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  • ItemOpen Access
    A SOCIOLINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF CONDOLENCE MESSAGES UN EGGON LANGUAGE
    (Department of English Nasarawa State University Keffi., 2015-02-01) Danlami, Godwin Luka
    This research study is about Sociolinguistic Analysis of condolence messages in Eggon Language. The study determines how the use of language in social context is dependent on certain sociolinguistic variables. The tool used for the study was based on Hymes’ Ethnography theory of communication. The theory describes how language is used for social purposes within the broad socio-cultural environment at a particular time, bearing in mind the setting, participants, age, religion, ends, act sequence, instrumentalists as well as the norms and genres. The method adopted was through participation. The researcher went to the field to observe how condolences were expressed and the analysis was based on information gathered and performances. At the end, the researcher found out ten basic features of condolence messages which constitute part of greetings that help to perform certain social roles among the Eggon people and expressing them is a type of socialisation that encourages, strengthens and brings more unity among the people. These feature are: eku andakbo, zhega eku, dzu tsalcpa eku, algo eku, zhe eku, eshko eku, ceremonies and celebrations during condolences, -prayers and worship, the use of interjection and silence in condolences.
  • ItemOpen Access
    A CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS OE ADVERBIALS IN ENGLISH AND IGBO LANGUAGES
    (English Language Department, Nasarawa State University Keffi., 2016-02-01) Okechukwu, Anagbogu
    Adverbs and adverbials are highly adaptive expressions. They arise in a variety of environments from which they lake on certain characteristic features. This makes them a very flexible means of natural language. The term adverb refers to a specific word class or lexical category and therefore contrasts with other word classes. Adverbial however, refers to a specific function within a sentence and therefore contrast with other syntactic functions such as subject, object, and predicate. Adverbials are traditionally conceived of as being those elements that serve to specify further the circumstances of the verbal or sentential referent. They are restricted to a set of semantically limited usages, prototypically specifying time, place, or manner. The study specifically contrasts adverbials in Igbo and English and highlights the patterns and usage of adverbials in Igbo and English languages. Introspective method, unstructured interview and some personal one on one chat with the native speakers of Igbo are the methods used. The analysis of the data is based on the various levels of adverbials such as; simple, compound, adverbial phrase, clause, forms and type are contrasted in the two languages. Sufficient examples are given on adverbials and contrasted in Igbo and English respectively. Adverbial paradigms in Igbo have shown that there are morphological processes. The main method of forming majority of derivational adverbs is by reduplication and negative marker of which new adverbs are created from adjectives. Forming open class adverbs from adjectives in Igbo is however unstable. It is also noticed in Igbo that some adverbs are formed without the addition of prefix or suffix unlike in English, yet, exhibit the minor and major method of adverbial formation. Suffixation, spittoon as well as embedding are used in Igbo for the formation of compound adverbials. Many simple adverbs in Igbo denote position and direction. Adverbial clauses in Igbo have various means of expressing locative, temporal and indeed all kinds of other circumstantial information. The clause can be regarded as having the function of adjunct in sentence; though in this case it is a matter of embedding one clause in another clause. The study however confirms that adverbs exist in Igbo language as in English but with structural differences. It shows that adverbs are not given adequate attention by Igbo linguists. This gives the impression that Igbo adverbs are not many. The analysis also proved that adverbs have not been adequately discussed because very few words function as adverbs. Other reasons include neglect on the part of Igbo language authors and inability of people to identify adverb. The structural pattern of Igbo adverbs could be ideophonic expression, prepositional phrases. The prepositional phrases and noun phrases are used to supplement the fewness of Igbo adverbs. This research is expected to fill the existing vacuum in the study of Igbo syntax, add to linguistic research findings and, therefore stimulates further research of similar or wider dimensions in related fields in order to facilitate better and more productive language learning.
  • ItemOpen Access
    ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION AND MILITANCY IN THE NIGER DELTA: AN ECOCRITICAL READING OF TANURE OJAIDE’S THE ACTIVIST AND HELON HABILA’S OIL ON WATER
    (department of English, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2018-03-11) GODSON, ZEPHANIAH JOHN
    The Niger-Delta issue has been one of the major concerns of the contemporary Nigerian writers and critics for some times now. In most of their works, both poetry and fiction, they reflect the socio-political realities of present day society. They also depict the plundering of land by the leaders as well as the political and economic marginalization of the downtrodden. It is these realities in the Niger Delta that become the subject of Ojaide and Habila in their literary works. The degradation of the Niger Delta environment through pollution has constituted challenges and concern for the people of the oil rich region. The ecosystem has completely been violated and destroyed. The destruction of the flora and fauna without clean – ups or compensation paid to host communities have resulted in youth restiveness and the up surge of militancy in the region. The violation of the system by the multinationals and the insensitivity of the Federal Government of Nigeria to the plight of the Niger Delta people have also escalated the controversies.This paper therefore seeks to explore the issues of environmental degradation and its attendant consequences like the rise of militancy, Kidnapping, oil bunkering amongst others in the region using Tanure Ojaide‟s The Activst and Helon Habila‟s Oil on Water as the focal texts. The paper also seeks to proffer solutions to this age-long problem in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
  • ItemOpen Access
    NEW HISTORICIST APPROACH TO HELON HABILA’S WAITING FOR AN ANGEL AND CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE’S HALF OF A YELLOW SUN
    (DEPARTMENT OF ENGISH FACUTY OF ARTS NASARAWA STATE UNIVERSITY, KEFFI, 2018-05-04) Adokwe, Grace
    The Nigerian nation was bedeviled shortly after independence by instability in governance and serious disagreement between its populace that led to an unfortunate development. This dissertation explored the Nigerian Civil War and the military rule saga in the country. This was undertaken by examining the novels of Helon Habila and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Using a New Historicist theory, the study delved into evaluating how certain developments in the Nigerian State provided materials for the novelists to deal with the thematic concerns mentioned above. It maintained that the stories of the novels were essentially premised on the history of Nigeria. It further revealed that history intercepted with literature to arrive at the creative rendition of events that happened in the time past. Debating that the authors portrayed this in the works, Waiting for an Angel and Half of a Yellow Sun, it relied on the portrayal of the history of the Nigerian nation to identify the causes and outcomes of the Civil War and military rule in Nigeria as the major themes from which sub themes were taken. These themes were skillfully created to make the storytelling potent. The final part of the work drew the conclusion on grievances that were left unattended to festered and degenerated into the ugly results in military rule and war. It suggests the need to build a new nation to be embraced by all, especially now that the nation was still witnessing agitations and cry of marginalization in some quarters.
  • ItemOpen Access
    AN ASSESSMENT OF FACTORS AFFECTING LAND DEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING DELIVERY IN ABUJA MUNICIPAL AREA COUNCIL, ABUJA, NIGERIA
    (Environmental Resource Management Department, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, 2016-10-04) Shawo, Anya Ibrahim
    Urbanization is among the factors that affect land development and housing delivery. The massive influx of people into Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) brings about many problems, among which is housing problems, orchestrated by lack of provision by the government to enable the people expand the city plan. In Abuja and other cities, there are many approaches that are taken to address the problems of land and housing delivery, however, in spite of the application of such approaches to the housing situation in AMAC, housing delivery remains a huge problem, which informs the basis of this work, an assessment of the factors affecting land development and housing delivery in AMAC, Abuja, Nigeria. Views of estate surveyors and valuers, engineers, tenants, landlords, and others such as visitors and people that are found in the study area were sampled with questionnaires and interviews. Personal observation is used in recording vital findings not captured by questionnaire and interview methods. Related data are also generated from textbooks, journals, and internet materials. Using the foregoing, data were collected and analyzed and the outcomes suggest that lack of price control by the government, corruption amongst politicians and to civil servants, inadequate finance, high cost of building materials and inflation are among the factors that affect land development and housing delivery in AMAC. The government policy that Abuja is meant only for the elites leaves the jobless, petit entrepreneurs, carpenters, mechanics, amongst others, to move to slum settlements, where they can afford house rent. In this view, the work contends that lack of proper urban planning in AMAC is responsible for harmful effects of urbanization in the study area. Among other things, the work recommends that AMAC should be re-planned to cater for rapid population growth in the area.
  • ItemOpen Access
    ANALYSIS OF HOUSING DEMAND AND SUPPLY IN MINNA NIGER STATE, NIGERIA
    (Environmental Resource Management Department, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, 2018-09-09) Muazu, Samaila Lawal
    House is a basic need of life, it is a necessity. The challenge of fulfilling the housing need of the people is making a shift to a demand-oriented approach to housing delivery imperative. The shift in orientation also becomes important in view of the continued incapacitation of states in providing housing for the people. While the Federal government has made some commendable efforts at housing provision, the efforts of the state governments have been grossly negligible. Overall, the governments have proves incapable of providing housing for the people. There is thus a natural tendency amongst the people to provide for the inadequacy of the formal provision for housing. This focus of this study therefore is to examine the various ways by which the people and especially low income people fulfill their needs. The major objective of this research is to examine the housing supply sectors in Minna and their contribution and constraints in responding to the existing housing demand of the various sub-groups. The study employed principally qualitative methodology: in- depth interviews, observations and focus group discussions and descriptive method of analysis. In all, 700 questionnaires were administered, using stratified sampling 8 areas were selected for questionnaire administration(Maitumbi 80, Jikpan 80, Tudun Fulani 80, Barikin- Saleh 80, Hayin-gwari 80, Bosso 120, Sauka-Kahuta 80, Limawa 100) Systematic random sampling was used in selecting the interval for the households. The study reveals that demand for housing in minna is extremely higher, most people in Minna (91%) evidently qualify as low income earners. These people are generally renters; although a few are making attempts to have their own houses. For those who have succeeded in getting their own houses, the process of housing production is dependent on the informal system of land supply, financing and construction. It is also dependent on doing it alone; partnership input vii is generally nil. It was recommended that self -help housing provision is possible and helpful provided that formal institutions for its conduct is set in motion and properly implemented.
  • ItemOpen Access
    POLITICAL AGITATIONS AND THE ALTER-NATIVE POETIC TRADITION: AN EVALUATION OF SELECTED POEMS OF NIYI OSUNDARE AND TANURE OJAIDE
    (English Language Department, Nasarawa State University Keffi., 2017-03-04) Adegoke, Jude Zealous
    Modern African poetry has been a tool for political agitations. But before the emergence of the Alter-Native poets, the discipline was dominated by the African Euro-modernist writers such as Wole Soyinka, Christopher Okigbo and J.P. Clark, whose poetry was very difficult and perhaps impenetrable to their readers. They captured African political realities with western imagery, metaphors, and symbolism. Hence, their poetic style was completely obscure and esoteric, thereby restricting the reading and understanding of their poetry to a few educated elite. But the Alter- Natives rejected this approach in the presentation of resistance poetry, and as such chose to simplify their diction and style. This study is an exploration of the means by which the poets of the Alter- Native Tradition attempt to achieve an operational synergy between aesthetic redefinition of poetry and the communication of resistance objectives and revolutionary struggles to all politically disadvantaged populations of Africa. The poetry of Tanure Ojaide and Niyi Osundare has been examined here to prove that although poetry could be written in a simple language to engage in political agitations, it might not be by any means propagandist or bereft of sophistication.
  • ItemOpen Access
    A PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF THE PRE-LINGUISTIC JARGONS OF SELECTED NIGERIAN CHILDREN
    (Department of English Language, Nasarawa State University Keffi, 2016-01-11) David, Stephen O.
    This study titled A Pragmatic Analysis of the Pre-Linguistic Jargons of Selected Nigerian Children attempts to fill the wide gap that exists in the literature on Child Language Acquisition and Development with a view to bringing to limelight what Nigerian children do during their Pre-linguistic stage; a stage in the early part of the child's life before the actual production of words, that is between 0-12 months. The data for the analysis was collected based on two techniques. That is, through a diary and handset (video) recording. These two forms of recordings complement each other such that where one form failed, the other took over. The forms were used for the documentation of whatever feature(s) the researcher analyzed, using thirty minutes to one hour once a week or forth nightly to observe the pragmatic and phonological features of six Nigerian children. The approach, where two theories were proposed and used as the theoretical framework for the analysis of the data was adopted. The two theories are: Halliday's (1975) communicative functions and Crystal's (1975) pre-speech development. After the analysis, findings reveal that'the children use more of Halliday's interactional function than any of the four other functions. Findings further reveal that the children that were studied use more of vowel sounds than any other sound(s) put together. The researcher highlights one of the problems he encountered in studying children who are in their pre linguistic stage and concludes that the challenge is surmountable. The researcher recommends among many others that scholars should study other aspects of language developments, such as: lexical, grammatical, semantic, sociolinguistic developments and other aspects of children developments.
  • ItemOpen Access
    SYNTACTIC ANALYSIS OF LANGUAGE USE IN SELECTED NIGERIAN NEWSPAPER CAPTIONS AND EDITORIALS
    (Department of English B.A., Nasarawa State University Keffi, 2018-10-14) Jmaes, Anthony
    The English language in Nigeria has been one of the major means of communication, basically because of the heterogeneous nature of the Nigerian society. The English language in Nigeria has become one major tool of uniting the diverse cultures in Nigeria and this is reflected in various areas of human endeavours, be it in politics, the military, the educational sector, the civil service, commerce and even in the mass media. And the English language in the hands of the mass media, especially in the print media, has always been used as a tool of communication. It is in light of this fact, that this study was set to investigate the syntactic use of language as it relates to newspaper captions and editorials. Consequently, the research was anchored on Chomsky‘s Transformational Generative Grammar of 1957 and Kachru‘s 1985 Three Concentric Circles. This was so because Chomsky‘s Transformational Generative Grammar took care of the linguistic aspect of the study, while Kachru‘s Three Concetratric Cirlce took care of the socio- linguistic aspect of the study. In the light of the foregoing, this study examined some peculiar features associated with newspaper captions and editorials that are common with selected Nigerian newspapers especially as revealed by the data groups. The newspapers used in the data groups were; The Sun, The Nation, Daily Trust, Leadership and the Guardian. The methodologies that were used in carrying out this research are the tabular and bar charts. The tabular method ensured that data were presented in simple and clear form, the bar chart helped the researcher to display the proportion of categories of data with respect to the entire data in summary form. The issues that were investigated in this study were; Determiners, Prepositions, Subject-Verb Agreement, Acronyms and local Nigerian usages: coinages and transliterations. The data analysed revealed that the data groups hardly use determiners especially in the area of captions and they also had challenges in the use of Prepositions. In the area of Subject-Verb Agreement, it was discovered that the data group had little difficulty in this regard. The data groups showed a high level of use in the area of Acronyms, as the Acronyms were reflection of the Nigerian environment. In the use of coinages and transliterations, there were high percentage rates of these instances, as their direct borrowings of Nigerian words into the English language. The conclusion of this study shows that there is a tripartite use of the English language in Nigeria: SE – Standard English, SNE – Standard Nigerian English and ANE – Acultured Nigerian English. The study finally recommended a further investigation of language use in the print media that should pay particular attention to semantics and pragmatics.
  • ItemOpen Access
    THE LITERARY ARTIST AND REVOLUTIONARY AESTHETICS IN IYAYI’S HEROES AND VIOLENCE AND WA THIONG’O’S PETALS OF BLOOD AND DEVIL ON THE CROSS
    (DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH, FACULTY OF ARTS, NASARAWA STATE UNIVERSITY,., 2018-06-12) Tarhemba, Akaana Emmanuel
    An important debate has emerged since the mid-60s about the role of the writer in modern Africa. In the early period the writer‟s initial task seemed to assert the dignity and beauty of the cultures ignored or mutilated by colonial writers and historians and to support by this act, the confidence and purpose of the newly independent nations. This study examines the role of the literary artist in a dysfunctional capitalist society. It critiques Iyayi‟s Heroes and Violence and Wa Thiong‟o‟s Petals of Blood and Devil on the Cross employing Marxist theoretical framework. The study explores the functional aesthetics in these texts as agents of social change. Using primary and secondary sources, the findings show that African literature is functional and that in a class society, literature is of a class character. The findings also show that colonialism and imperialism are not the only problems of Africa as many radical writers especially in third world countries try to portray. The findings further reveal that colonialism in Africa has led to the emergence of new set of leaders who are pervasively corrupt, inept and insensitive to the plight of the masses. Based on the findings, the study concludes that the African socialist writers have so far failed in their historic mission to bring down capitalism or liberate the masses as their works have not led to any observable betterment of the society and that socialist literature will continue to impact on Africa even after socialism has been attained for the principles that Marx has discovered, and enunciated, and operated are still valid today.
  • ItemOpen Access
    COMPARATIVE STUDY OF COMPOUNDING IN ENGLISH AND TIV SERMONS
    (DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH FACULTY OF ARTS NASARAWA STATE UNIVERSITY, KEFFI, 2018-09-11) Chahur, Anderson Aondover
    An over-all theory of morphology is made prominent with the various processes involved in the creation of new words for a language. One of those morphological processes of word formation is compounding, which is found to be a prominent source of word formation, and probably found in all languages of the word. It is a general and well-known fact that all languages of the world have their specific structures. It can be said that English and Tiv are two different languages with different linguistic origins and character condition, and even the rules of word formation makes the two languages naturally different. These structural dissimilarities usually create problems in the teaching and learning of English, which is the target language. Thus what prompted this work, therefore, is to study English and Tiv languages using a comparative method to establish how the Tiv language exhibits its compound system of word formation comparable with that of English. The study is modelled on the theory of structuralism with particular attention to the restrictive meaning associated with bloom field, with emphasis on the process of segmenting and classifying the physical features of utterances, such as compound words. This is supported by item-and-process, a lexeme-based theory that considers complex words to be a result of the operation of processes on similar words. The research was designed specifically on descriptive survey, aimed at collecting and describing data systematically, taking care of the features or facts about the given population. From a collection and analysis of sermons, it was confirmed that: There are challenging questions in the description of compounding as a morphological process; Compounds are formed in Tiv and English by combining two or more lexemes or words, and this depends, to some extent, on whether a group of any kind has been considered, or is considered to be a lexical item; Tiv and English have certain compounding features similar to each other; There are more of differentiating features of compounding between Tiv and English. Based on these findings, it is our conclusion that the differences would always create problems in an attempt to learn and make use of English as a second and foreign language of communication. It is recommended on the whole that certain measures should be taken by government, teachers, and all speakers of the concerned languages to ease whatever difficulties involved in defining, identifying, and making use of English and Tiv language structures, and compound words in particular.
  • ItemOpen Access
    STUDY OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN IFEOMA CHINWUBA’S MERCHANT OF FLESH AND CHIKA UNIGWE’S ON BLACK SISTERS’ STREET
    (DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH FACULTY OF ARTS NASARAWA STATE UNIVERSITY, KEFFI, 2018-03-01) Adeleye, Adebimpe Lade
    Human trafficking, which can also be referred to as modern-day slavery, has become a menace to the world as several innocent people have become victims of it. Through the analysis of Merchants of Flesh by Ifeoma Chinwuba and Chika Unigwe‟s On Black Sisters’ Street, this dissertation explores the study of human trafficking through the authors‟ reflections on the challenges of human trafficking in Nigeria, and by extension, the world. The research illustrates how Chinwuba and Unigwe use fiction as a means to examine the challenges arising from human trafficking and its effects on the female victims and the Nigerian nation. The fictional works portray different aspects of the challenges of human trafficking and these are highly feminist problems. They portray how women become victims of the social problems plaguing both the victims and their society. The challenges in Nigeria range from political, social, and economic factors which can be considered as the major reasons for human trafficking. The study employed the Feminist theory which advocates for the emancipation of women. The woman though emancipated, yet at risk of human trafficking has informed the novels of Chinwuba and Unigwe. The novels depict how exploitation and violence have been employed as means of oppressing the victims, and also highlighting the challenges of the victims through the characters of Sisi, Faith, Chioma, Efe and Ama. It is against this backdrop that this dissertation delineates the challenges of human trafficking through the characters presented in both novels, and advocates for advocacy, enlightenment, economic inclusiveness, and education as solutions to the evil practice of female trafficking.
  • ItemOpen Access
    WOMEN ACTIVISM IN SEMBENE OUSMANE’S GOD’S BITS OF WOOD AND TANURE OJAIDE’S THE ACTIVIST
    (DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH FACULTY OF ARTS NASARAWA STATE UNIVERSITY, KEFFI, 2019-12-17) CLEMENT-YAHAYA, AMENAWON AUGUSTA
    Women have experienced oppression and subjugation over time in the society. Patriarchy and society have not only limited women from attaining their potentials but agonizingly repressed them. Women have therefore adopted various methods to resist and protest all manner of suppressions. One significant approach is the use of activism. This study on Sembene Ousmane‟s God’s Bits of Wood and Tanure Ojaide‟s The Activist evaluates the effort by the two authors to capture the effect of collective women agitation against marginalisation, oppression, capitalism and class stratification in the society, as projected in the texts. It offers some reviews in relation to the topic. The objectives of the study were to ascertain how women activists in the selected novels of Ousmane and Ojaide used their numbers to get freedom from tyrants, colonial masters, capitalists and oppressors for their people in different societies through some activists‟ acts and protest. It is the researcher‟s observation that group activism of women despite its relevance to conflict resolution, as represented in different African texts still does not get the much deserved critical attention. Through a Marxist interpretation of God’s Bits of Wood and The Activist, women activism in Senegal railway workers‟ strike and women protest in the Niger Delta result in huge success. Using a Marxist Feminist theoretical framework, the study underscores the fact that without the collective intervention of women at so many levels, success would have been a mirage.
  • ItemOpen Access
    THE NIGERIAN WOMAN AND THE QUEST FOR SELF-REALIZATION IN ZAYNAB ALKALI’S THE DESCENDANTS AND SEFI ATTA’S EVERYTHING GOOD WILL COME
    (Department of English, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, 2019-09-08) Dimka, Patience Dorkat
    Contemporary literature in an attempt to address the woman issue is redirecting and re-presenting women identity rather continuing to lament women oppression. It presents women as striving actively to overcome oppression. This has led to the emergence of the new woman who is in charge of her destiny and has also taken control of the opportunities she was earlier denied for her own fulfillment. This research examines Zaynab Alkali‟s and Sefi Atta‟s portrayal of women as vibrant crusaders in bringing about meaningful development in the societies they find themselves. This project highlights Alkali‟s and Atta‟s new woman who is ready to offer her services, thereby re-define the old roles played by women in Nigerian Literature. The womanist goal is to foster change that will lead to the survival of males, females and children. Both authors portray characters whose actions are womanist rather than purely feminist. Atta‟s vision embodies not merely the emancipation of the female from the socio-cultural shackles but more significantly advances the proposition that a woman can effectively combine her matrimonial life with her social life. Black women characters in contemporary literature often strive to claim their place within their own history and culture as is reflected in Alice Walker‟s definition of a womanist as a woman committed to survival and wholeness of the entire people, male and female. Alkali‟s and Atta‟s character seek to reposition the woman.
  • ItemOpen Access
    SOCIOLINGUISTIC STUDY OF CODE MIXING AND LANGUAGE SHIFT AMONG ÒLÚLÚMỌ ENGLISH BILINGUALS.
    (DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGES AND LINGUISTICS, FACULTY OF ARTS, NASARAWA STATE UNIVERSITY, KEFFI, 2019-05-20) Edim, Anna Okim
    This research titled, Sociolinguistic Study of Code mixing and Language Shift among òlúlúmỌ English Bilingual Speakers, carried out a sociolinguistic survey of code mixing and Language Shift phenomena in ÒlúlúmỌ. This sociolinguistic research which tried to identify the types of code mixing in ÒlúlúmỌ and also the factors that are responsible for code mixing and language shift in the language was necessary in order to explore the processes by which ÒlúlúmỌ is partially gradually replaced by English and Pidgin. The research which is basically descriptive in nature applied the speech accommodation theory to identify the use of language in the society. It also involves activities across several social domains such as home front, schools, offices and media houses to find out the extent of code mixing in ÒlúlúmỌ. The researcher made use of audio recorder for recording various programmes such as, medical outreach campaigns and others. The researcher employed the use of language consultants in eliciting data and also made use of Blench 1017 word list, to show the extent to which code mixing has contributed to language shift in ÒlúlúmỌ. The findings of this research identified the sociolinguistic factors of code mixing in ỌlúlúmỌ. The factors that were discovered to have brought about code mixing and also contributed to the shift of the lexical items to English include lack of lexical facility, repetition used for clarity, the expression of group identity, low level of competence among the native speakers, and the exposure to colonialism The findings also revealed the types of code mixing, often used by ÒlúlúmỌ speakers. This study will be of great benefit to language planners and researchers in language documentation. This will play a definite role in the decision made by minority speakers on language preservation
  • ItemOpen Access
    A SEMANTIC STUDY OF SETTLEMENT NAMES IN IGBO LANGUAGE
    (BEING A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, NASARAWA STATE UNIVERSITY KEFFI IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF ARTS (M.A) DEGREE IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE., 2017-07-01) Okorie, Nnenna Victoria
    This research focuses on the semantic study of settlement names in Igbo language. The research basically examines the meaning of various settlement names and how they are derived. The methodology used in the research work involves field work, of which data was collected from the native speakers of Amasiri community in Afikpo North of Ebonyi state. Conceptual theory is adopted for the research. The data were carefully grouped, calssified and analyzed. Through the analysis, our findings show that settlement names have meaning, some have descriptive information identifying the bearers in terms of their deeds, physical strength and to their personalities. More so, people‟s professions, commercial activities and geographical features have immensely influenced the meaning of naming patterns of settlement names in Amasiri. This work recommends for proper documentation of the settlement names in Igbo land thereby preserving an essential cultural heritage for posterity purpose.
  • ItemOpen Access
    THE REALIST TRADITION IN NIGERIAN LITERATURE: AN ECO CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF MICHAEL PEEL’S A SWAMP FULL OF DOLLARS AND TANURE OJAIDE’S THE ACTIVIST
    (department of English, faculty of arts nasarawa state university keffi, 2016-03-13) Ojone, Ajibogwu Rosemary
    In the light of recent global concerns over climate change, global warming, natural and manmade disasters etc, it has become necessary to establish the root causes of these problems. This research work pins the problem on environmental degradation. By adopting a maximalist approach to environmental issues as opposed to the minimalist, this research work has treated all issues as emanating from the degradation of the total environment. Isolating the Niger Delta experience, the recurring problems of corruption, insurgency and ethnic clashes in Nigeria have been identified and traced to the incursion of oil exploration and exportation following the discovery of oil in commercial quantity in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Using the ecocritical approach to literary studies, the research investigated the psychology of the victimised in the Niger Delta through the terror unleashed by the victimiser and the psychology of the predator in the attempt to rationalize latter’s actions. The research concluded that the tendency towards violence as a means to resolve crisis has emanated from the desire of man to exert control over natural resources. The examination used two categories that emanate from the socio-political problems in the Niger Delta: the faction of Peel, and the fiction of Ojaide. The essay has stressed the need to employ dialogue in resolving the key issues of resource control and derivation formula to resolve the crisis. In all, the research emphasized the integral place of the quality of life led by a people which can only be guaranteed by the resolution of the issues of corruption, inequality and extreme hierarchies institutionalized in Nigeria which mitigate against development.
  • ItemOpen Access
    ANALYSIS OF GRAMMATICAL AND GRAPHOLOGICAL ERRORS IN WRITTEN ESSAYS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE OF SSS 3 STUDENTS OF GOVERNMENT SECONDARY SCHOOL, KARSHI, ABUJA FCT,
    (department of English, faculty of arts nasarawa state university keffi, 2019-12-13) Ibrahim, Muhammad Gambo
    Poor Performance and Mass failure of students in GSS, Karshi in English language particularly in SSCE, NECO, NABTEB and JAMB has been a source of concern to me. It has also been a source of concern to teachers, Examiners and some concern parents. This study intends to investigate and reveals the source and nature of grammatical and graphological errors in the written essays in English Language of SSS3 students of Government Secondary School, Karshi, Abuja FCT. A total number of two hundred ―200‖ scripts were collected marked and errors were recorded. One hundred copies were randomly sampled and analyzed, the findings revealed that some forms of errors that occurred in the students essays were as a result of mother tongue interference that is the first language of the students, while some erroneous forms were as a result of gross negligence from the Students. Grammatical and Graphological errors negatively affect the students overall ability to communicate in spoken and in written English thereby, militate on their performance both in local tests, examinations and national examinations such as SSCE, NECO NABTEB and JAMB. Error Analysis as a linguistics theory or technique was adopted as theoretical frame work in this study. Error Analysis is a technique for identifying classifying and systematically interpreting the unacceptable forms produced by the learners of the second language in other words. Error Analysis is concern with errors that learners commit while trying to speak or write in the target language. Analysis of the essays revealed that the Students have difficulties with four types of concord examined: Subject – verb, concord of person, Subject – complement, object complement and pronoun antecedent. I was discovered too that the Students have challenges with the spelling of some words, Omission of words; some words were indiscriminately omitted from sentence error in punctuation marks and the wrong use of tenses. This study recommends that in order to solve the problem of grammatical and graphological errors among Students in GSS Karshi, the teaching of language. Should be intensified and modernized. Learning should be suitable to the level of students and should geared enhancing a particular skill in students also only proper trained and certificated teachers should be allowed to teach English language in addition, teachers should not be allowed to just teach English; but be given areas of their strength to teach in order to enhance proficiency finally, the authorities saddled with the responsibility of checking the affairs of teaching and learning should pay regular visit to see that teaching and learning take proper shape.
  • ItemOpen Access
    SOCIO-SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF EMOJIS AND EMOTICONS IN THE VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES OF WHATSAPP AND FACEBOOK
    (DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH FACULTY OF ARTS NASARAWA STATE UNIVERSITY, KEFFI, 2018-09-23) Orlukaraka, Praise Chinemenum
    This research through the lens of socio semiotics reveals the revolution of the old language form to how the novel emoji and emoticons are employed in the virtual communities of Facebook and Whatsapp. The term ―emoji‖ is a loanword from Japanese, a portmanteau that blends ―e ‗picture‘ and moji ‗letter, character‖ and identifies ―a small digital image or icon used to express an idea or emotion in electronic communication.‖ The word ‗‗emoticon,‘‘ a construction of the words ‗‗emotion‘‘ and ‗‗icon,‘‘ refers to graphic representations of facial expressions, which often follow utterances in written computer-mediated communication (CMC). Emoticons may be produced by ASCII symbols (:-)) or by ‗‗pictograms.‘‘ The focus of social semiotics is no longer interested with the knowledge of the sign; it is now primarily concerned with how people are using ‗semiotic resources‘ in their daily communicative endeavours. The study attempts to investigate various communicative functions ranging from indicating emotions, fulfilling a requested task, indicating approval or disapproval among others. Furthermore, the visual image of emoji which exerts a strong impact upon its readers and users through colour and visual grammar is discussed. The relevance of emojis in chats cannot be overemphasized because there is a correlation with the emoji and the conversation. i.e the chats. The researcher adopts Kress Gunther‘s theory of multimodality as framework; a theory that captures the use of combination of different semiotic modes in a social context in order to generate meaning. In addition, this study employed quantitative and qualitative methods in collection of data. The data were collected from some Whatsapp groups and Facebook pages i.e the virtual communities for analysis. This research shows that the use of emojis and emoticons is a huge shift in nonverbal communication. Hence, emojis are powerful tools to demonstrate the freedom of expression and the nonverbal cues in our daily textual language. They have taken control over nonverbal communication and are changing our language and shifting vocabulary in terms of how we communicate to others. The researcher therefore recommends that more researchers especially those in Nigeria and Africa go into this novel exploration of emojis and emoticons.
  • ItemOpen Access
    AN ANALYSIS OF MISPRONOUNCED ENGLISH MINIMAL PAIRS BY THE GWANDARA SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH IN SHABU, LAFIA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF NASARAWA STATE
    (Department of English, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2015-02-25) Mustapha, Muhammad.
    This research work explored the features of Gwandara pronunciation of the English minimal pairs, thereby analysing the influence that a first language may have on the learning or use of a second language at the phonological level, particularly in the area of minimal pair. The work, having compared the minimal pairs in English and in Gwandara in order to identify areas of similarity and dissimilarity, displayed the mispronounced English minimal pairs by the Gwandara speakers of English as a second language. Using the recorded field data (as transcribed), the study followed a theoretical model of the weak version of contrastive analysis hypothesis (CAH) to present, analyse the sourced data and explain in the research findings as to why the following and many more of the English minimal pairs receive similar pronunciations by the Gwandara speakers of English, which is obviously not appropriate with the original or native pronunciations of the pairs: get and gate; met and mate\ sell and sale; let and late; cope, cop and cup, fame and firm; pen and pain; boat, bought and but; advice and advise; fell and fail; heard and had; pot and port; mother and murder; fun and phone; hell and hail; foam and form etc. The major part of the research findings revealed that apart from the consonants /si and /zl; /d/ and /&/ (often misused for one another), most, if not all the problems the Gwandara speakers of English seem to have with English minimal pairs pronunciation are vowel related, and that too is as a result of differences in the two phonemic systems. It is therefore recommended that the Gwandara natives should endeavour to be aware of their English minimal pair problems as explored here, so as to improve on them.