Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 116 views

    Rhode Island College: M.Ed. in TESL Program Language Group Specific Informational Reports

    Uploaded by

    Aniekan
    The document provides information about the Igbo language and culture from Nigeria. It discusses where Igbo is spoken in Nigeria, the history and development of the language, and cultural aspects like greetings. It also examines challenges for Igbo English language learners, including differences between Igbo and English phonology, syntax, and semantics. The document references literature on Igbo language acquisition and bilingual education models in Nigeria.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Rhode Island College: M.Ed. in TESL Program Language Group Specific Informational Reports

    Uploaded by

    Aniekan
    116 views18 pages
    The document provides information about the Igbo language and culture from Nigeria. It discusses where Igbo is spoken in Nigeria, the history and development of the language, and cultural aspects like greetings. It also examines challenges for Igbo English language learners, including differences between Igbo and English phonology, syntax, and semantics. The document references literature on Igbo language acquisition and bilingual education models in Nigeria.

    Original Description:

    Igbo

    Original Title

    Igbo

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    The document provides information about the Igbo language and culture from Nigeria. It discusses where Igbo is spoken in Nigeria, the history and development of the language, and cultural aspects like greetings. It also examines challenges for Igbo English language learners, including differences between Igbo and English phonology, syntax, and semantics. The document references literature on Igbo language acquisition and bilingual education models in Nigeria.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    116 views18 pages

    Rhode Island College: M.Ed. in TESL Program Language Group Specific Informational Reports

    Uploaded by

    Aniekan
    The document provides information about the Igbo language and culture from Nigeria. It discusses where Igbo is spoken in Nigeria, the history and development of the language, and cultural aspects like greetings. It also examines challenges for Igbo English language learners, including differences between Igbo and English phonology, syntax, and semantics. The document references literature on Igbo language acquisition and bilingual education models in Nigeria.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 18

    Rhode Island College

    M.Ed. In TESL Program


    Language Group Specific Informational Reports

    Produced by Graduate Students in the M.Ed. In TESL Program


    In the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development

    Language Group: Igbo


    Author: Patricia Jaspers

    Program Contact Person: Nancy Cloud ([email protected])


    The Igbo Language
    Patricia Jaspers
    TESL 539
    Fall 2011
    Where is Igbo spoken?
    Africa Nigeria
    • Map of Africa The olive green area is in Nigeria
    where Igbo is spoken

    http://www.uiowa.edu http://www.uiowa.edu
    Language History
    • The English Language is Nigeria’s official language.
    • Nigeria is a multilingual country where over 400
    languages are spoken.
    • Igbo, Hausa, and Yoruba are the three major
    languages (mother tongue) spoken in Nigeria.
    • The Igbo first came in contact with Europeans, the
    Portuguese and the British, in the mid fifteenth
    century.
    • In 186l the British colonized Nigeria influencing some
    of the linguistic and cultural aspects of Igbo people.
    History continued
    • A large portion of the population have a
    limited education and can speak very little
    English.
    • Speaking English commands great prestige.
    • Nigeria’s National Policy on Education is a
    multilingual policy that allows for a student to
    learn their mother tongue and English.
    • English is taught in schools beginning in the
    primary grades because English is the only
    common language in all of Nigeria
    Cross Culture Communication
    • The most common greeting of the Igbo is a handshake
    with a warm smile. Shake hands at the beginning and
    ending of a meeting.
    • Men place their left hand on the other person’s
    shoulder while shaking hands.
    • The Igbo wait for a women to extend a hand first.
    • Smiling and showing sincere pleasure at meeting the
    person is important.
    • It is rude to rush a meeting practice.
    • It is important to address people initially by their
    academic, professional or honorific title or surname.
    • It is not a first name culture, you should always wait to
    be invited to use a person’s first name.
    • Many Igbo employ indirect eye contact to demonstrate
    their respect for the other person.
    Igbo Alphabet
    • The Igbo alphabet consists of eight vowels, thirty consonants,
    and two tones - high and low.
    • The official Igbo orthography (known as Onwu) uses a Roman
    script.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
    Semantics

    • Igbo is a contrastive tonal language, high and low.


    • These tones perform semantic and grammatical
    functions.
    • Emphasis of different tones to certain words yield
    different meanings, i.e. the Igbo word isi could have
    four different meanings depending where the high
    tone pitch is emphasized - isi-head, isì-smell,
    ìsì-blindness, isí-to cook
    • In Igbo, two sentences with the identical words can
    change from asking a question to become an
    affirmative sentence simply by the speaker’s Igbo
    tone.
    Igbo Phonological Acquisition
    • Ending consonants and consonant clusters
    very rarely occur in the Igbo language.
    • VCV and VCVCV word structures are more
    prevalent in Igbo, than is the CVCV used in
    English.
    • The Igbo language is tonal (high and low).
    • Many vowels are not differentiated in Igbo.
    Igbo uses mostly short vowels sounds.
    Phonology
    Vowel Use
    • Igbo English language learners lengthen the
    vowel sounds in words, which does not change
    the semantics.
    • Igbo learners tend to lengthen English vowel
    sounds. Although this assists the Igbo learner
    with the ease of speaking, it is not the
    correct English pronunciation.
    i.e. English Igbo
    stew situu
    Syllables
    • The Igbo language has open syllables
    • The English language has open and closed
    syllables
    • The Igbo has no consonant clusters
    • The English language has consonant clusters
    • The basic Igbo syllable is CV: si-cook, zu-buy
    • The basic English syllable is VC: am, is, on
    Phonology
    • Verb use effects Igbo grammar
    • Verb endings and the use of auxiliaries in the
    simple present and past are the cause
    frequent problems, i.e. he didn’t came back.
    • The infinitive form after: make, let, see and
    hear, cause problems for Igbo learners, i.e. I
    saw him did it.
    • Mistakes are common when verb phrases are
    reduced after conjunctions, i.e. I didn’t see
    anything or heard anything.
    Syntax
    • Choice of an appropriate tense form causes many
    problems especially with certain uses of have, think,
    and see, i.e. I was having no money.
    • The present perfect is frequently misused, or not
    used, i.e. I have seen him yesterday.

    Nouns and Articles


    • The difference between countable and uncountable
    nouns is not well understood and many uncountables
    are wrongly classified, i.e. We had a rain this morning.
    • Names of animals tend to be treated as proper nouns,
    i.e. This is Goat instead of This is a goat.
    Syntax continued
    • The definite article is frequently used incorrectly or
    omitted with names and titles, i.e. do you want to
    speak to Minister?
    • Expression of quantity are often misused, i.e. they
    don’t have much children.
    • Little and few are confused and the negative effect
    of omitting “a” is not understood, i.e. there are a
    little eggs or give me few more oranges.
    • Too and enough are not fully understood, i.e. this
    stew is too good or the roads are bad, so there are
    enough accidents.
    Difficulties for Igbo English
    Language Learners
    • The bilingual Igbo/English constantly cross-switch
    the two languages while speaking.
    • Igbo speakers find it difficult to employ intonation in
    English.
    • Attention needs to be given to the pronunciation of
    words that make up a sentence.
    • Research shows that deletion of speech sounds in the
    English language by Igbo ELLs.
    new - nju /n/,/y/,/u/ few – fju /f/,/y/,/u/
    • Igbo learners insert an additional sound segments
    into certain positions of a word. A consonant may be
    added to break up vowel clusters. A teacher needs to
    be aware of these insertions, i.e. school- sukulu
    References
    Books & Journals

    Chinelo, N.L. (2010). Phonology in teacher education in Nigeria: The Igbo language
    example. African Journal of Teacher Education. 1(1). 48-63.

    Igboanusi, H. (2006). A comparative study of the pronunciation features of Igbo English


    and Yoruba English speakers of Nigeria. English Studies. 87(4), 490-497.
    Igboanusi, H. (2008). Mother tongue-based bilingual education in Nigeria: Attitudes and
    practice. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. 11(6),721-
    732.
    Nwokah, E. (1986). Consonantal substitution patterns in Igbo phonological acquisition.
    Language and Speech. 29(2).159-176.
    Swan, M., & Smith, B. (2001). Learner English: A teacher’s guide to interference and
    other problems (Second Edition). New York: Cambridge University Press.
    Uchechukwu, C. (2007). Subject–object switching and the Igbo lexicon. Annual Review
    of Cognitive Linguistics. 5(1). 55-76.
    References con.
    Internet Sites
    Kwintessential. (n.d). Nigeria: Language, culture, customs and etiquette. Kwintessential.
    Retrieved September 19, 2011, from:
    http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/nigeria.html
    Images
    Art and Life Africa - Map of Africa, Map of Nigeria, Flag of Nigeria.
    Retrieved 9-10-11 from: http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/countries.html
    Wikipedia. (2012). Igbo alphabet. Retrieved 9-10-11 from:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:IgboAlphabet.JPG
    M.Ed. in TESL Program
    Nancy Cloud, Director
    Educational Studies Department
    Rhode Island College, HBS 206 #5
    600 Mt. Pleasant Avenue
    Providence, RI 02908
    Phone (401) 456-8789
    Fax (401) 456-8284
    [email protected]

    The M.Ed. in TESL Program at Rhode Island College


    is Nationally Recognized by TESOL and NCATE

    You might also like