Directorate of General Studies
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Browsing Directorate of General Studies by Author "Dozie, Chinomso P."
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Item Open Access An evaluation of emerging trends in written english among university students in South-East Nigeria: The teachers’ perspective(European Centre for Research Training and Development UK, 2019) Dozie, Chinomso P.; Madu, Lovina Ihunanya; Ojilere, Ijeoma Callista; Onuh, Nneoma Christiana; Chinedu-Oko, Chioma Nkechinyere; Ononiwu, Mark ChituruThe study investigated the degree to which students used emerging trends in their handwritten academic work. Through a three-stage random sampling, selected facilitators assessed students’ tasks in order to identify those “informal/emerging trends” used by students. Pretested questionnaire written in English was administered to facilitators at the Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria. Results showed that facilitators encountered emerging trends and at a high frequency while grading scripts. Findings revealed that the most likely causes of usage were poor learning in English, social media influence and keeping with the trend. Again, the study showed the consequences include grammar/spelling error, formation of incorrect/unacceptable structure, poor performance in examinations/use of English among others. Finally, the study demonstrated that facilitators were inclined to constant correction during teaching, giving more exercises involving essay writing as corrective measures to check the use and recommended that teachers must adopt a hands-on approach on the correctness of grammar.Item Open Access Apology and linguistic politeness strategies in English among Igbo native speakers in Nigeria: An inter-language study(Australian International Academic Centre PTY. LTD., 2019) Dozie, Chinomso P.; Otagburuagu, Emeka J.The study sought to explore the conversational English politeness strategies used by Igbo learners of English in Nigeria. Through a purposive sampling process, a total of 3000 copies of questionnaire in the form of Discourse Completion Task (DCT) consisting of 10 different apology discourse situations positing extent of familiarity, hierarchy and degree of infraction were distributed to undergraduates of Igbo extraction at seven universities systematically selected from the South-East and South-South zones in Nigeria. In all, 2748 copies of questionnaire representing 92 percent were duly completed, returned, coded and analysed using the quantitative tool for analysis of production data. Findings demonstrated that the samples used politeness strategies very significantly in apology discourse. Also, the study revealed that apologies are conversational habits of Igbo bilinguals as the offenders willingly made an apology regardless of social differences and context which were also reflected in their choice of strategies as there was obvious transfer of the nuances of the first/native language/mother tongue to their target language production. The study established that apology realisation in an interlanguage context i.e. Igbo speaking learners of English necessarily bears the burden of native language transfer into target language. In conclusion, this study showed that because of the Igbo understanding that in human interactions, there are possibilities of instances of affront or outrage Igbo bilinguals adopted mainly the positive and negative forms of politeness strategies in apology discourse as the case may be to accomplish a conversational demand. The study found evidence to further dispute the universality of politeness and argued that politeness is culture-specific.Item Open Access Beyond politeness and the rhetoric of speech acts: The Igbo appraisal(U. P., 2020-06) Dozie, Chinomso P.This paper delves into the concept of politeness within the linguistic and cultural framework of the Igbo people in Nigeria, challenging the universality of existing politeness theories such as those proposed by Brown and Levinson. By integrating an extensive review of literature with empirical insights, the study examines how speech acts—specifically requests, reprimands, apologies, offers, and thanks—are embedded in and influenced by the unique social and cultural milieu of the Igbo. The paper juxtapose3s the Igbo practices against standard politeness theories, revealing significant deviations that underscore the cultural specificity of politeness strategies. Politeness in Igbo interaction is characterized by a strong community orientation, which contrasts sharply with the individualistic approach often observed in Western contexts. This orientation influences the performance of speech acts, where actions such as making requests or issuing reprimands are governed by communal norms rather than individual autonomy. The study highlights how Igbo speech acts frequently prioritize group harmony and social solidarity, challenging the notion of ‘face’ as a predominantly individualistic pursuit. Furthermore, the paper critiques the application of universal politeness strategies across diverse cultures, arguing that the Igbo example illustrates the need for a more nuanced understanding of politeness that incorporates cultural variances. Through a methodological blend of discourse analysis and sociolinguistic inquiry, the research not only contributes to the broader understanding of politeness within African contexts but also invites reevaluation of politeness theory as a whole. The findings suggest that while some elements of established politeness theories can be observed in Igbo interactions, there are profound cultural adaptations that necessitate modifications to these theories to accommodate non-Western, communal-oriented perspectives on politeness, face, and imposition. This study serves as a critical reminder of the rich, varied ways in which human societies understand and navigate social interactions.Item Open Access Exploring the link among teaching approach, intervention plan and outcome on Nigerian ESL learners’ competence: A follow-up study(U. P., 2020-06) Dozie, Chinomso P.Several researchers have argued that teaching approach (TA) and intervention plan (IP) have a significantly positive outcome in language teaching/learning, particularly in second language (L2) learning which is otherwise fraught with first language (L1) and or interlanguage transfers. Although TAs and IPs have been known to improve student outcomes when implemented with strict control and supervision by researchers/teachers, it is uncertain whether these tools measure accurately when applied under real educational/instructional conditions. Three effective teaching techniques were used in the study with the goal of improving students' writing proficiency. This study's goal was to determine the most effective teaching strategy for improving students' writing proficiency. To that end, three different TAs—communicative, eclectic, and task-based were compared and applied to three experimental groups—A, B, and C—over the course of twelve weeks, with the control group (D) receiving instruction in the traditional manner. A pre-test was administered on forty (40) first year students/subjects purposively selected from their school at Development Secondary School, Mbaise (DSSM). The effect of the twelve-week treatment period on their essay writing was measured using a post-test. Results varied depending on the group, but most notably, in the post-test assessment, Group B showed major improvement and Control Group D showed no significant progress, while Groups A and C's writing ability improved just little at best. Findings have indicated and established that TA, IP and outcome on Nigerian ESL learners’ competence are non-negotiably (indisputably) linked with Eclectic TA as evidence-based standard measure for optimal improvement.Item Open Access Impact of eclecticism on Nigerian ESL learners’ communicative competence: A comparative study(U. P., 2023-03-31) Dozie, Chinomso P.; Regis-Onuoha, Adaeze; Madu, Lovina I.; Egwim, Favour O.; Okere, Mary C.; Ihejirika, Richard C.This study adopted three practical teaching strategies intended to positively affect learners’ writing skill while neutralising negative factors affecting their writing competence. To achieve the study objective which aimed at the assessment of the best teaching strategy to enhance learners’ writing proficiency, a comparative study of three teaching methods(namely communicative, eclectic and task-based methods) was used over a-6-week period as treatment on three experimental groups A, B, C respectively and a control group (D) was taught using conventional method. A pretest was administered on two hundred (200) freshmen/subjects purposively selected from different Departments at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO). A post-test was used to ascertain the outcome of the six weeks period of treatment on their essay writing. Results varied according to groups but, most importantly, Group B showed very significant improvement and control group D showed no significant improvement at all in the post-test assessment while groups A and C’s writing ability improved just marginally at best post-test. Our findings suggest the need to pay attention to eclectic teaching technique as a crucial element in enhancing writing proficiency among learners. The implications and limitations of this research in addition to guidelines for future research are discussedItem Open Access New perspectives in teaching and learning second languages: Enhancing unseen elements and processes beyond theories(U. P., 2020) Dozie, Chinomso P.; Regis-Onuoha, Adaeze J.; Udosen, Escor Effiong; Madu, Lovina I.; Egwim, Favour O.This article reports on findings from qualitative and empirical research on second language (L2) teaching and learning based largely on second language teaching theories, methods, and approaches which are generally believed to contribute immensely to second language learning. The goal of the study was to ascertain the extent to which these theories when applied to actual second language teaching and learning situations translate to effective/positive feedback. Oral interviews and informal interactions were used to elicit information from 4000 students who gave consent and were randomly selected from a pool of students after the objective of the study was explained. In addition, key Person Interviews (KPIs) were used to confirm, enhance and supplement the information obtained from the oral and informal interactions. The results showed that beyond the basic theoretical matters and their applications in second language teaching and learning, the study subjects as well as KPIs were more inclined to believe that factors such as motivation, interest, commitment, willingness, and determination were crucial to language teaching and learning and which ultimately accounts for competence and performance in the target language. The study concludes that second language teaching/learning involves the mutual action and participation of two parties – teacher and learner for optimum feedback. Further research can be done to explore the perception of second language learners in the early secondary school years to be able ascertain the exact point of disconnect in the process.Item Open Access Realism and illusion: An analysis of Sanusi’s speech on governance and viewpoint of a Nigerian politician(U. P., 2021) Ononiwu, Mark C.; Njemanze, Queen U.; Dozie, Chinomso P.Present-day leaders and/or politicians are experts at using language to manipulate the electorate and the people they lead. This statement infers that leadership and political discourse operate indexically, in other words, every single word being used either implicitly or explicitly, expresses some political viewpoint. This could be illusionary or realistic based on how subtle people are addressed, the information provided, and the impression the speech carries based on the words used to convey the impressions. In this study, the researchers considered the different political comments inherent in the speech of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the Emir of Kano (henceforth referred to as SLS), particularly at the birthday celebration of Nasir-EL-Rufai, former governor of a Northern State in Nigeria. The aim of the researcher is to find out how these utterances he made at the birthday party of his friend were able to betray and bring out to the fore, the inner struggles of his mind concerning the socio-political and economic situations in the North of Nigeria. The theory that underpins this study is the speech act theory; This theory is concerned with specific social acts performed in making utterances. This theory can be traced originally to the view expounded in Austin‘s seminal publication, ‗How to Do Things with Words‘ The analysis will be done according to Searle‘s five taxonomies of speech acts: assertive, directive, commissive, expressive, and declarative. This study significantly addressed the problems of the North from the viewpoint of the language of SLS‘s mind, and expressions, embedded in realism and illusion, and concluded by expressing the thoughts of the disgust, and visible frustrations of the situation in Northern Nigeria that have been going on over timeItem Open Access Requests and linguistic politeness strategies: A case study of Igbo English speakers in Nigeria(Australian International Academic Centre PTY. LTD, 2022-02-28) Dozie, Chinomso P.; Chinedu-Oko, Chioma N.; Anyanwu, Patricia N.; Egwim, Favour O.; Otagburuagu, Emeka J.This article examined the Igbo native speakers’ perception of request act as well as the linguistic politeness strategies used to achieve this communicative intention in their conversational English as bilinguals. The study participants were 2748 undergraduate Igbo native speakers purposively selected from different Federal and State Universities in the core Igbo-speaking states of South east/South-south Nigeria. To elicit data, a 10-item discourse completion task (DCT) with guided options written in English and designed to evoke politeness strategies in request discourse projecting hypothetical situations was administered to the participants. The results showed that the study samples brought to fore their sociocultural expectations as Igbo by adopting principally the directness strategy in performing the request act. Also, findings revealed that the participants paid attention to certain sociolinguistic variables such as hierarchy, extent of familiarity, which contributed to the variance, observed in their choice of strategies in some contexts. Furthermore, the study noted a measure of linguistic transfer of a tinge of the native language to the target language (English language) as participants tried to fulfill the communicative goals of the request act in the target language. Notably, the findings demonstrated the possibility of communication breakdowns arising from grammatically correct but pragmatically inappropriate utterances from learners hence the need to further emphasize pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic consciousness - the dearth of which has been implicated in the studyItem Open Access Review of the ethno-linguistic situation in Nigeria: Perspectives from language, literacy, and ethnicity(Res Militaris, 2021) Udosen, Escor Effiong; Njemanze, Queen U.; Dozie, Chinomso P.; Ononiwu, Mark C.; Nnamani, Francis U.There have been diverse perspectives on the ethno-linguistic situations in Nigeria. These have copiously been evaluated through diverse strategies such as language, literacy, and ethnicity. These three concepts have been viewed as essential tools in identifying a people, either as an ethnic, racial, or national group. However, since no single group is in the majority in Nigeria, the three major ethnic groups which have the largest ethnic groups, have often encountered ethnic and linguistic situations from other groups in the nation. In other words, the complex ethno-linguistic situation in Nigeria has been the prime representation of the classic set of problems in matters relating to national planning and development. Historical and sociocultural elements are fundamental requirements for national development which requires social cohesion, understanding, and cordial relationships among the citizens. This can be achieved through language which is a medium of communication. Language influences an individual's interpretation of reality; also, ethnicity and literacy can be established using language which is one of the main symbols of a people's culture. The Nigerian Society is multilingual and pluralistic as such most of our social problems involve some type of conflict, and sometimes, disagreement over cultural tradition and language symbols of our identities. In other words, language meets universal human needs for identification and communication. This paper explores the place of language, literacy, and ethnicity in the identification of a people and their culture, it x-rayed some notable situations induced by ethnic and linguistic affiliations and concluded by advocating for a policy that should encourage the existence and maintenance of these concepts in Nigeria. This will help the nation to achieve cordial relationships, and a good understanding of the present-day interdisciplinary dialogue in language, literacy, and ethnicity, for greater national development.Item Open Access The English language and the second language learners’ perception in a multicultural Nigeria: an appraisal(U.P., 2020-07) Ojilere, Ijeoma C.; Dozie, Chinomso P.; Chidozie, Mmachi AkudoThe objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of English as language of formal learning using some schools from the three senatorial zones in Imo State as well as teachers’ challenges in the use of this target language as a pedagogical tool. Through a random sampling process, 1200 copies of pretested and validated questionnaire written in English were administered to selected students from these regions. Key Persons Interview was also used to supplement the questionnaire data. 895 copies of questionnaire representing 74.6% were duly completed and returned for analysis. Studies showed that students’ perception of English as a language of education is one in which they feel compelled and have rather come to terms with its usage as a result of its imposition by the British colonialists, acceptance by the Nigerian government and general implementation as an official language. Findings revealed that 68.5% feel the need to fall back on their local language for clarification of some sort while 14.5% of the respondents have little or no need to use the mother tongue but 17% have occasional inkling to resort to their mother tongue for proper understanding. This interference is expected in a multilingual nation like Nigeria which has instituted bilingualism and multilingualism to her citizenry. The study established that the use of English accounts for some of the challenges in academic performance of students and therefore recommends that teachers, parents and government must strive to reiterate the need to inculcate and acculturate this official language as an ineluctable tool for academic success and societal integration.