ABSTRACT
This project explores the influence of teaching phonology on spoken English of secondary school students in Ilorin East Local Government Area, Kwara State. To ascertain this, the project takes a look at the concept of language, functions of language as well as language skills. English phonemes; vowel and consonant sounds are also examined. Based on the foregoing, thus, efforts are directed at analysing the data collected with the research methodology used in obtaining the data. Therefore, the summary of the findings is outlined, and discussion, conclusion and recommendations are presented in concluding this study.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgments iv
Table of contents v
List of Tables vii
Abstract viii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study 1
Statement of the Problems 4
Purpose of the Study 5
Research Questions 6
Scope of the Study 6
Operational Definitions of Terms 7
Significance of the Study 9
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
The Concept of Language, Functions of
Language and Language Skills 11
English Vowel Phonemes 21
English Consonant Phonemes 27
Stress in English Language 30
Intonation of English Language 32
Language Competence and Performance 33
Appraisal of Literature Reviewed 34
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Type 37
Population, Sample and Sampling
Techniques 37
Instrumentation 38
Procedure for data collection 39
Data Analysis Technique 40
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS
Data
Analysis and Results 41
Summary of the Findings 47
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION,
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Discussion 48
Conclusion 50
Recommendations 51
Suggestions for Further Studies 53
REFERENCES 54
APPENDIX 56
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Percentage distribution of the
respondents’ view on the significant relationship between teaching of phonology
and the academic performance of the senior secondary school students. 41
Table 2: Percentage distribution of the
respondents’ view on the significant relationship between teachers’
qualifications and effective teaching of phonology in the senior secondary
schools. 43
Table 3: Percentage distribution of the
respondents’ opinion on the significant relationship between teaching of
phonology and the spoken English of the senior secondary school students. 45
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
English language has no doubt come to
stay as Nigeria’s Lingua Franca (Jolayemi, 2007). As a Lingua Franca, English
obviously is the formal or official language of the country. This status
accounts for the high premium Nigeria places on it. Being a foreign language,
the skills in it have to be learnt rather than acquired. Since the language is
needed for the proper functioning of the country, the Federal Republic of
Nigeria has severally demonstrated its commitment towards the promotion and
development of the language in the country. Hence, the government adopts a
multi-dimensional approaches or strategies.
An integral part of these strategies
aimed at ensuring the growth of English language in Nigeria is its inclusion in
the schools’ curriculum, as a subject of study. Of particular interest to a
curriculum planner is the speaking skill; a knowledge which enables the
learners to speak the language in the same way the native speakers do. The
aspect of English which caters for this interest is referred to as Phonetics
and Phonology.
According to Akande (2002), Phonetics
is defined as the study and description of the physical properties of human
speech sounds. It is sub-divided into Articulatory Phonetics, Auditory
Phonetics and Acoustic Phonetics.
On
the other hand, phonology is the manner by which speech sounds are patterned
into a system of a specific language (Akande, 2002). Phonology of English
language is studied at segmental and supra-segmental levels
Segmental
phonology deals with the consonant and vowel phonemes of English language while
supra-segmental level deals with the analysis of stress, rhythm, intonation and
tone. A learner’s competence in the speaking skill of the English is usually
determined by how much he or she has internalized those properties of the
English language sounds system.
It
is a pity nowadays that most of the students at all levels of education cannot
identify the English phonemes due to the over or under differentiation and
reinterpretation of the English phonemes for their mother tongue(s) (Alabi,
2002). Also, students are confronted with a lot of problems whenever they come
across the English consonant clusters which are non-existent in their native
language. The level of mastery of stress and intonation patterns of the English
language of the students is considerably low because it is quite different from
their indigenous languages which are basically tonal oriented. The students
normally pronounce the English words as they appear to them orthographically in
their local languages or dialects which, of course, make their communication rather
unintelligible to the outside world.
The
concern of this study, therefore, is to find out whether or not the students in
senior secondary schools in Ilorin East Local Government Area, Kwara State are
making progress in internalizing these properties. In other words, this
exercise is aimed at ascertaining the influence of teaching phonology on the spoken
English of senior secondary school students in Ilorin East Local Government
Area, Kwara State.
Statement
of the Problem
Since 1989 or there about when Oral
English or English Paper 3 (Test of Orals) became a compulsory paper to be
written in the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WAEC and NECO),
Nigeria has made concerted efforts to ensure that candidates for these
examinations perform optimally. It is in pursuance of this objective that the
Federal Government through the Ministry of Education invests a substantial
percentage of her resources annually in recruiting, training and retraining of
English language teachers in order to realize these objectives of proficiency
in the spoken English of the citizenry and reap the many benefits accruing from
it.
Consequently, there are divergent views
on the effects of teaching phonology in Nigerian secondary schools. While some
opine that the subject has had a positive effect on the students’ spoken
English. The pessimist argues that in spite of the teaching of Oral English,
there is still noticeable speech difference among the students in our secondary
schools. It is their opinion that some students have in fact resorted to their
Mother Tongue (MT) in order to relief themselves of the nervousness in speaking
English. It is believed by this school of thought that only a negligible number
of these students speak good English probably because of their background.
It is in the light of the above argument
that this study set out to ascertain the validity or otherwise of the claims.
It is entitled ‘Influence of Teaching Phonology on Spoken English of Secondary
School. Students in Ilorin East L.G.A. Kwara State’.
Purpose
of the Study
The aim of this research was to examine how the teaching
of phonology in the secondary schools has benefited the students by sharpening
their skills in spoken English. Specifically, the study is to:
i.
examine
the significant relationship between the teaching of phonology and the academic
performance of senior secondary school students.
ii. identify the significant relationship
between the teachers’ qualifications and teaching of phonology in senior
secondary schools.
iii. ascertain the significant relationship between teaching
of phonology and spoken English of students in senior secondary schools.
Research
Questions
For the purpose of this study, the
following questions were asked:
i.
Is
there any significant relationship between the teaching of phonology and the
academic performance of senior secondary school students?
ii.
Is
there any significant relationship between the teachers’ qualification and
teaching of phonology in senior secondary schools?
iii.
Is
there any significant relationship between teaching of phonology and the spoken
English of students in senior secondary schools?
Scope
of the study
This is a study designed to find out how the teaching of phonology in secondary schools has influenced the
spoken English of the senior secondary school students in schools located in Ilorin
East L.G.A. of Kwara State. Four schools were considered for the test and the
names of the schools are:
i.
Ansarul- Islam Senior Secondary School, Ilorin.
ii.
Bishop Smith College, Ilorin.
iii.
Government Day Senior Secondary School, Agbabiaka, Ilorin.
iv.
Government Day Senior Secondary School, Danialu, Ilorin,
In each of these schools, thirty students
and teachers were randomly selected for the project work. Thus, one hundred and
twenty students and teachers were used as the source for this project empirical
hypothesis.
Operational
Definition of Terms
Phonetics: It is the study and
description of the physical properties of human sounds.
Phonology: It is defined as the study of how speech
sounds are patterned and organized into a system of a special language.
Acoustic Phonetics: This is a part of phonetics which deals
with how sound waves travel between a speaker and his listener.
Auditory phonetics: It describes the effect of sounds in the
human ear. It studies how sounds are perceived by the hearer.
Articulatory phonetics: This is another aspect of phonetics
concerned with the description of how speech sounds are produced; the human
organs of speech involved and the source air stream which is modifiesd in the
production of speech sounds.
Mother Tongue(MT): It is the learner’s native language.
Mother Tongue Interference: This is a
situation where a learner’s (Student’s) native language is reflected in their
English language usage. Interference is a major problem of non-native learners
of English language.
Foreign Language: A language other than that of the
learners native language. Eaxmples of foreign languages in Nigeria are English,
French and Arabic.
RP (Received Pronunciation): This is the correct
or standard pronunciation in English as got from the British whose English
Nigeria uses.
Listening Skill: The ability to hear and understand
information
Speaking Skill: Potential to express ones’s intention
without inhibition.
Reading Skill: Ability to read and comprehend.
Writing Skill: One’s potential to communicate ideas in
writing.”
Syllabic Stress: This is the prominence or empasis placed
on one syllable of a word or one word in a group of words.
Linguistically, stressed syllables refers
to those syllables which are louder, longer and more prominent in pitch than
other syllables in their environment.
Intonation: It is a variation in voice in a spoken
utterance. It indicates whether the pitch of voice rises or falls during
utterance.
Phoneme: A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound which determines
meaning of a specific language. Example, ‘bit’ and pit, have the same number of
phonemes but differ in meaning as a result or the initial phonemes /b/ and /p/.
Intelligibility: This is the ability of an utterance to
make meaning to the listener or one’s ability to express self clearly without
any constraints.
Significance of the Study
As variosly noted, this study is aimed at
ascertaining how the teaching of phonology has impacted on the senior secondary
school students especially those in Ilorin East L.G.A. of Kwara State. It is
hoped that teachers in the senior secondary schools and their students will
benefit immensely from this finding. This is not only because language teachers
knowledge will be up dated, but also their approaches to language teaching will
be modified
As for the students, it is my belief that the outcome
study will go a long way in making them to adjust their attitude to English
learning generally and with particular emphasis on phonology.
Furthermore,
parents, language-in-education-policy-makers, governments and research
individuals and institutions will also have much to benefit from this project.
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