Theses and Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collection
Theses and Dissertations (Department of English)
Browse
Recent Submissions
- ItemOpen AccessRegister Range in the West African School Certificate English Language Examination (1974-1983).(Obafemi Awolowo University, 1986) Osisanwo, Isaac Adewale; Afolahan, AdebisiThe English Language in the Nigerian educational system functions as a School subject as well as a medium of instruction especially from the fourth year (in some States). Since it is the predominant medium of receiving lectures, finding out facts through reading and communicating knowledge required, through writing, in higher education, it is then necessary that the new entrants to higher education should have attained a reasonable level of proficiency in the use of the English language. With this assumption a pilot study was carried out to find out the writing competence of the freshmen of Adeyemi College of Education. The study showed a very low level of lexical acquisition and use in spite of their entry qualifications in the English language. This discovery led to the major investigation of finding out the content validity of the WAEC, WASC/GCE English Language examination which they all had passed before their admission. The content validity which was in relation to Lexis had to be investigated through register, a valid means of researching into Lexis. The findings showed a very low correlation between syllabus specifications and examination questions on register, thus supporting the fact that there was lack of content validity and power of discrimination in this aspect of the English language examination. The investigation was concluded with recommendations on how to improve the whole of the WASC English language programme and examination.
- ItemOpen AccessThe Problem of Meaning Equivalence in the Translation of Literary Text: The Example of Soyinka's A Forest of a Thousand Demons(Obafemi Awolowo University, 1985) Ojo, Gordon Oluwaseyi; Ajulo, E.B.This study sets out to examine the gap created in translation by the non-existence of meaning equivalence between Soyinka's A Forest a Thousand Demons and Fagunwa's Ogboju Ode Ninu Igbo irunmale The examination of the meaning gap between the two texts is made through a retranslation into English Via. Yoruba approach. Items from the source text, Ogboju Ode Ninu Igbo Irunmale are compared with their translated counterparts in the target text, A Forest of a Thousand Demons. It is discovered that while some of the items are adequately translated in terms of meaning, some are not. It is also observed that the problem of non-existence of meaning equivalence in translation is attributable to both Socio-Cultural and Linguistic factors. Furthermore, the various approaches used by Soyinka to overcome the problem of meaning-equivalence in translation and their degree of success were also examined. In conclusion, it is noted that although the non existence of meaning-equivalence is a real problem in translation, it is not a total block to the process of translation. That is, the problem can be overcome if the translator takes into consideration a number of factors.
- ItemOpen AccessThe Problem of Grapho-phonological Discrepancy in the Pronunciation of the Yoruba User of English.(Obafemi Awolowo University, 1986) Fatusin, Stephen Akinnifesi; Atoye., R.OThis work attempts to determine the magnitude of the problem posed to Yoruba L2 learners of English by the inconsistent manner in which English words are represented orthographically and the discrepancy between the way English words are pronounced and the way they are spelt. Information collected from the pronunciation and writing of some secondary school level learners of English serves as data for this work. The analysis of the performance of the learners in two separate spelling and pronunciation tests administered to them shows that the problem of graphemephoneme discrepancy is of a high magnitude. In realization of the futility of all previous attempts to alter the current English orthography for greater phonemicity the work suggests that more serious attention should be given to the teaching of English spelling and pronunciation in Nigerian secondary schools.
- ItemOpen AccessTowards a National Language in Nigeria: Problems & Prospects.(Obafemi Awolowo University, 1985) Akinwale, Timothy Olayiwola; Awonuga.This work sets out to find out why the issue of a choice of a national language for Nigeria has remained elusive for so long. This state of affairs has been brought about largely by the fact that the country suffers from an extreme form of linguistic complexity. In highlighting factors that might be in favour or against both endeglossic and exoglossic language choice for the nation we find that so long as issues of number, morality, bureaucratic inertia on the part of the political leadership and the fate of the languages not considered remain unresolved, so long shall the issue of a national language remain elusive. We conclude that English will continue to play its role as the official language for a long time to come; that the implementation of the National Policy on Education, with time, will promote positive linguistic attitudes among the numerous ethnic groups in Nigeria and that because language is a necessary factor but not a sufficient one for unity, other sources of promoting national unity should be explored and exploited.
- ItemOpen AccessSpeakers’ Rights in English-English and Yoruba-English Family Discourse(Obafemi Awolowo University, 1986) Akindele, Dele Oluwafemi; Butler, ChrisThe aim of this study is to investigate speakers' rights to initiate conversations in native English (English-English) and English as a Second Language (Yoruba-English) family. More specifically, it aims to find out whether speakers' rights differ with different types of initiation within and between the two family conversation types. The study further investigates speakers' rights to select one another for participation in conversation, and also finds out how such rights are reflected in interruptions in the two types of discourse. The framework for the analysis of the data is based on the Birmingham approach to discourse analysis. Some aspects of the work of the Conversational Analysts are also adopted. It is expected that both the English-English and Yoruba-English family will be hierarchically structured into higher social positions occupied by older adults (parents) and lower positions occupied by younger adults (grown-up children). Further, it is expected that the hierarchical ordering of both types of family will be reflected in the relative frequency with which the older and younger participants initiate discourse, select next speakers and interrupt one another. It is also expected that the hierarchical ordering of the Yoruba-English family will be more rigidly ordered and maintained than that of the English-English family in such a way that participants in the discourse cannot step out of their position in the hierarchy and initiate talk if and when they choose. It is, however, expected that the younger participants in the English-English family will have the choice of stepping out of their position in the hierarchy to initiate talk. On the basis of these expectations, it is predicted that the total proportion of initiations, current-speaker-selects-next technique, self-select technique, and interruptions that the older adults in both types of family conversation will produce will be greater than that of the younger adults. However, although the total proportions are expected to differ, it is predicted that in English-English family conversation, both older and younger participants will produce some of each type of initiation, will select any of the participants as next speaker or self-select, and will interrupt any of the participants. By contrast, it is predicted that in Yoruba-English family conversation, not all types of initiation will be produced by both older and younger adults. Older adults will produce all types of initiation except the type that will be classified as 'Permission-seeking' moves, and the younger adults will produce all types of initiation except what will be categorised as 'Directives' and 'Regulatory negative' moves. In addition, it is predicted that the older adults in Yoruba-English family conversation will select any participant as the next speaker and will self-select in an interaction with their equals or younger adults and will interrupt any ongoing speaker; but that the younger adults will select only their equals as next speaker, self-select only when interacting with their own age group, and interrupt only members of their own age group. The findings are found to support the prediction that the proportion of initiations, current-speaker-selects-next technique, self-select technique, and interruptions that will be produced by the older adults will be greater than that of the younger adults in both types of family conversation. The results also corroborate the prediction that in English-English family conversation, both older and younger adults will produce some of each type of initiation, select any of the participants as next speakers or self-select, and interrupt any of the interactants. The findings support the prediction that in Yoruba-English family conversation, not all types of initiation will be produced by both older and younger adults. Older adults are found to produce all types of initiation except those classified as 'Permission-seeking' moves, and the younger adults are found to produce all types of initiation except those categorised as 'Directives' and 'Regulatory negative' moves. Further, the findings support the prediction that the older adults in Yoruba-English family will select any participants as the next speaker and will self-select in an interaction with their equals or younger adults. However, the results do not support the prediction that the younger adults will select only their equals as next speaker, self-select only when interacting with their own age group and interrupt only members of their own age group.