LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 13:8 August 2013
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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M. S. Thirumalai
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Mother-Tongue Interference on English Language Pronunciation of Senior Primary School Pupils in Nigeria:
Implications for Pedagogy

Judith Makse Patrick, Ph.D. Scholar, M.Ed. English Education
Professor Mingcai Sui, Ph.D.
Banenat Didam, B.Ed. Technology, M.A. Student
Theresa Stephen Gyang, M.Ed Administration and Planning, Ph.D. Scholar

Abstract

This is a theoretical paper which highlights the interference of mother-tongue on the English pronunciation of senior primary school pupils in Nigeria. The Nigeria Policy on Education stipulates that it is at this level pupils encounter English as a medium of learning for the ‘first time’. Of each of the listed 521 local languages listed, each community has its own peculiar challenges in this aspect of second language learning. In this paper however, only four languages from the current figure were studied; these are Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo and Tiv. Attempt is made by studying some common errors of these set of second language learners from the languages stated, implications for pedagogy stressed and some steps of remedial drills suggested which can be of use to teachers of English language at the target level in correcting and possible reduction of the effects of mother-tongue interference.

Introduction

The Federal Republic of Nigeria is said to be the giant of Africa because of its dense population, vast land, economy, mineral and natural resources (crude oil, tin, coal, and cocoa), education, and so on. It is a federal constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal Capital Territory – Abuja. The three largest and most influential ethnic groups are the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. At the last census in 2006 it was estimated that Nigeria’s population is about one hundred and fifty million (150million). There has been a rapid growth in the population from the last statistics of July 2012, estimated at 170,123,740 (CIA WORLD FACTBOOK, 2013). Nigeria was a pioneer in the movement for African independence. In the past centuries, its territory was home to a series of powerful and technically-advanced societies, renowned for their artistic, commercial, and political achievements. The official language of the country is English and covers almost all areas, e.g., education, government, commerce and industry, media and so on (Wikipedia, 2010).

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Judith Makse Patrick, Ph.D. Scholar
Corresponding Author
School of Foreign Languages
Northeast Normal University
Renmin Street No. 5268
Changchun City 130024
Jilin Province
China
maksepatrick@yahoo.com

Professor Mingcai Sui, Ph.D.
School of Foreign Languages
Northeast Normal University
Renmin Street No. 5268
Changchun City 130024
Jilin Province
China
mingcai5266@yahoo.com.cn

Banenat Didam, M.ED Student
School of Education Science
s Northeast Normal University
Renmin Street No. 5268
Changchun City 130024
Jilin Province
China
didambanenat@yahoo.com

Theresa Stephen Gyang, Ph.D. Scholar
Department of Educational Foundation
Faculty of Education
P.M.B. 2084
University of Jos
Nigeria
tessysgyang@yahoo.com
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