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Papers by Jacob A D O Ama
Journal of English language and literature, Jun 30, 2017
Nigerian English differs significantly from British English with the obvious disparity in the use... more Nigerian English differs significantly from British English with the obvious disparity in the use of the rising tone and the meanings associated with it. This paper analyses the realization of the rising tone and the extent to which its use in Nigerian English differs from that in British English. Recorded utterances and spontaneous conversations were collected and analysed. A list of conversations got from O'Connor and Arnold (1987) were administered to fifty subjects whose responses were recorded and examined. The tones were analysed to show how the rising tone is used in Popular Nigerian English (PNE) to achieve pragmatic effect in communication. The result showed significant differences in how PNE and BE speakers use the rising tone, how they associate meanings to it, and how the pattern of the rising contrast.
Journal of English Language and Literature, 2017
Nigerian English differs significantly from British English with the obvious disparity in the use... more Nigerian English differs significantly from British English with the obvious disparity in the use of the rising tone and the meanings associated with it. This paper analyses the realization of the rising tone and the extent to which its use in Nigerian English differs from that in British English. Recorded utterances and spontaneous conversations were collected and analysed. A list of conversations got from O'Connor and Arnold (1987) were administered to fifty subjects whose responses were recorded and examined. The tones were analysed to show how the rising tone is used in Popular Nigerian English (PNE) to achieve pragmatic effect in communication. The result showed significant differences in how PNE and BE speakers use the rising tone, how they associate meanings to it, and how the pattern of the rising contrast.
Current Research in Language, Literature and Education Vol. 4, 2022
International Journal of English Language and Communication Studies , 2017
This paper analyses the operation of the tone phrase in Nigerian English and the pattern of the r... more This paper analyses the operation of the tone phrase in Nigerian English and the pattern of the rise that occurs in the tone phrase with emphasis on the nucleus. It explains how statements can be divided into various tone groups, and whether or not all the explicated features are the same in Nigerian and British English. Fifty subjects were asked to read statements issued to them by the researchers. Some of the statements were used by O'Connor and Arnold (1973), Wells (2006), and Cruttenden (1997) in their accounts of the tone phrase. At the end of the investigation, it was realized that a British English (BE) expression that contains two or three tone phrases may be said in Popular Nigerian English (PNE) as containing only one tone phrase. This is because the nucleus does not appear to carry any special stress that should distinguish it from other stressed syllables in the connected utterance. That is, the concept of nuclear stress placement on the final stressed syllable (of content words) in a tone group is not observed in Nigerian English. The rise may occur at the tail instead.
International Journal of English Research , 2017
Nigerian English is one among the numerous existing varieties of English around the world. It has... more Nigerian English is one among the numerous existing varieties of English around the world. It has been observed to possess specific peculiarities in the use of intonation, and in other aspects of English Language like semantics and grammar. It differs significantly from the RP variety with the obvious disparity in the use of the rising tone and the meanings associated with it. This is a study to show the connection between tone use and semantics. English words may have the same or slightly different meanings all around the world but it is obvious that meanings could vary even with the choice of tone - rising or falling. In this study, spontaneous speeches of thirty Nigerians were collected over a period of five years. The subjects included those who have completed their secondary school, university graduates, lecturers and professionals from various fields. Part of the data was collected from the statements of actors on Nigerian movies. The speeches of few elementary school students who are believed to come from well-to-do homes, have educated parents and attend good schools were also analysed. At the end of the study, the result shows that “now” has different meanings in Nigerian Spoken English. When it is said with a rising tone, the meaning does not always indicate time. ‘Ehen’ is not an English word but when said with a rising tone, its meaning is close to that of the rising ‘now’ (when not indication time). Sometimes, the two words co-occur in the same sentence.
Journal of English language and literature, Jun 30, 2017
Nigerian English differs significantly from British English with the obvious disparity in the use... more Nigerian English differs significantly from British English with the obvious disparity in the use of the rising tone and the meanings associated with it. This paper analyses the realization of the rising tone and the extent to which its use in Nigerian English differs from that in British English. Recorded utterances and spontaneous conversations were collected and analysed. A list of conversations got from O'Connor and Arnold (1987) were administered to fifty subjects whose responses were recorded and examined. The tones were analysed to show how the rising tone is used in Popular Nigerian English (PNE) to achieve pragmatic effect in communication. The result showed significant differences in how PNE and BE speakers use the rising tone, how they associate meanings to it, and how the pattern of the rising contrast.
Journal of English Language and Literature, 2017
Nigerian English differs significantly from British English with the obvious disparity in the use... more Nigerian English differs significantly from British English with the obvious disparity in the use of the rising tone and the meanings associated with it. This paper analyses the realization of the rising tone and the extent to which its use in Nigerian English differs from that in British English. Recorded utterances and spontaneous conversations were collected and analysed. A list of conversations got from O'Connor and Arnold (1987) were administered to fifty subjects whose responses were recorded and examined. The tones were analysed to show how the rising tone is used in Popular Nigerian English (PNE) to achieve pragmatic effect in communication. The result showed significant differences in how PNE and BE speakers use the rising tone, how they associate meanings to it, and how the pattern of the rising contrast.
Current Research in Language, Literature and Education Vol. 4, 2022
International Journal of English Language and Communication Studies , 2017
This paper analyses the operation of the tone phrase in Nigerian English and the pattern of the r... more This paper analyses the operation of the tone phrase in Nigerian English and the pattern of the rise that occurs in the tone phrase with emphasis on the nucleus. It explains how statements can be divided into various tone groups, and whether or not all the explicated features are the same in Nigerian and British English. Fifty subjects were asked to read statements issued to them by the researchers. Some of the statements were used by O'Connor and Arnold (1973), Wells (2006), and Cruttenden (1997) in their accounts of the tone phrase. At the end of the investigation, it was realized that a British English (BE) expression that contains two or three tone phrases may be said in Popular Nigerian English (PNE) as containing only one tone phrase. This is because the nucleus does not appear to carry any special stress that should distinguish it from other stressed syllables in the connected utterance. That is, the concept of nuclear stress placement on the final stressed syllable (of content words) in a tone group is not observed in Nigerian English. The rise may occur at the tail instead.
International Journal of English Research , 2017
Nigerian English is one among the numerous existing varieties of English around the world. It has... more Nigerian English is one among the numerous existing varieties of English around the world. It has been observed to possess specific peculiarities in the use of intonation, and in other aspects of English Language like semantics and grammar. It differs significantly from the RP variety with the obvious disparity in the use of the rising tone and the meanings associated with it. This is a study to show the connection between tone use and semantics. English words may have the same or slightly different meanings all around the world but it is obvious that meanings could vary even with the choice of tone - rising or falling. In this study, spontaneous speeches of thirty Nigerians were collected over a period of five years. The subjects included those who have completed their secondary school, university graduates, lecturers and professionals from various fields. Part of the data was collected from the statements of actors on Nigerian movies. The speeches of few elementary school students who are believed to come from well-to-do homes, have educated parents and attend good schools were also analysed. At the end of the study, the result shows that “now” has different meanings in Nigerian Spoken English. When it is said with a rising tone, the meaning does not always indicate time. ‘Ehen’ is not an English word but when said with a rising tone, its meaning is close to that of the rising ‘now’ (when not indication time). Sometimes, the two words co-occur in the same sentence.