An Open Letter to my Fellow Yoruba on sound /h/ Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (GAB) Letter h equates a sound in English and it is called glottal fricative. This sound is a problematic one for many people who speak the English Language as a second language. The /h/ sound is present in some words, optional in some words and silent in some other words. It has however been observed that among Yoruba speakers on English, there are also cases of h-insertion and h-omission. The sound is found in words like: house, abhor, habit, his, her and so on. It is optional in a word like hotel, which means you may pronounce the word with the glottal fricative sound or leave it out. The sound is not found in words like honour and hour despite the presence of letter h. Research has shown however that Yoruba speakers of English struggle with this…
ARE THE RULES OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE CHANGING OR GAB IS JUST CHANGING THEM
ARE THE RULES OF ENGLISH CHANGING OR GAB IS JUST CHANGING THEM Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (GAB) He who pays the piper calls the tune (not, dictates). Runny nose (not, running nose). Lagging behind (not, lacking behind). Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t (not, the devil you know is better than the angel you don’t know). You cannot have your cake and eat it (not, you cannot eat your cake and have it). Sail through (not, scale through). At times (not, atimes). Knock knees (not, k-legs). I know full well (not, fully well). Don’t bite the hand that feeds you (not, finger). These and more you have read in my daily lessons and I am sure you are asking: Are these rules changing or this guy is changing them? So is he saying our primary and secondary school teachers did not teach us well? … Languages, especially…
More on common errors in Nigerian English
More on common errors in Nigerian English 1. Seldomly and installmentally: These two words are not found in the English lexicon. The adverb is “seldom”. I seldom drive my father’s car (not, seldomly). The standard expression for “instalmentally” is “in instalment”. I will settle the bill in instalments. 2. Mature/matured: “Mature” as an adjective means to be fully developed or grown up. It does not have a past form. Example: She is mature for her age (not matured). “Mature”as a verb means to become mature or ripen. It can attract the past tense. The young boy has matured a great deal over the past year. 3. Give me your pen (not, Biro. ” Biro” is just a brand). 4. Did you just insult me? I’m coming after you. (not coming for you). 5. Don’t disrespect your elder brothers (not senior brothers). GAB
On wrong usages Nigerian English
On wrong usages in Nigerian English 1. Stop/drop: Passengers can “stop” or “get down” on buses but only drivers “drop off” passengers in standard usage. Also, it is grammatically preferable to “take a taxi” than “take a drop”. 2. Do you like Pepsi, Coke and the likes? They are preferably soft drinks or fizzy drinks (not, minerals). 3. Is there a promising and budding singer in your neighbourhood? He is an up-and-coming artiste (not, upcoming) …to be continued GAB
Oral English: the challenge for Nigerian learners
ORAL ENGLISH: THE CHALLENGE FOR NIGERIAN LEARNERS GANIU BAMGBOSE B.Ed English (LASU), M.A English (Ibadan) PhD in view (Ibadan) INTRODUCTION English is the most geographically dispersed language in the world. By 1990, it was already used as either mother tongue, second language or foreign language by about 1.5 billion of about 4 billion world population. The place of English in Nigeria cannot be overemphasised. It is the official language, language of mediation in the face of linguistic plurality, language of governance, education, commerce, journalism and so on. It is a language of social importance. It has also been described as the window through which we see the global world. It is important however to mention that Nigerian English is one of the very many varieties of English. It is an offshoot of the British English and it still holds allegiance to it especially in the area of standard pronunciation. Oral…
British English and Nigerian English: setting a clear boundary
*British English and Nigerian English: Setting a clear Boundary* Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (GAB) I deem it necessary to do this short essay because many people question my propagation of the British English. Some will even ask me if I do not reckon with the Nigerian English. And I say to them: I do! The only variety of English available to a Nigerian is Nigerian English. It is our language of communal existence as a people who were unwillingly assembled under a sociopolitical umbrella called Nigeria. Nigerian English has helped capture our worldviews as a people. How would we have explained phenomena such as “go-slow”, “bean cake” (akara), “well done” and many more, if not for the creative affordances of the Nigerian English. Would I also have called my mum’s elder sister my aunt as the standard British English dictates? Thanks to Nigerian English that allows the compound noun “big…