoption of Gender-Specific Innovations by Women in Gombe State
THE DISCOURSE OF IMPOSED IDENTITY IN ISIDORE OKPEWHO’S CALL ME BY MY RIGHTFUL NAME AND RICHARD WRIGHT’S NATIVE SON
Identity studies in African-American literature, over time, have depicted the interaction between black and white Americans and the connectedness of black Americans to their root. This study has explored the theme of identity as influenced by the milieu to represent the place of African-Americans within the larger American society in relation to racism, segregation, culture, migration and social equality. However, most of the analyses of the theme of identity in African-American studies have examined identity either in relation to racism or as a reconnection to the African root. This study analyzes identity from another dimension. It explores identity as an inevitable imposition, an obligation made on the individual by forces, societal or supernatural, which are beyond their control and from which they have no power of escape, thus, making the individual a pharmakos of a destined self. In analyzing Isidore Okpewho’s Call Me By My Rightful Name and Richard Wright’s Native Son, this study, therefore, based on discourse analysis and identity theory, sets out to investigate how social structures impact on the structures of self, and the internal dynamics of self-processes as these impact on social behavior in the micro and macro units of action within the texts and its representation in language.Identity studies in African-American literature, over time, have depicted the interaction between black and white Americans and the connectedness of black Americans to their root. This study has explored the theme of identity as influenced by the milieu to represent the place of African-Americans within the larger American society in relation to racism, segregation, culture, migration and social equality. However, most of the analyses of the theme of identity in African-American studies have examined identity either in relation to racism or as a reconnection to the African root. This study analyzes identity from another dimension. It explores identity as an inevitable imposition, an obligation made on the individual by forces, societal or supernatural, which are beyond their control and from which they have no power of escape, thus, making the individual a pharmakos of a destined self. In analyzing Isidore Okpewho’s Call Me By My Rightful Name and Richard Wright’s Native Son, this study, therefore, based on discourse analysis and identity theory, sets out to investigate how social structures impact on the structures of self, and the internal dynamics of self-processes as these impact on social behavior in the micro and macro units of action within the texts and its representation in language.
PERCEPTION OF AGING AND KNOWLEDGE OF AGING ISSUES AMONG THE NIGERIAN YOUTH: IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL POLICY
The growing percentage of the elderly in the population has raised questions about
societies’ ability to meet their needs and about the economic and social consequences of
supporting them. In Nigeria at present, the population of the elderly (60 +) according to
the 1991 census is 4% of the population. There is also little or no government support for
the elderly as a group rather the care of the elderly in Nigeria is within the domain of the
family. It follows therefore that family members need to be socialised into such roles so
that they will automatically assume the role of caregivers at the right time. This study
explored how knowledgeable the Nigerian youth are about aging issues considering that
they are going to have the responsibility of taking care of the elderly in future either as
family members or as policy makers. In addition the study also examined some aging
stereotypes held by the Nigerian youth in order to ascertain, among other things, the way
they feel about the elderly generally. The study employed the questionnaire and focus
group discussions in data collection from a randomly selected sample of youths (15-30
years) in Anambra State. It covered three rural and one urban local government areas. The
sample size was eight hundred (800) youths. Information that was sought from the
respondents included personal characteristics, knowledge of government policy on the
aged, knowledge of aging issues, age stereotypes, perception of the aged, family
relationships, social support, etc. Six hypotheses were proposed and tested. The study
found that the Nigerian youth do not have adequate knowledge of issues that concern the
aging and that there is a very negative perception of the elderly among the youth.
Findings show that a strong relationship exists between contact with the elderly and
having a positive perception about them. It was also found that the youth are opposed to
institutionalisation of the elderly. Majority believed that the place of the elderly is with
their families. It was found that gender and place of residence, had no relationship with
any of the dependent variables like “willingness to live in the same house with parents”,
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“view about leaving wife and children in the village”, “view on whether an individual can
outlive his usefulness”, and “feelings about the belief that elderly people are more likely
to be witches and wizards” The study found some relationship between level of education
and some of the dependent variables mentioned above. Six hypotheses were tested and the
following relationships were found to be significant: relationships between contact with
the elderly and knowledge of aging issues, relationship between contact with the elderly
and perception of the aging, education and perception of the elderly and relationship
between age and perception of the elderly. No significant difference was found between
gender and perception of the aging and between knowledge of aging issues and perception
of the elderly. These findings have clear implications for policy and social work practice in
Nigeria. A fundamental one is the need for the introduction of gerontological education
and intergenerational programmes into the Nigerian school curriculum, which we hope
would help influence, the attitudes of young people about aging.
CHINUA ACHEBE’S SHORT STORIES AS A PERISCOPE TO IGBO WORLDVIEW
Human beings cannot function in chaos, and out of the chaos of life they create an ordered existence. The basic ideas of the world, physical and metaphysical, held by a people have vital influences on their perceptions and approaches to life. Their conceptions of the universe and nature of existence determine the basic belief which reflect in their cultural, religious and social values that sometimes mold and guide their behaviour and actions. Africans generally and the Igbo in particular are known for their well articulated and distinctive worldviews. Admittedly, western civilization has made considerable impact on some of their worldviews; while some have lost essence, some are over-looked or trampled upon and others forgotten outright. This work discusses Chinua Achebe’s Girls at War and Other Stories using them as searchlight into Igbo worldview. It offers an exploration of the dynamics of the socio-cultural and religious values that encompass the Igbo worldview revealing the individual, social, cultural, and religious factors that give it shape and meaning. It is therefore the exploration of the philosophy, social, cultural and religious values that make a people and the education of the masses that Achebe demonstrates in his stories, that this dissertation dwells on. By the diverse portrayals of Igbo worldview in his short stories, Chinua Achebe has served as a teacher of culture, events, trends, values and concepts that prevail among the people. Following the trends of this literary icon, Africans should be custodians of their culture so that the dignity of African Culture which has been trampled upon be restored.Human beings cannot function in chaos, and out of the chaos of life they create an ordered existence. The basic ideas of the world, physical and metaphysical, held by a people have vital influences on their perceptions and approaches to life. Their conceptions of the universe and nature of existence determine the basic belief which reflect in their cultural, religious and social values that sometimes mold and guide their behaviour and actions. Africans generally and the Igbo in particular are known for their well articulated and distinctive worldviews. Admittedly, western civilization has made considerable impact on some of their worldviews; while some have lost essence, some are over-looked or trampled upon and others forgotten outright. This work discusses Chinua Achebe’s Girls at War and Other Stories using them as searchlight into Igbo worldview. It offers an exploration of the dynamics of the socio-cultural and religious values that encompass the Igbo worldview revealing the individual, social, cultural, and religious factors that give it shape and meaning. It is therefore the exploration of the philosophy, social, cultural and religious values that make a people and the education of the masses that Achebe demonstrates in his stories, that this dissertation dwells on. By the diverse portrayals of Igbo worldview in his short stories, Chinua Achebe has served as a teacher of culture, events, trends, values and concepts that prevail among the people. Following the trends of this literary icon, Africans should be custodians of their culture so that the dignity of African Culture which has been trampled upon be restored.
Farmer-Related Factors Influencing the Adoption of Agricultural Innovation in Imo State
This study focuses on Farmer-Related Factors Influencing the Adoption of Agricultural Innovation in Imo State
LINGUISTIC STUDY OF SELECTED NIGERIAN CHILDREN’S POETRY IN OSSIE ENEKWE’S GENTLE BIRDS COME TO ME AND IKEOGU OKE’S SONG OF SUCCESS AND OTHER POEMS FOR CHILDREN
Poetic language is the language in which the words are artfully selected and combined in their best order in order to convey thoughts meaningfully. Children’s poetic language is not left out. Children’s poets are more careful in selecting sounds and words in order to achieve a desired effect on the reader. Consequently, the thrust of this study is to highlight the linguistic constituents of Nigerian children’s poetry with a view to revealing its characteristic features that lead to its aesthetics and meaning. To achieve this aim, two collections of children’s poetry books with a total of thirty - three different poems were selected. While twenty nine poems out of the thirty three were selected for analysis. The method of data collection and analysis adopted in the study was direct lifting, examination and analysis of words, phrases and sentences that strikingly illustrate the linguistic features investigated, where description of those features were made in order to ascertain their effects and functions in the poems. The theories guiding the study were descriptive linguistics and Michael Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistic theory, while the aspects of language used were phonological, syntactical and semantic. The results of the findings from the two texts were conflated and the summary is that children’s poetry dip amply into the phonology of the language in order to communicate the subject matter of the poems. Thus, sounds of the language play a very crucial role in children’s poetry. They contribute to the aesthetics and musicality of the poems. Also, the uniformity of the word arrangements in the lines of the poems enhances the free flow of the rhythm and the euphony of the lines, while end rhyme predominates other types of rhyme in the poems. The poetry contained more of descriptive and concrete words that appear specific and clearer to a child, which the child is well acquainted with. Complexity, however, is not the feature of the poetry. At the syntactical level, the study revealed that the poets employ, mostly, simple sentences in which the lines are mostly short and the patterning, similar. Consequently, there are syntagmatic and paradigmatic relationships of grammatical items in the poems. In the case of clause structure sentences, fronting of adjuncts predominates. The poets front the message which they intend to lay more emphasises on. When it comes to semantics, children’s poets play with language as well. Different devices of language such as metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche, simile, euphemism, hyperbole etc are found in the poems. Thus, imagery is found to be an important feature of children’s poetry, which helps to awaken the child’s imaginative ability and to picture the idea the poet is trying to communicate.Poetic language is the language in which the words are artfully selected and combined in their best order in order to convey thoughts meaningfully. Children’s poetic language is not left out. Children’s poets are more careful in selecting sounds and words in order to achieve a desired effect on the reader. Consequently, the thrust of this study is to highlight the linguistic constituents of Nigerian children’s poetry with a view to revealing its characteristic features that lead to its aesthetics and meaning. To achieve this aim, two collections of children’s poetry books with a total of thirty - three different poems were selected. While twenty nine poems out of the thirty three were selected for analysis. The method of data collection and analysis adopted in the study was direct lifting, examination and analysis of words, phrases and sentences that strikingly illustrate the linguistic features investigated, where description of those features were made in order to ascertain their effects and functions in the poems. The theories guiding the study were descriptive linguistics and Michael Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistic theory, while the aspects of language used were phonological, syntactical and semantic. The results of the findings from the two texts were conflated and the summary is that children’s poetry dip amply into the phonology of the language in order to communicate the subject matter of the poems. Thus, sounds of the language play a very crucial role in children’s poetry. They contribute to the aesthetics and musicality of the poems. Also, the uniformity of the word arrangements in the lines of the poems enhances the free flow of the rhythm and the euphony of the lines, while end rhyme predominates other types of rhyme in the poems. The poetry contained more of descriptive and concrete words that appear specific and clearer to a child, which the child is well acquainted with. Complexity, however, is not the feature of the poetry. At the syntactical level, the study revealed that the poets employ, mostly, simple sentences in which the lines are mostly short and the patterning, similar. Consequently, there are syntagmatic and paradigmatic relationships of grammatical items in the poems. In the case of clause structure sentences, fronting of adjuncts predominates. The poets front the message which they intend to lay more emphasises on. When it comes to semantics, children’s poets play with language as well. Different devices of language such as metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche, simile, euphemism, hyperbole etc are found in the poems. Thus, imagery is found to be an important feature of children’s poetry, which helps to awaken the child’s imaginative ability and to picture the idea the poet is trying to communicate.
AN ERROR ANALYSIS OF THE ENGLISH LEXIS AND STRUCTURE OF STUDENTS’ WAEC COMPSITION: A CASE STUDY OF GOVERNMENT SECODNARY SCHOOL, KURU, NASARAWA STATE
This aim of the work is to demonstrate the error students often commit in their written compositions in the West African Examinations Council examination (WAEC), which by extension, shows their language inabilities. The work also offers an analysis of these errors in the table showing their scores. It finally explains how it affects their result. Error analysts distinguish between errors, which are systematic, and mistakes, which are not. They often seek to develop a typology of errors. Errors can be classified according to basic type: omissive, additive, substitutive or related to word order. Closely related to this is the classification according to domain, the breadth of context which the analyst must examine, and extent, the breadth of the utterance which must be changed in order to fix the error. Errors may also be classified according to the level of language: phonological errors, vocabulary or lexical errors, syntactic errors, and so on. They may be assessed according to the degree to which they interfere with communication. In the study of error analysis of this kind, the errors identified are dully classified into lexis and structure. It not only purviews all kinds of errors associated with lexis and structure but also stated the kind of errors that often occur more than others. The task, however, is by no means an easy one. This is because very often classes of errors overlap, and occasionally some errors simply do not lend themselves to a clear cut categorization. However, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) marking guide seems to produce a near-perfect idea model of classification of the tremendous varieties of errors found in students’ compositions. The way in which errors are counted or enumerated affects directly the score frequencies, and statistics of errors, and therefore the results, conclusions, and evaluative power of the results. The data used in the study is adopted from the live examination scripts of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) of which the researcher is an assistant examiner (marker). They were part of the examination scripts he examined in the 2013 May/June WAEC examinations.This aim of the work is to demonstrate the error students often commit in their written compositions in the West African Examinations Council examination (WAEC), which by extension, shows their language inabilities. The work also offers an analysis of these errors in the table showing their scores. It finally explains how it affects their result. Error analysts distinguish between errors, which are systematic, and mistakes, which are not. They often seek to develop a typology of errors. Errors can be classified according to basic type: omissive, additive, substitutive or related to word order. Closely related to this is the classification according to domain, the breadth of context which the analyst must examine, and extent, the breadth of the utterance which must be changed in order to fix the error. Errors may also be classified according to the level of language: phonological errors, vocabulary or lexical errors, syntactic errors, and so on. They may be assessed according to the degree to which they interfere with communication. In the study of error analysis of this kind, the errors identified are dully classified into lexis and structure. It not only purviews all kinds of errors associated with lexis and structure but also stated the kind of errors that often occur more than others. The task, however, is by no means an easy one. This is because very often classes of errors overlap, and occasionally some errors simply do not lend themselves to a clear cut categorization. However, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) marking guide seems to produce a near-perfect idea model of classification of the tremendous varieties of errors found in students’ compositions. The way in which errors are counted or enumerated affects directly the score frequencies, and statistics of errors, and therefore the results, conclusions, and evaluative power of the results. The data used in the study is adopted from the live examination scripts of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) of which the researcher is an assistant examiner (marker). They were part of the examination scripts he examined in the 2013 May/June WAEC examinations.
Socio-Cultural Factors Influencing Maternal Mortality in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria
Maternal mortality is defined by (WHO, 1997) as "death of a woman while
pregnant or within 42 clays of termination of pregnancy irrespective of the
duration or site of pregnancy from any cause related to or aggravated by
pregnancy or its management but not by accidental causes". Maternal mortality is
widely recognized as a pubIic health problem which has attracted worId wide
5
attention and reactions. This study addresses the socia-cultural factors in maternal
mortality in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria.
A total of 1000 women of reproductive age (15-49) were randomly selected from
Abaga~ia and Enugwu-Ukwu. In Abagana three (3) villages were randomly
selected while in Enugwu-Ukwu three villages, Adagbe Abomimi, Uru Nebo and
. . . . . were used for the study. Questionnaires, were used to generate quantitative
data while Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and In-depth Interviews were
apblied to elicit both quantitative and qualitative information.
U.N. 01lok (1997) M.Sc. Thesis, Dept of&ciok)gy di Anthropology, UArN
The quantitative data collected were coded, con~puterized and analyzed using
frequency distribution, percentages, and cross tabulations of contingency tables.
Pie and bar charts were used for illustrations.
FINDINGS.
Our survey revealed that almost all the respondents (98.8%) were married, Most
of the respondents (56%) were petty traders, 30% were school teachers while the
rest were farmers. In respect of education status, 68% of the respondents in
Abagana and 45% in Enugwu-ukwu attained secondary school education. Post-
\
secondary education was attained by 34% of the respondents in Enugwu-Ukwu
and only 5 % in Abagana
The decision to seek health care was mostly determined by the husbands (34%)
and the respondents themselves (24%). By implication both husbands and wives
take decisions jointly on issues of seeking health care. The reason given for most
decisions being taken by the husband was that they footed the bills.
A SOCIOLINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF URHOBO PROVERBS
This research carries out a sociolinguistic study of Urhobo proverbs. Its aim is to explore and analyze Urhobo proverbs from a sociolinguistic perspective in the context of English as a second language in Nigeria. This will go a long way to offer a sociolinguistic insight to the contributions of Urhobo language, culture and way of life in the sociolinguistic context of English as a second language. The data for the study was sourced and collected orally from competent Urhobo native speakers from the context of use and Urhobo music. The qualitative and analytic research designs were adopted for the analysis. In all, fifty (50) proverbs were analyzed using Dell Hyme’s Ethnography of Communication theory as the major analytical framework with insights from Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis. This is because of the relevance of Dell Hymes’ SPEAKING which accounts for such sociolinguistic variables as setting, scene, participants, ends, act sequence, instrumentality and genre as is evidenced in the data; and how the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis allows this study to relate its data to aspects of Urhobo world view and culture. On typology, Adedimeji’s (2003) typological classification is applied for the classification of the data into types. It was discovered that SPEAKING allows for a comprehensive understanding of the data for this study as a result of its explicit and analytic potentials while the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis shows aspect of Urhobo culture that manifest in Urhobo proverbs.This research carries out a sociolinguistic study of Urhobo proverbs. Its aim is to explore and analyze Urhobo proverbs from a sociolinguistic perspective in the context of English as a second language in Nigeria. This will go a long way to offer a sociolinguistic insight to the contributions of Urhobo language, culture and way of life in the sociolinguistic context of English as a second language. The data for the study was sourced and collected orally from competent Urhobo native speakers from the context of use and Urhobo music. The qualitative and analytic research designs were adopted for the analysis. In all, fifty (50) proverbs were analyzed using Dell Hyme’s Ethnography of Communication theory as the major analytical framework with insights from Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis. This is because of the relevance of Dell Hymes’ SPEAKING which accounts for such sociolinguistic variables as setting, scene, participants, ends, act sequence, instrumentality and genre as is evidenced in the data; and how the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis allows this study to relate its data to aspects of Urhobo world view and culture. On typology, Adedimeji’s (2003) typological classification is applied for the classification of the data into types. It was discovered that SPEAKING allows for a comprehensive understanding of the data for this study as a result of its explicit and analytic potentials while the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis shows aspect of Urhobo culture that manifest in Urhobo proverbs.
Trends in Sweetpotato Production Utilization And Marketing Among Households in Southeastern Nigeria
This study focuses on Trends in Sweet potato Production Utilization And Marketing Among Households in Southeastern Nigeria
CHARACTER FORMATION IN CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE’S PURPLE HIBISCUS AND KAINE AGARY’S YELLOW-YELLOW
This work analyses two novels by contemporary Nigerian female writers¬¬¬¬ – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus and Kaine Agary’s Yellow-Yellow as a representative of Bildungsroman which traces the growth and developmental trajectories of the principal characters from childhood to maturation. The study explores the various ways in which the writers re-adopt the sub-genre as a vehicle by means of which the characters of our contemporary Nigerian youths are formed. It acknowledges the existing German model and precursor, Goethe’s Whilhelm Meister Apprenticeship up to British Bildungsroman as well as African female Bildungsroman, which has become very popular among contemporary female writers. Chapter one serves as the general introduction. It explains the meaning and the processes of character formation, it equally shows the plot pattern of the genre, the interrelatedness of psychology of personality formation with Bildungsroman, and the feministic trends in the novel of formation with emphasis on female Kunsterroman. Chapter two is the review of the available literature on Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus as well as points of view of various critics on Agary’s Yellow-Yellow. This chapter points that the existing research work by various critics has not been able to substantiate the key elements responsible for change and transformation in the characters. The study therefore seeks to explore such factors that influence formation of characters in the focal texts. Chapter three forms the theoretical framework and methodology. It establishes the defining feature that characterises Bildungsroman as transmutation. It also describes the feministic criticism in Bildungsroman, showing the relevance of the genre to the topic of our study, its characteristics and distinguishing between the male and female Bildungsroman.This work analyses two novels by contemporary Nigerian female writers¬¬¬¬ – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus and Kaine Agary’s Yellow-Yellow as a representative of Bildungsroman which traces the growth and developmental trajectories of the principal characters from childhood to maturation. The study explores the various ways in which the writers re-adopt the sub-genre as a vehicle by means of which the characters of our contemporary Nigerian youths are formed. It acknowledges the existing German model and precursor, Goethe’s Whilhelm Meister Apprenticeship up to British Bildungsroman as well as African female Bildungsroman, which has become very popular among contemporary female writers. Chapter one serves as the general introduction. It explains the meaning and the processes of character formation, it equally shows the plot pattern of the genre, the interrelatedness of psychology of personality formation with Bildungsroman, and the feministic trends in the novel of formation with emphasis on female Kunsterroman. Chapter two is the review of the available literature on Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus as well as points of view of various critics on Agary’s Yellow-Yellow. This chapter points that the existing research work by various critics has not been able to substantiate the key elements responsible for change and transformation in the characters. The study therefore seeks to explore such factors that influence formation of characters in the focal texts. Chapter three forms the theoretical framework and methodology. It establishes the defining feature that characterises Bildungsroman as transmutation. It also describes the feministic criticism in Bildungsroman, showing the relevance of the genre to the topic of our study, its characteristics and distinguishing between the male and female Bildungsroman.
