Inter And Intra-language Challenges In English Intonation Of Nigerian English Bilinguals: Implications For Learning

  This study relies on acoustic evidence to investigate the English intonation usage of 20 NigE bilinguals from two universities in south-west, Nigeria. They produced validated utterances with varied meanings (e.g. protest, detached, interested, impressed, encouraging, bored, grateful, order, re...

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Main Authors: Julianah Akindele, Rotimi Oladipupo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Bejaia Abderrahmane Mira 2024-11-01
Series:The Journal of Studies in Language, Culture and Society
Subjects:
Online Access:https://univ-bejaia.dz/revue/jslcs/article/view/361
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author Julianah Akindele
Rotimi Oladipupo
author_facet Julianah Akindele
Rotimi Oladipupo
author_sort Julianah Akindele
collection DOAJ
description   This study relies on acoustic evidence to investigate the English intonation usage of 20 NigE bilinguals from two universities in south-west, Nigeria. They produced validated utterances with varied meanings (e.g. protest, detached, interested, impressed, encouraging, bored, grateful, order, request and questioning) into speech recording devices. Their responses were converted to TextGrids in Praat and labelled for tone point tiers on which the pitch accent was labelled as L* or H* and the final pitch height as L% or H%. The findings reveal a preponderance of a simple fall tone even in contexts where other tones are expected. A rise was attested in polite requests, declarative questions and surprise, a little evidence of fall-rise was found in declarative questions, while a rise-fall was not attested at all. This suggests a paucity of bi-directional intonation tones in the speech of the participants and confirms their limitation in using intonation to communicate various shades of meaning. The study concludes that, despite the participants’ classroom exposure to the subject of intonation, they are not suitable models of intonation for Nigerian learners of English, and thus recommends that Nigerian learners should rely on technology-driven, non-enculturation sources of speech practice.
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spelling doaj-art-6ee46adb2e23442dba976da2d581eb802025-08-20T02:47:24ZengUniversity of Bejaia Abderrahmane MiraThe Journal of Studies in Language, Culture and Society2716-91892676-17502024-11-0151Inter And Intra-language Challenges In English Intonation Of Nigerian English Bilinguals: Implications For Learning Julianah Akindele 0Rotimi Oladipupo1Osun State UniversityRedeemers University   This study relies on acoustic evidence to investigate the English intonation usage of 20 NigE bilinguals from two universities in south-west, Nigeria. They produced validated utterances with varied meanings (e.g. protest, detached, interested, impressed, encouraging, bored, grateful, order, request and questioning) into speech recording devices. Their responses were converted to TextGrids in Praat and labelled for tone point tiers on which the pitch accent was labelled as L* or H* and the final pitch height as L% or H%. The findings reveal a preponderance of a simple fall tone even in contexts where other tones are expected. A rise was attested in polite requests, declarative questions and surprise, a little evidence of fall-rise was found in declarative questions, while a rise-fall was not attested at all. This suggests a paucity of bi-directional intonation tones in the speech of the participants and confirms their limitation in using intonation to communicate various shades of meaning. The study concludes that, despite the participants’ classroom exposure to the subject of intonation, they are not suitable models of intonation for Nigerian learners of English, and thus recommends that Nigerian learners should rely on technology-driven, non-enculturation sources of speech practice. https://univ-bejaia.dz/revue/jslcs/article/view/361Nigerian English bilingualsinter-languageintonationacousticintra-language
spellingShingle Julianah Akindele
Rotimi Oladipupo
Inter And Intra-language Challenges In English Intonation Of Nigerian English Bilinguals: Implications For Learning
The Journal of Studies in Language, Culture and Society
Nigerian English bilinguals
inter-language
intonation
acoustic
intra-language
title Inter And Intra-language Challenges In English Intonation Of Nigerian English Bilinguals: Implications For Learning
title_full Inter And Intra-language Challenges In English Intonation Of Nigerian English Bilinguals: Implications For Learning
title_fullStr Inter And Intra-language Challenges In English Intonation Of Nigerian English Bilinguals: Implications For Learning
title_full_unstemmed Inter And Intra-language Challenges In English Intonation Of Nigerian English Bilinguals: Implications For Learning
title_short Inter And Intra-language Challenges In English Intonation Of Nigerian English Bilinguals: Implications For Learning
title_sort inter and intra language challenges in english intonation of nigerian english bilinguals implications for learning
topic Nigerian English bilinguals
inter-language
intonation
acoustic
intra-language
url https://univ-bejaia.dz/revue/jslcs/article/view/361
work_keys_str_mv AT julianahakindele interandintralanguagechallengesinenglishintonationofnigerianenglishbilingualsimplicationsforlearning
AT rotimioladipupo interandintralanguagechallengesinenglishintonationofnigerianenglishbilingualsimplicationsforlearning