Journal of Language and Linguistics

SYNTACTIC CHOICES IN SELECTED GHANAIAN DAILY NEWSPAPER HEADLINES

Peace Chinwendu Israel — 2023-05-12

This paper examined the syntactic choices made by journalists in Ghanaian daily newspaper headlines using Halliday & Matthiessen’s (2004) Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). The aim was to investigate syntactic devices used in these headlines in relation to press social roles as well as the ideological nuances in such syntactic devices in Ghanaian print media reports. Two Ghanaian most widely-read newspapers – Daily Graphic and Daily Guide – were purposively selected for this study. Forty news headlines covering issues such as politics, education, and economic crisis were examined from the editions published between January 2021 and March 2023. This timeframe was selected because it was a time of intense and massive stories/news in the airwaves largely due to the aftermath of the global coronavirus pandemic and the impending political elections in 2024. The Findings revealed that Ghanaian newspaper reporters’ choice of syntactic devices such as modality, transitivity, voice, agency and action and modification are largely influenced by the need to perform some social functions through syntactic maneuvers and themalize some moral and ethical roles of the press in sustaining democracy for effective nation building in Ghana.

ROLES AND EFFECTS OF VALENTINE CARDS ON COMMUNICATION

Shehu Ibrahim Ahmad — 2023-05-12

The paper is aimed at studying the roles and effects of some valentine cards in communication. Given that meaning is hidden in most of the valentine cards that may not be open to everybody, this paper therefore seeks to identify some roles as well as their effects in some selected Valentine Cards within the context in which they occur using Systemic Functional Grammaras the theoretical framework. Data were collected by sampling technique. The research found that some cards do not really entail the deeper feelings of the sender. The study recommended that lovers’ day should be a day of sincere and genuine interpretation of love. Interlocutors should be on alert to avoid using wrong expressions that might deviate from the true feelings of the day.

CRITICAL REALISM IN ADAMU KYUKA’S THE UNKNOWN VULTURE

Chris K. Ukande — 2023-05-12

Adamu Kyuka is one of Nigeria’s 21st century writers who have painstakingly taken the bull by the horn, as he writes to expose the social ills that have thwarted the smooth-existence of the Nigerian society. Thus, as a committed literary writer, he has through the lens of realism x-rayed the prevalent socio-economic and political situation of the Nigerian polity in his literary works. The Unknown Vulture too, which is his recent literary production, realistically gives a depiction of general human follies that have more or less hampered the progress of the society; hence, such follies are quite the oddities that have constituted a clog in the wheel of progress of Nigeria as a nation. The paper, therefore, concludes that until such social vices which are more or less, considered as social ineptitude are eradicated from the African society and the Nigerian society in particular, human progress and development will still be a mirage for as long as humans exist on the surface of the earth.

METALINGUISTIC INVESTIGATION OF POWERFULNESS OR POWERLESSNESS OF ANALYTIC TOOLS IN CORE LINGUISTICS DESCRIPTION

Mohammed Umar — 2023-05-12

Researchers, students and teachers of linguistics basically use tools like symbolic properties, charts, logos and other iconic devices in their formations, descriptions and analyses of phonological, syntactic, semantic and morphological units. Of this analytical trend, not everybody is sufficiently equipped with the theoretical and practical implications of those tools, as they are seen as elements for rendering linguistics as adequately as scientific. Most of the tools, also, emanate from mathematical and logical contents but are situated within linguistic study. This study therefore targets to theoretically and descriptively examine the extent of positivity or negativity of those analytic devices in representations and readings of linguistic information across four core linguistics disciplines. This is done by responding to some questions that reflect the ways and manners those tools are handled. The primary data of this study is generated from student’s tests, researcher’s documents like journal article and conference papers, this is also supported by the supplement of back up from other secondary sources, mostly textbooks. The selection is thus random and the analysis is descriptive. At the end of the investigation, the research came up with the following results: students found that the analytic tools are insufficiently relevant as such rarely use them in their linguistic formations and analyses; they also use the available tools most importantly in the realm of syntax. This tallies with what is obtained in the teachers’ or researchers’ use of the tools. The teachers/researchers however find the tools useful in exhibiting the scientific ramifications of linguistics.

SEMANTIQUE ET PRAGMATIQUE : DEUX CONCEPTS, UN SENS, POUR LA LANGUE

Oyibo Mabel Nginika — 2023-05-12

Selon que l’on définit la sémantique et la pragmatique d’un point de vue ou d’un autre, les deux disciplines sont complémentaires l’une de l’autre. Nous soutenons dans cette communication que la sémantique est intégrée à la pragmatique. Elles sont complémentaires et nécessaires l’une à l’autre. Les arguments pour appuyer cette thèse ne sont pas à rechercher. Premièrement, il convient de retenir qu’au cœur des théories pragmatiques se trouvent trois grandes préoccupations sémantiques. Ce sont les trois réponses aux trois préoccupations qui consacrent la différence entre théories pragmatiques. Ces préoccupations sont les suivantes : la limite de la signification, le calcul de sens, la nature du contexte. Cette communication cherche donc à établir ces préoccupations qui mettent en évidence cette complémentarité.

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF SOME CODES IN NIGERIAN TEACHERS’ CODES AND ETHICS

Agaibe Uhembansha — 2023-05-12

The textual analysis of the Nigerian teachers’ codes seems not to have been wholly explored by textual analysts, hence the researchers’ interest to take up an aspect of the analytical landscape by embarking on textual analysis of Nigerian teachers’ codes and ethics using Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) theory. The researchers are motivated by the factors of misinterpreting the codes by some people to attempt interpreting the codes with the view to drawing out the functional messages contained in them and to figure out why some teachers misinterpret the codes. The data for the study is drawn from TRCN Teachers’ Code of Conduct, the internet and print materials and the researchers use qualitative research design for data analysis. After a study of the codes, the researchers uncover that teachers’ codes are professional guidelines with adequate discourse structures that can be analysed using dissimilar linguistic theories. Another unearthing is that the functional messages of teachers’ codes revolve around professional guiding principles that stipulate how teachers should relate with learners, parents, fellow teachers, employers and the society. Also, the study reveals that one of the reasons teachers’ codes are misinterpreted or misapplied by some teachers is because the codes are not interpreted to them. As result of some of these findings, the researcher suggests that subsequent editions of teachers’ codes should stipulate how the codes will be interpreted to teachers from time to time.

A STYLO-LINGUISTIC INVESTIGATION OF INSECURITY IN IDRIS AMALI’S TEARS OF DESERT WAR

Joseph Alagbe — 2023-05-12

There are studies on the causes of and remedies to the menace of insecurity in Nigeria from sociological, political, economic, religious and cultural points of view. Howbeit, there is inadequate information on linguistic analysis of literary texts that have been used to describe insecurity. This study examines the linguistic indices selected by Idris Amali to recount insecurity in his poem Tears of desert war. The paper adopts an eclectic or integrative approach for analysis. Findings show that, at the graphological level, capitalization is used for some common nouns to depict their esteemed value. The question mark and the comma are omitted in some places in the poem to reiterate the haste with which the poet pens down the narrative and to foreshadow the dejection the account produces in the bard. Simple diction comprehensible to the average reader marks the piece. Besides, some personal pronouns are deployed to reiterate the authenticity of the narrative, to identify the poet with the natives of the region and to depict the adoration of some agricultural yields of certain places in Maiduguri. Tropes used to lace the poem add to the elevation and aesthetics of the language of the work. The historic present is used to establish the immediacy and actuality of the narrative while sparse use of the past tense points to the historicity of the desert war and indicates the time of the commencement of the war. Furthermore, the use of the phrase, clause and simple sentence to recount the desert war entrenches brevity of the language of poetry. The paper posits two forms of insecurity in the poem namely Boko Haram insurgency and banditry, while the executors of the war are Boko Haram insurgents and bandits. The aftermaths of the desert war are decimation of humans, economic animals and farm yields; homelessness, abandonment of farming and animal husbandry, looting and unending tears.

A LEXICO-PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF THE GHANAIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM

Peace Chinwendu Israel — 2023-05-12

This paper analyzed Ghana national anthem. The study adopted an explicit content analytical method which involves a qualitative method of data presentation and analysis. With insights from Blutner’s (1998) Lexico-Pragmatic theory and Austin’s (1962) & Searle’s (1969) Speech Act Theory, this study examined the language of the national anthem of Ghana and points out the inherent pragmatic connotations of the lexical items. The analysis revealed several pragmatic implications of the words used in the anthem which can only be interpreted in the Ghanaian context. It is hoped that the findings of this study will draw attention of all Ghanaians to the wordings of the national anthem and encourage them to see the need to develop positive attitude towards Ghana in order to enhance Ghana’s national development/growth.

NIGERIAN LITERATURE AND THE FEMININITY QUESTION: A READING OF CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE'S PURPLE HIBISCUS

Ishima Jighjigh Leo Justus — 2023-05-12

From time immemorial, male domination in all spheres of life, has created a sort of nightmare to the female folks. Men have chosen to dominate all the facets of humanity, leaving the female folks, either not to be considered, or left at the bottom of the social ladder. Thus, the voice of women is usually not being heard in the society. Through the lens of feminism, using gender as a basis of analysis, this paper touches on some social ills that have thwarted the smooth operations of the female folks in the socioeconomic and political development of the society. The paper, therefore, concludes that unless these social ills that have constituted a sort of social ineptitude are dismantled, the female folks can never have a place and space in the society, even though we are living in the 21st century.

L’USAGE DES TELEPHONES PORTABLES DANS L’ENSEIGNEMENT DE FRANÇAIS

Iwelu Henry Francis Chukwuyem — 2023-05-12

L'utilisation de portables comme moyen de communication a acquis une renommée remarquable car de nombreuses personnes l'ont adopté comme moyen préféré de transmettre des informations à leur public cible. Cependant, l'utilisation de messages texte seuls dans la plupart des cas n'a pas vraiment été en mesure de divulguer les sentiments réels et du communicateur. Avec l'avancée de la technologie, l'utilisation des téléphones portables est devenue omniprésente dans notre vie quotidienne. Aussi, l'utilisation des téléphones portables dans l'enseignement et l'apprentissage est devenue de plus en plus populaire ces dernières années. Avec l'essor de la technologie, les éducateurs explorent de nouvelles façons d'impliquer les élèves et d'améliorer leur expérience d'apprentissage. Nous avons examiné dans cette communication les avantages et inconvénients liées aux usages de téléphone portable dans l’enseignement.

MEANING GENERATION THROUGH MINIMAL PAIRS SITUATIONS IN HAUSA AND ENGLISH LANGUAGES

Shehu Ibrahim Ahmad — 2023-05-12

The study is aimed at doing a phono-semantic study of minimal pairs in Hausa and English Languages with idea of generating meaning through minimal pairs by means of contrastive analysis. The study is motivated into this investigation by some observed speech features of some Hausa speakers of English in the Faculty of Arts, Nasarawa State University, Keffi as they communicate in English. This is observable when, for instance, a Hausa speaker seems to give some English minimal pairs similar pronunciations irrespective of the sound contrast distinguishing them. Therefore, one hears a Hausa speaker of English pronouncing the following pairs of words: peak and pick, caught and cut, goat and gut, etc as if they were the same in spelling, pronunciation and meaning. The study had established the basic factor affecting the Hausa pronunciation of English minimal pairs. Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis developed by Robert Lado (1957) was used as theory for analysis. Data were collected through audio-tape recording. The population was drawn from Hausa speakers of English in the Faculty of Arts, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Nigeria. The analysis revealed that most English and Hausa minimal pairs initial and final are consonantal, while medial are vowel based. Tone played a prominent role in distinguishing two or more lexical items in Hausa language. The study recommended that the Hausa speakers of English (especially those in the study area) should make some effort to become fully aware of their innate tendencies to commit the pronunciation errors identified in this research work, so that they will be able to identify areas of similarity as well as difference between English and Hausa.