Syntactic and Lexico-Semantic Variations in Nigerian English: Implications and Chal-lenges in the ESL Classroom

Uriel Okunrinmeta

doi:10.4236/ojml.2014.42026

Home > Journals > Social Sciences & Humanities > OJML

Open Journal of Modern Linguistics > Vol.4 No.2, June 2014

Syntactic and Lexico-Semantic Variations in Nigerian English: Implications and Chal-lenges in the ESL Classroom ()

Uriel Okunrinmeta

Department of English Studies, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Nigeria.

DOI: 10.4236/ojml.2014.42026 PDF HTML 4,708 Downloads 7,458 Views Citations

Abstract

The present study traces the poor performance of Nigerian students in English to the sole use of British English for teaching and evaluation purposes in the Nigerian ESL classroom thereby neglecting the local Nigerian variations which, as it should be expected, reflect the linguistic and cultural contexts that English must, as a necessary condition, accommodate if it must function effectively in Nigeria’s multilingual socio-cultural setting. The study, after presenting some syntactic and lexico-semantic variations in Nigerian English and highlighting their appropriateness within the Nigerian socio-cultural context, argues that, if students must perform well in English and even in other subjects taught and examined in English, it is necessary to teach them and evaluate their performances by using an endonormative model (that is, Standard Nigerian English), which is capable of reflecting the local variations that English has, in a bid to satisfy the demands for communicative appropriateness, manifested in the Nigerian setting. This is so because Standard Nigerian English as an endonormative model is, because of its ability to appropriately reflect the Nigerian experience, more supportive to the students in the Nigerian ESL classroom than the foreign British model which, though used as the standard in Nigeria as a former British colony, is culturally inappropriate in the Nigerian context and does not, therefore, appeal to the sensibilities of the students who, in their quest for communicative appropriateness in English in the Nigerian socio-cultural setting, have to use the language to reflect the Nigerian worldview.

Keywords

Syntactic, Lexico-Semantic, Variation, Nigerian, Classroom

Share and Cite:

Okunrinmeta, U. (2014) Syntactic and Lexico-Semantic Variations in Nigerian English: Implications and Chal-lenges in the ESL Classroom. Open Journal of Modern Linguistics, 4, 317-332. doi: 10.4236/ojml.2014.42026.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Adegbija, E. (1989). Lexico-Semantic Variation in Nigerian English. World Englishes, 8, 165-177. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-971X.1989.tb00652.x
[2]	Adegbija, E. (2004). The Domestication of English in Nigeria. In S. Awonusi, & E. A. Babalola (Eds.), The Domestication of English in Nigeria: A Festschrift in Honour of Abiodun Adetugbo (pp. 20-44). Lagos: University of Lagos Press.
[3]	Adegbite, W. (2009). The Psycholinguistics of English Language in Nigeria. Ibadan: Kraft Books.
[4]	Adekunle, M. A. (1979). Non-Random Variation in the Nigeria English. In E. Ubahakwe (Ed.), Varieties and Functions of English in Nigeria (pp. 27-42). Ibadan: African Universities Press.
[5]	Adeniran, A. (1979). Nigerian Elite English as a Model of Nigerian English. In E. Ubahakwe (Ed.), Varieties and Functions of English in Nigeria (pp. 227-241). Ibadan: African Universities Press.
[6]	Adetugbo, A. (1979). Nigerian English and Communicative Competence. In E. Ubahakwe (Ed.), Varieties and Functions of English in Nigeria (pp. 167-183). Ibadan: African Universities Press.
[7]	Adetugbo, A. (1987). Nigerian English Phonology: Is There Any Standard? Lagos Review of English Studies, IX, 64-84.
[8]	Adetugbo, A. (2004). Problems of Standardisation and Nige-rian English Phonology. In A. B. K. Dadzi, & S. Awonusi (Eds.), Nigerian English: Influences and Characteristics (pp. 179-199). Lagos: Concept Publications.
[9]	Afolayan, A. (1976). The Six-Year Primary Project in Nigeria. In A. Bam-gbose (Ed.), Mother-Tongue Education: The West African Experience (pp. 133-134). London: Hodder and Stough-ton.
[10]	Afolayan, A. (1988). Teaching English as a Second Language to Adult Learners. In J. A. Akinpelu, J. T. Okara, & M. A. Omolewa (Eds.), Language and Adult Education: Essays in memory of S.H.O. Tomori, Ibadan: Ibadan University Press.
[11]	Afolayan, A. (1995). Ineffectiveness in the Presentation of English in Nigeria: Sources and Remedies. In A. Bamgbose, A. Banjo, & A. Thomas (Eds.), New Englishes: A West African Perspective (pp. 113-129). Ibadan: Monsu-ro.
[12]	Akmajian, A., Demers, R. A., Farmer, A. K., & Harnish, R. M. (2008). Linguistics: An Introduction to Language and Communication (5th ed.). New Delhi: Prentice-Hall.
[13]	Algeo, J. (2010). The Origins and Development of the Eng-lish Language (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth.
[14]	Amuseghan, S. A. (2007). ESL Curriculum in Secondary Schools in Nigeria: Issues and Challenges towards Communicative Competence. Nebula, 4, 319-333.
[15]	Awonusi, V. O. (1986). Regional Accents and Internal Variability in Nigerian English: A Historical Analysis. English Studies, 6, 555-560. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00138388608598483
[16]	Awonusi, V. O. (1987). The Identification of Standards within Insti-tutionalized Non-Native Englishes: The Nigerian Experience. Lagos Review of English Studies, 9, 47-63.
[17]	Awonusi, S. (2004). Some Characteristics of Nigerian English Phonology. In A. B. K. Dadzie, & S. Awonusi (Eds.), Nigerian English: Influences and Characteristics (pp. 203-225). Lagos: Concept Publications.
[18]	Bamgbose, A. (1971). The English Language in Nigeria. In J. Spencer (Ed.), The English Language in West Africa (pp. 35-48). London: Longman.
[19]	Bamgbose, A. (1995). English in the Nigerian Environment. In A. Bamgbose, A. Banjo, & A. Thomas (Eds.), New Englishes: A West African Perspective (pp. 9-26). Ibadan: Monsuro.
[20]	Bamiro, E. O. (1994). Lexico-Semantic Variation in Nigerian English. World Englishes, 13, 47-60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-971X.1994.tb00282.x
[21]	Bamiro, E. O. (2006). Nativization Strategies: Nigerianisms at the Intersection of Ideology and Gender in Achebe’s Fiction. World Englishes, 25, 315-328. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-971X.2006.00473.x
[22]	Bamiro, E. O. (2009). Contemporary English Usage: Recent Loanshifts in Nigerian English. Akungba Journal of English Studies and Communication, 1, 3-16.
[23]	Banjo, A. (1975). The University and the Standardization of the English Language in Nigeria. Plurilinguisme a l’Universite. Cabiers de l’Institute des langues Vivantes 26. Universite Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, 133-147.
[24]	Banjo, A. (1995). On Codifying Nigerian English: Research So Far. In A. Bamgbose, A. Banjo, & A. Thomas (Eds.), New Englishes: A West African Perspective (pp. 203-231). Ibadan: Monsuro.
[25]	Dadzie, A. B. K. (2004). The Concept of Nigerian English. In A. B. K. Dadzie, & S. Awonusi (Eds.), Nigerian English: Influences and Characteristics (pp. 85-99). Lagos: Concept Publications.
[26]	Fafunwa, A. B. (1969). The Importance of the Mother Tongue as a Medium of Instruction. Nigeria Magazine, 102, 48-59.
[27]	Fafunwa, A. B., Macauley, J. I., & Sokoya, J. A. F. (1989). Education in Mother Tongue: The Ife Primary Education Research Project (1970-1978). Ibadan: University Press.
[28]	Federal Ministry of Education (1981). National Policy on Education (Revised). Lagos: Federal Government Press. (First Published, 1977).
[29]	Finegan, E. (2008). Language: Its Structures and Use (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth.
[30]	Fromkin, V., Rodman, R., & Hyams, N. (2011). An Introduction to Language (Int. ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth.
[31]	Igboanusi, H. (2001). A Dictionary of Nigerian English. Ibadan: Sambooks Publishers.
[32]	Jibril, M. (1979). Regional Variation in Nigerian Spoken English. In E. Ubahakwe (Ed.), Varieties and Functions of English in Nigeria (pp. 43-53). Ibadan: African Universities Press.
[33]	Jowitt, D. (1991). Nigerian English Usage: An Introduction. Lagos: Longman.
[34]	Kujore, O. (1985). English Usage: Some Notable Nigerian Variations. Ibadan: Evans.
[35]	Kujore, O. (1995). Whose English? In A. Bamgbose, A. Banjo, & A. Thomas (Eds.), New Englishes: A West African Perspective (pp. 367-388). Ibadan: Monsuro.
[36]	Mohammed, A. (1995). Communicative Competence Acquisition in Infelicitous Learning Environments: The Problem with SSS English in Nigeria. In A. Bamgbose, A. Banjo, & A. Thomas (Eds.), New Englishes: A West African Perspective (pp. 130-152). Ibadan: Monsuro.
[37]	Okoro, O. (2004). Codifying Nigerian English: Some Practical Problems of Labelling. In S. Awonusi, & E. A. Babalola (Eds.), The Domestication of English in Nigeria: A Festschrift in Honour of Abiodun Adetugbo (pp. 166-181). Lagos: University of Lagos Press.
[38]	Okunrinmeta, U. (2006). Beyond Grammatical Competence: The Use of English in the Izon Socio-Cultural Environment. UNAD Studies in Language and Literature, 2, 90-111.
[39]	Okunrinmeta, U. (2008a). A Linguistic Approach to the Meaning and Functions of the Town Crier in Nigeria’s Multilingual Setting. In B. L. Virtanen, & S. Owonibi (Eds.), The Mines of His Mind: Critical Reflections on the Works of Tayo Olafioye (pp. 37-53). Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press.
[40]	Okunrinmeta, U. (2008b). Twisting the English Language to Reflect the Nigerian Situation: A Portrayal of Tayo Olafioye’s Creative Ingenuity. In B. L. Virtanen, & S. Owonibi (Eds.), The Mines of His Mind: Critical Reflections on the Works of Tayo Olafioye (pp. 103-122). Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press.
[41]	Okunrinmeta, U. (2008c). Utilizing Perceived Pronunciation Deficiency for Positive Second Language Teaching and Learning: The Izon Experience. Lagos Review of English Studies, 16, 256-268.
[42]	Okunrinmeta, U. (2009a). Teaching English Stress in Nigeria’s ESL Situation. Akungba Journal of English Studies and Communication, 1, 67-85.
[43]	Okunrinmeta, U. (2009b). Some Notable Lexico-Semantic Variations in Izon (Nigerian) Speakers of English. Geolinguistics, 35, 55-74.
[44]	Okunrinmeta, U. (2010). The Influence of Izon on the Syntax and Lexis of the English of Izon-English Bilinguals. Ph.D. Thesis, Lagos: University of Lagos.
[45]	Okunrinmeta, U. (2011). Izon Syntax and the English of Izon-English Bilinguals. World Englishes, 30, 211-228. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-971X.2011.01699.x
[46]	Okunrinmeta, U. (2012). Bilingualism and Creativity in Lan-guage Use: The Nigerian Experience. Lagos Review of English Studies, 17, 216-232.
[47]	Okunrinmeta, U. (2013a). Izon Influences in Nigerian English Syntax. English Language and Literature Studies, 3, 30-43. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ells.v3n2p30
[48]	Okunrinmeta, U. (2013b). Singular-Plural Distinction in Izon and Its Influence on the Teaching/Learning of Plural Formation in English. Journal of Education and Learning, 2, 126-138. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/jel.v2n2p126
[49]	Okunrinmeta, U. (2013c). Bilingualism and Linguistic Influence in Nigeria: Examples from the Works of Achebe and Emecheta. International Journal of English Linguistics, 3, 117-127. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v3n4p117
[50]	Orji, N. (1987). English Language Studies in Higher Education: Problems and Suggestions for Improvement. Lagos Review of English Studies, 9, 16-28.
[51]	Quirk, R., Greebaum, S., Leech, G., & Svartvik, J. (2003). A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. London: Longman.
[52]	Udofot, I. (2004). Va-rieties of Spoken Nigerian English. In S. Awonusi, & E. A. Babalola (Eds.), The Domestication of English in Nigeria: A Festschrift in Honour of Abiodun Adetugbo (pp. 93-113). Lagos: University of Lagos Press.
[53]	Uzoezie, R. U. (2004). The Linguistic Capital Market and Attitudinal Ambivalence of Nigerians to English as an Adopted Language. In S. Awonusi, & E. A. Babalola (Eds.), The Domestication of English in Nigeria: A Festschrift in Honour of Abiodun Adetugbo (pp. 363-382). Lagos: University of Lagos Press.