Papers by Angela Ụlọakụ Ngọzi Nwankwere
Journal of Sensors
Broadcasting more culturally educating and language-reviving contents are ways radio stations can... more Broadcasting more culturally educating and language-reviving contents are ways radio stations can help revitalize indigenous languages in Delta North in Nigeria. The challenges faced in communicating through indigenous dialects on radio stations are majorly caused by the lack of indigenous language professionals and linguists in the broadcast stations. The absence of these professionals is a major constraint to the development of the community. The broadcast media can help manage multilingualism through the introduction of new words which would give little or no room for lexicon dearth but would expand the language lexicon. Using these dialects during broadcast gives relevance to all dialects, reduces language dearth, and keeps people connected to their culture. Programmes anchored in indigenous dialects enhance the vocabulary, comprehension, and language vitality of the language. The study examined the impact of local language used in radio broadcasting using a descriptive big data...
Igbo proverbs and riddles are replete with stylistic features: tonal and lexical contrasts, repet... more Igbo proverbs and riddles are replete with stylistic features: tonal and lexical contrasts, repetitions, sound symbolisms, tonal rhymes, assonance, and consonance. This stylistic analysis of selected Igbo proverbs and riddles investigates these features. The main objective is to illustrate the aesthetic sound, tonal and lexical combinations characterizing these sub-genres. The data were collected from diverse sources over a period of three months (December, 2017 - February, 2018). The proverbs were got mainly during village meetings and traditional ceremonies like marriage and title taking. The riddles and some proverbs were provided by the researchers who are Igbo native speakers, as these sub-genres are within the public domain, while some were from published collections of these Igbo sub-genres. We found that tones play a crucial role as there are tonal contrasts in the data - aji HH ‘hair’, aji HL ‘woolly garment’. For lexical contrasts, we see elu HS ‘up’, ala LL ‘down’; tonal ...
AFRREV LALIGENS: An International Journal of Language, Literature and Gender Studies, 2017
This study examined the applicability and effectiveness in the use of code-mixing and eclecticism... more This study examined the applicability and effectiveness in the use of code-mixing and eclecticism in the teaching and learning of basic and elementary Igbo for general purposes. A sample population of ninety three students was derived in the second semester of 2014/2015 academic session. A simple diagnostic test administered at the beginning of the course revealed a level of inability (22%) in oral skill in Igbo. Observations and interactions during the teaching process revealed the programme's excessive dependence on grammatical and structural patterns. Hence, the students' poor attitude towards Igbo and their unfamiliarity with the tenets of the current approaches to language teaching and learning, like, learner-centeredness.These were observed through their over-dependence on the teacher, insistence on handout materials and scepticism about personal active participation. Also revealed include the problems with large classes, lack of classroom space and inadequate coverage time. A seen written Igbo text was administered in an examination condition to elicit the data evaluating their reading comprehension ability. The result of their performance yielded Copyright © IAARR, 2007-2016: www.afrrevjo.net/laligens Indexed and Listed in AJOL & EBSCOhost approximately 85% success. This result has strong pedagogical implications for Igbo to be tailored towards current global L1/L2 trends of communicative approaches to the teaching and learning of languages for general and specific purposes.
OGIRISI: a New Journal of African Studies, 2017
Language is one of the major ways through which the different peoples of the world are identified... more Language is one of the major ways through which the different peoples of the world are identified. A people who lose their language have lost their identity. Currently, the Igbo people of Nigeria seem to be having problems transmitting Igbo to their children. The problem is more manifest among Igbo diaspora children. This paper, aimed at encouraging Igbo parents to go the extra mile of transmitting Igbo to their children to ensure its safe and secure future, examined the possibility of Igbo parents creating an enabling environment for acquiring/learning Igbo within the family and the immediate locality. Employing the language maintenance perspective, our data came from primary and secondary sources. While secondary data were from electronic and other sources like books, journals and newspapers, the primary data evolved over some time from several observations of and/or different forms of interactions with a purposive, convenient sample of thirty consultants consisting of Igbo parent(s) residing in the north, west and south-south parts of Nigeria; Ghana, Benin Republic, England and America. The study shows that diaspora parents can lead their children not only to understand but to speak Igbo. We recommend that the Igbo language awareness and maintenance efforts should be the concern of all the Igbo, especially parents. This will ensure that all Igbo children, wherever they live, acquire/learn Igbo to save the language from endangerment and possible extinction. 5. Many phonological or secondary articulation features like aspiration and nasalisation are distinctive and contrastive in ECDG (see .
This study is a needs-based analysis of undergraduate students’ general Igbo (Igbo GS) in Nigeria... more This study is a needs-based analysis of undergraduate students’ general Igbo (Igbo GS) in Nigerian tertiary institutions, focusing on Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. With survey design, in 2015/2016 session, data were collected from two indigenous Igbo-speaking lecturers and two hundred non-Igbo undergraduates in the Igbo GS/L2 cluster. Mixed sampling was used to identify and select students from fourteen faculties. Six research questions and hypotheses were used to discover patterns, order of importance, needs and requirements for Igbo GS; preferred ways of learning; and the extent faculties’ needs and requirements differ. Data were descriptively analysed with statistical package of social sciences version 20.0. Findings: students and lecturers identified order of importance of Igbo skills as: listening, speaking, reading and writing. With correlation significant at 0.010 level (r-value: 0.990, P-value: 0.005), no significant difference in their views at 0.571 p level. To students, order of difficulty in learning Igbo is: speaking, writing, reading and listening. To lecturers, all skills are difficult. Without correlating, their views differed significantly at 0.000 p level. To students, the university enforced Igbo GS; to lecturers, students need cultural integration. Both views did not correlate (r-value 0.282, P-value 0.081); they differed significantly at 0.004 p level. Students prefer modern techniques in learning vocabulary of Igbo contexts; lecturers prefer cultural integration. No correlation in their opinions (r-value: 0.071 and P-value: 0.371); but, no significant difference at 0.090 p level. To students, order of requirements for Igbo are infrastructural and staff development, use of technology, others. To lecturers, the order is cultural integration, infrastructural and staff development, others. They correlated significantly at 0.010 level (r-value: 0.670; P-value: 0.000); and, no significant difference at 0.286 p level. Faculties did not differ significantly (p 0.050) regarding identified needs and requirements for Igbo. Heavy pedagogical implications are indicated: modern principles of L2 pedagogy; others. There are good prospects of Igbo for specific purposes - ISP. Official learner-centred, needs-based general Igbo courses; staff and infrastructural development and content-based Igbo would facilitate ISP.
2007 UNESCO World Philosophy Day @ UNIZIK, 2007
Proverbs have been viewed as the mirror that reflects human experiences in all entirety. They hav... more Proverbs have been viewed as the mirror that reflects human experiences in all entirety. They have also been described as the key to Igbo worldview (Ukaegbu, 2006). To Igbo studies, proverbs occupy a prominent position in both the oral and written media. However, focusing solely on the oral medium, the paper attempts to examine how Igbo people of pre- colonial era have been able to use the strength and rich resources of language, as expressed through their proverbs, to perpetuate their policies and programmes in traditional administration, with a view to contributing such to the development of democracy both locally and globally.
Human communication is a vital ingredient of human society. Man achieves the
goal of communicatio... more Human communication is a vital ingredient of human society. Man achieves the
goal of communication through language, which is variously expressed. One of the
exotic means of human communication through the language medium is literature,
most of all, poetry. Poetry on its part, is one of the interesting areas of language
tudy, due to its high aesthetic and coded ways of communication, i.e., its condensed,
terse language that speaks volumes, drawing its strength from the language power in
its informative, emotive, expressive, persuasive and directive purposes. This paper is
an attempt in using stylostatistics and componential analysis in examining Ezenwa
Ohaeto's "The Gods Are Hasty." By stylostatistics we mean the application of
tatistical methods to stylistic analysis of texts; while componential analysis refers to
the method of lexical semantics where the sense of a lexeme is analysed into its
component parts in order to clarify or simplify that sense (Esan in Olateju and
Oyeleye (Ed), 2005). The paper will also examine some other nuances of meaning
that come into play in the poem.
THE HUMANITIES AND NIGERIA'S DEMOCRATIC EXPERIENCE
The Humanities & Globalization in the Third Millenium
Trading is one of the world's most acclaimed means of human interaction with
linguistic implicat... more Trading is one of the world's most acclaimed means of human interaction with
linguistic implications. Originally, the items of trade were merely goods and services consisting the most basic mundane or domestic needs which have graduated to the desire for the most exotic commodities of today's international or global trade. Similarly, the mode of communication in trading has grown from the verbal to the current globalised, highly diversified and computerized ones like the internet and the worldwide web. Among the Igbo community of Nigeria, even though new 'global' commodities have emerged, resulting in the influx of modern 'global' traders, (mostly men), the traditional system of trading is still very active. Thus, trading is seen as an aspect of Igbo culture and is transacted in Igbo language, the use of which depicts an activity in its natural and social setting, i.e. the market scene where language is used as the bargaining instrument.
Igboscholars International Journal of Igbo Scholars Forum, Nigeria, 2016
The teaching of the Igbo language has been described as fraught
with traditional pattern practice... more The teaching of the Igbo language has been described as fraught
with traditional pattern practice of the formalists' orientation.
Positive dispositions indicate a need to inculcate current learner
centered approaches to language teaching and learning. This paper
sets out to propose the tenets of TBLT in an Elementary Igbo
language classroom, such that learners' pragmatic use of Igbo
would be achieved in a natural context right from the classroom to
the real Igbo world. The study used a three-stage TBLT framework to
attempt a redesigning of an existing content of an Elementary Igbo
course. Though the study encountered a myriad of problems in this
endeavour, it discovered that the grammatical patterns could be
adapted to serve as communicative tasks and then be (re)constructed
to teach required or desired skills. Such practices would move
learners of Elementary Igbo to a more practical focus on accuracy
which flows into fluency. Teaching and learning Igbo would also be
moved more conveniently away from heavy emphasis on traditional
focus on form, which prescribes fluency before accurate production.
It is believed that this learner-centered movement would
consequently stimulate in the learners a need and desire to learn
Igbo in an enjoyable, facilitative and effective manner, as well as
engender vibrant needs analyses processes in teaching and learning
Igbo.
IDEAL International Journal of Igbo Scholars Forum, Nigeria, 2016
This paper is in response to the call to provide relevant vocabulary
for the teaching, learning a... more This paper is in response to the call to provide relevant vocabulary
for the teaching, learning and use of indigenous Nigerian languages
like Igbo. as a second language (L2). The paper focuses on
agricultural terms, particularly, terms related to the oil palm
tree. The purpose, among others, is to advocate the provision of Igbo
terms as supplementary materials to Igbo L2 teachers, learners
and all users for unmitigated ease of usage. The 'phototelling' elicitation technique was employed 10 draw the datafront a secondary source consisting ofninety nine (99) photographs. Native speaker intuition and knowledge ofStandard Igbo were applied to derive and tone-mark the two hundred and ten (210) Igbo terms.
Ex isting lexicographic materials in Igbo are not easily available and
accessible, particularly to the large/ audience in this context. Moreover, only few tone-marked lgho terms exist among such
materials. This situation debilitates the teaching, learning and use of
Igbo L2. It is hoped that improving Igbo L2 teaching approach and
adopting this and similar methods in providing terms and other
supplementary materials in different speech events and genres will among other pedagogical benefits, forestall the Igbo L2 lexicographic gap and facilitate the teaching, learning, use and development ofthe Igbo language.
International Journal of language, Literature and Gender Studies (LALIGENS), Bahir Dar- Ethiopia, 2017
This study examined the applicability and effectiveness in the use of code-mixing and eclecticism... more This study examined the applicability and effectiveness in the use of code-mixing and eclecticism in the teaching and learning of basic and elementary Igbo for general
purposes. A sample population of ninety-three students was derived in the second semester of 2014/2015 academic session. A simple diagnostic test administered at the beginning or the course revealed a level of inability (22%) in oral skill in Igbo.
Observations and interactions during the teaching process revealed the programme's excessive dependence on grammatical and structural patterns. Hence, the students' poor attitude towards Igbo and their unfamiliarity with the tenets of the current approaches to language teaching and learning, like, learner-centeredness. These were
observed through their over-dependence on the teacher, insistence on handout materials and scepticism about personal active participation. Also revealed include the problems with large classes, lack of classroom space and inadequate coverage time. A seen written Igbo text was administered in an examination condition to elicit the data evaluating their reading comprehension ability. The result of their performance yielded approximately 85% success. This result has strong pedagogical implications for Igbo to be tailored towards current global L1/L2 trends of communicative approaches to the teaching and learning of languages for general and specific purposes.
SKASE Journal of Theoretical Linguistics , 2016
Gemination in the Igbo language has been shown to be a phonetic phenomenon which occurs as a resu... more Gemination in the Igbo language has been shown to be a phonetic phenomenon which occurs as a result of vowel elision between two identical consonants in rapid speech. However, investigations into other languages seem to suggest that consonant gemination could be a phonological phenomenon. This paper investigates the Owere
dialect (OD) of Igbo with respect to gemination. Employing a descriptive approach, the study discovers that many consonants become realized as geminates in the normal flowing speech of the native speakers, basically as a result of the elision of a high vowel in between two identical consonants. Since it has become the normal way of speaking except for emphasis among the Owere dialect users, one may conclude that consonant geminate formation is ongoing in OD. We present in the paper instances were these 'geminates' could contrast with non-geminates using minimal pairs and near minimal pairs.
OGIRISI - A new journal of African Studies, 2017
Language is one of the major ways through which the different peoples
of the world are identified... more Language is one of the major ways through which the different peoples
of the world are identified. A people who lose their language have lost
their identity. Currently, the Igbo people of Nigeria seem to be having
problems transmitting lgbo to their children. The problem is more
manifest among Igbo diaspora children. This paper, aimed at
encouraging Igbo parents to go the extra mile of transmitting Igbo to
their children to ensure its safe and secure future, examined the possibility of Igbo P,arents creating an enabling environment for
acquiring/learning lgbo within the family and the immediate locality.
Employing the language maintenance perspective, our data came from
primary and secondary sources. While secondary data were from
electronic and other sources like books, journals and newspapers, the
primary data evolved over some time from several observations of
and/or different forms of interactions with a purposive, convenient
sample of thirty consultants consisting of Igbo parent(s) residing in the
north, west and south-south parts of Nigeria; Ghana, Benin Republic,
England and America. The study shows that diaspora parents can lead
their children not only to understand but to speak Igbo. We recommend
that the Igbo language awareness and maintenance efforts should be the concern of all the Igbo, especially parents. This will ensure that all Igbo children, wherever they live, acquire/learn Igbo to save the language
from endangerment and possible extinction.
Nsukka Working Papers in Language, Linguistics, and Literature (NWPLLL), 2013
This paper is an attempt to provide an acoustic description of the voiceless alveolar implosive /... more This paper is an attempt to provide an acoustic description of the voiceless alveolar implosive / ɗ̣ / stop in the Òwèré dialect (OD) of the Ìgbò language. The study first undertakes a brief phonological description of / ɗ̣ / by conducting the minimal set test to establish its distinctiveness in OD. The result shows that / ɗ̣ / contrasts with / t, d /. The acoustic phase hinges on the voicing feature of / ɗ̣ /. Speech data elicited from a male and a female adult native speakers of OD are recorded in mono quality directly into Praat 5.1.25 speech analysing system downloaded and saved into a HP laptop computer. The data are then saved as .wav files for further analysis. In this regard, approximately 0.060 ms of the closure of /ɗ̣, t, d/ was measured going leftwards and backwards to determine the voicing quality of /ɗ̣/ in contrast to /t, d/. The final result of the analysis leans heavily on the waveforms and spectrograms which demonstrate that /ɗ̣/ is voiceless. The paper is a positive contribution towards the increase of acoustic literature in the study of Igbo speech sounds.
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Papers by Angela Ụlọakụ Ngọzi Nwankwere
goal of communication through language, which is variously expressed. One of the
exotic means of human communication through the language medium is literature,
most of all, poetry. Poetry on its part, is one of the interesting areas of language
tudy, due to its high aesthetic and coded ways of communication, i.e., its condensed,
terse language that speaks volumes, drawing its strength from the language power in
its informative, emotive, expressive, persuasive and directive purposes. This paper is
an attempt in using stylostatistics and componential analysis in examining Ezenwa
Ohaeto's "The Gods Are Hasty." By stylostatistics we mean the application of
tatistical methods to stylistic analysis of texts; while componential analysis refers to
the method of lexical semantics where the sense of a lexeme is analysed into its
component parts in order to clarify or simplify that sense (Esan in Olateju and
Oyeleye (Ed), 2005). The paper will also examine some other nuances of meaning
that come into play in the poem.
linguistic implications. Originally, the items of trade were merely goods and services consisting the most basic mundane or domestic needs which have graduated to the desire for the most exotic commodities of today's international or global trade. Similarly, the mode of communication in trading has grown from the verbal to the current globalised, highly diversified and computerized ones like the internet and the worldwide web. Among the Igbo community of Nigeria, even though new 'global' commodities have emerged, resulting in the influx of modern 'global' traders, (mostly men), the traditional system of trading is still very active. Thus, trading is seen as an aspect of Igbo culture and is transacted in Igbo language, the use of which depicts an activity in its natural and social setting, i.e. the market scene where language is used as the bargaining instrument.
with traditional pattern practice of the formalists' orientation.
Positive dispositions indicate a need to inculcate current learner
centered approaches to language teaching and learning. This paper
sets out to propose the tenets of TBLT in an Elementary Igbo
language classroom, such that learners' pragmatic use of Igbo
would be achieved in a natural context right from the classroom to
the real Igbo world. The study used a three-stage TBLT framework to
attempt a redesigning of an existing content of an Elementary Igbo
course. Though the study encountered a myriad of problems in this
endeavour, it discovered that the grammatical patterns could be
adapted to serve as communicative tasks and then be (re)constructed
to teach required or desired skills. Such practices would move
learners of Elementary Igbo to a more practical focus on accuracy
which flows into fluency. Teaching and learning Igbo would also be
moved more conveniently away from heavy emphasis on traditional
focus on form, which prescribes fluency before accurate production.
It is believed that this learner-centered movement would
consequently stimulate in the learners a need and desire to learn
Igbo in an enjoyable, facilitative and effective manner, as well as
engender vibrant needs analyses processes in teaching and learning
Igbo.
for the teaching, learning and use of indigenous Nigerian languages
like Igbo. as a second language (L2). The paper focuses on
agricultural terms, particularly, terms related to the oil palm
tree. The purpose, among others, is to advocate the provision of Igbo
terms as supplementary materials to Igbo L2 teachers, learners
and all users for unmitigated ease of usage. The 'phototelling' elicitation technique was employed 10 draw the datafront a secondary source consisting ofninety nine (99) photographs. Native speaker intuition and knowledge ofStandard Igbo were applied to derive and tone-mark the two hundred and ten (210) Igbo terms.
Ex isting lexicographic materials in Igbo are not easily available and
accessible, particularly to the large/ audience in this context. Moreover, only few tone-marked lgho terms exist among such
materials. This situation debilitates the teaching, learning and use of
Igbo L2. It is hoped that improving Igbo L2 teaching approach and
adopting this and similar methods in providing terms and other
supplementary materials in different speech events and genres will among other pedagogical benefits, forestall the Igbo L2 lexicographic gap and facilitate the teaching, learning, use and development ofthe Igbo language.
purposes. A sample population of ninety-three students was derived in the second semester of 2014/2015 academic session. A simple diagnostic test administered at the beginning or the course revealed a level of inability (22%) in oral skill in Igbo.
Observations and interactions during the teaching process revealed the programme's excessive dependence on grammatical and structural patterns. Hence, the students' poor attitude towards Igbo and their unfamiliarity with the tenets of the current approaches to language teaching and learning, like, learner-centeredness. These were
observed through their over-dependence on the teacher, insistence on handout materials and scepticism about personal active participation. Also revealed include the problems with large classes, lack of classroom space and inadequate coverage time. A seen written Igbo text was administered in an examination condition to elicit the data evaluating their reading comprehension ability. The result of their performance yielded approximately 85% success. This result has strong pedagogical implications for Igbo to be tailored towards current global L1/L2 trends of communicative approaches to the teaching and learning of languages for general and specific purposes.
dialect (OD) of Igbo with respect to gemination. Employing a descriptive approach, the study discovers that many consonants become realized as geminates in the normal flowing speech of the native speakers, basically as a result of the elision of a high vowel in between two identical consonants. Since it has become the normal way of speaking except for emphasis among the Owere dialect users, one may conclude that consonant geminate formation is ongoing in OD. We present in the paper instances were these 'geminates' could contrast with non-geminates using minimal pairs and near minimal pairs.
of the world are identified. A people who lose their language have lost
their identity. Currently, the Igbo people of Nigeria seem to be having
problems transmitting lgbo to their children. The problem is more
manifest among Igbo diaspora children. This paper, aimed at
encouraging Igbo parents to go the extra mile of transmitting Igbo to
their children to ensure its safe and secure future, examined the possibility of Igbo P,arents creating an enabling environment for
acquiring/learning lgbo within the family and the immediate locality.
Employing the language maintenance perspective, our data came from
primary and secondary sources. While secondary data were from
electronic and other sources like books, journals and newspapers, the
primary data evolved over some time from several observations of
and/or different forms of interactions with a purposive, convenient
sample of thirty consultants consisting of Igbo parent(s) residing in the
north, west and south-south parts of Nigeria; Ghana, Benin Republic,
England and America. The study shows that diaspora parents can lead
their children not only to understand but to speak Igbo. We recommend
that the Igbo language awareness and maintenance efforts should be the concern of all the Igbo, especially parents. This will ensure that all Igbo children, wherever they live, acquire/learn Igbo to save the language
from endangerment and possible extinction.
goal of communication through language, which is variously expressed. One of the
exotic means of human communication through the language medium is literature,
most of all, poetry. Poetry on its part, is one of the interesting areas of language
tudy, due to its high aesthetic and coded ways of communication, i.e., its condensed,
terse language that speaks volumes, drawing its strength from the language power in
its informative, emotive, expressive, persuasive and directive purposes. This paper is
an attempt in using stylostatistics and componential analysis in examining Ezenwa
Ohaeto's "The Gods Are Hasty." By stylostatistics we mean the application of
tatistical methods to stylistic analysis of texts; while componential analysis refers to
the method of lexical semantics where the sense of a lexeme is analysed into its
component parts in order to clarify or simplify that sense (Esan in Olateju and
Oyeleye (Ed), 2005). The paper will also examine some other nuances of meaning
that come into play in the poem.
linguistic implications. Originally, the items of trade were merely goods and services consisting the most basic mundane or domestic needs which have graduated to the desire for the most exotic commodities of today's international or global trade. Similarly, the mode of communication in trading has grown from the verbal to the current globalised, highly diversified and computerized ones like the internet and the worldwide web. Among the Igbo community of Nigeria, even though new 'global' commodities have emerged, resulting in the influx of modern 'global' traders, (mostly men), the traditional system of trading is still very active. Thus, trading is seen as an aspect of Igbo culture and is transacted in Igbo language, the use of which depicts an activity in its natural and social setting, i.e. the market scene where language is used as the bargaining instrument.
with traditional pattern practice of the formalists' orientation.
Positive dispositions indicate a need to inculcate current learner
centered approaches to language teaching and learning. This paper
sets out to propose the tenets of TBLT in an Elementary Igbo
language classroom, such that learners' pragmatic use of Igbo
would be achieved in a natural context right from the classroom to
the real Igbo world. The study used a three-stage TBLT framework to
attempt a redesigning of an existing content of an Elementary Igbo
course. Though the study encountered a myriad of problems in this
endeavour, it discovered that the grammatical patterns could be
adapted to serve as communicative tasks and then be (re)constructed
to teach required or desired skills. Such practices would move
learners of Elementary Igbo to a more practical focus on accuracy
which flows into fluency. Teaching and learning Igbo would also be
moved more conveniently away from heavy emphasis on traditional
focus on form, which prescribes fluency before accurate production.
It is believed that this learner-centered movement would
consequently stimulate in the learners a need and desire to learn
Igbo in an enjoyable, facilitative and effective manner, as well as
engender vibrant needs analyses processes in teaching and learning
Igbo.
for the teaching, learning and use of indigenous Nigerian languages
like Igbo. as a second language (L2). The paper focuses on
agricultural terms, particularly, terms related to the oil palm
tree. The purpose, among others, is to advocate the provision of Igbo
terms as supplementary materials to Igbo L2 teachers, learners
and all users for unmitigated ease of usage. The 'phototelling' elicitation technique was employed 10 draw the datafront a secondary source consisting ofninety nine (99) photographs. Native speaker intuition and knowledge ofStandard Igbo were applied to derive and tone-mark the two hundred and ten (210) Igbo terms.
Ex isting lexicographic materials in Igbo are not easily available and
accessible, particularly to the large/ audience in this context. Moreover, only few tone-marked lgho terms exist among such
materials. This situation debilitates the teaching, learning and use of
Igbo L2. It is hoped that improving Igbo L2 teaching approach and
adopting this and similar methods in providing terms and other
supplementary materials in different speech events and genres will among other pedagogical benefits, forestall the Igbo L2 lexicographic gap and facilitate the teaching, learning, use and development ofthe Igbo language.
purposes. A sample population of ninety-three students was derived in the second semester of 2014/2015 academic session. A simple diagnostic test administered at the beginning or the course revealed a level of inability (22%) in oral skill in Igbo.
Observations and interactions during the teaching process revealed the programme's excessive dependence on grammatical and structural patterns. Hence, the students' poor attitude towards Igbo and their unfamiliarity with the tenets of the current approaches to language teaching and learning, like, learner-centeredness. These were
observed through their over-dependence on the teacher, insistence on handout materials and scepticism about personal active participation. Also revealed include the problems with large classes, lack of classroom space and inadequate coverage time. A seen written Igbo text was administered in an examination condition to elicit the data evaluating their reading comprehension ability. The result of their performance yielded approximately 85% success. This result has strong pedagogical implications for Igbo to be tailored towards current global L1/L2 trends of communicative approaches to the teaching and learning of languages for general and specific purposes.
dialect (OD) of Igbo with respect to gemination. Employing a descriptive approach, the study discovers that many consonants become realized as geminates in the normal flowing speech of the native speakers, basically as a result of the elision of a high vowel in between two identical consonants. Since it has become the normal way of speaking except for emphasis among the Owere dialect users, one may conclude that consonant geminate formation is ongoing in OD. We present in the paper instances were these 'geminates' could contrast with non-geminates using minimal pairs and near minimal pairs.
of the world are identified. A people who lose their language have lost
their identity. Currently, the Igbo people of Nigeria seem to be having
problems transmitting lgbo to their children. The problem is more
manifest among Igbo diaspora children. This paper, aimed at
encouraging Igbo parents to go the extra mile of transmitting Igbo to
their children to ensure its safe and secure future, examined the possibility of Igbo P,arents creating an enabling environment for
acquiring/learning lgbo within the family and the immediate locality.
Employing the language maintenance perspective, our data came from
primary and secondary sources. While secondary data were from
electronic and other sources like books, journals and newspapers, the
primary data evolved over some time from several observations of
and/or different forms of interactions with a purposive, convenient
sample of thirty consultants consisting of Igbo parent(s) residing in the
north, west and south-south parts of Nigeria; Ghana, Benin Republic,
England and America. The study shows that diaspora parents can lead
their children not only to understand but to speak Igbo. We recommend
that the Igbo language awareness and maintenance efforts should be the concern of all the Igbo, especially parents. This will ensure that all Igbo children, wherever they live, acquire/learn Igbo to save the language
from endangerment and possible extinction.