Predominant Devices Used By Ngugi Wa Thiong’o In His Novel Wizard Of The Crow

 Predominant Devices Used By Ngugi Wa Thiong’o In His Novel Wizard Of The Crow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction

1.1     Background Of The Study

Language is a distinctive quality unique to man. It is what enables man to express him/herself and communicate with his/her fellow man, and it is acquired naturally. According to Fromkin et al “…language is the source of human life and power” (3). They also state that “we use language to convey information to others…, ask questions…, give command…, and express wishes” (173).  There are two specific media of using language: oral – which is by words of mouth; and written – which is a graphic representation of words on paper.

It is in the use of language that style comes in. Style shows the difference between one piece of writing and the other. According to Adejare, “style is an ambiguous term…” (1). He further states that the term style means different things to different professions. Some examples are: to a psychologist, a style is a form of behaviour, to the critic, style is individuality and to the linguist, it is the formal structures in function (1).

Stylistics is the study of oral and written texts. It is the description of the linguistic characteristics (which means features of linguistics) of all situationally restricted uses of language. Linguistics is the scientific study of language or of a particular language. Linguistics is scientific because it applies the method of objective observation, collection, classification and application of facts to the study of language.

Stylistics focuses on texts and gives much attention to the devices, parts of speech and figures of speech. It goes further to look into the effects of the use of the devices on the reader.

Talking about the scope of stylistics, Onwukwe Ekwutosi gave four distinctive types of stylistics and they are:

1. General stylistics
2. Literary stylistics
3. Stylo-stylistics
4. Phono-stylistics

General stylistics deals with the non-dialectical varieties found within a language. In other words, it deals with situational or contextual use of language, that is, variation according to use. It also includes a variation of language according to the field of discourse, variation according to the mode of discourse and finally, variation according to the style of discourse.

Literary stylistics deals with language use in literature, that is, variations, and characteristics of individual writers that made marks in literature. Often, we hear people talk about the style of Shakespeare, Milton, Achebe or Soyinka.

And also, stylo-stylistics deals with the qualification of the stylistic pattern. It studies the statistical structure of literary texts often using computers. Finally, phono-stylistics is the study of the expression of the aesthetic function of sound.

Stylistic features can be described as features that produce a style. They include linguistic features such as diction(writer’s choice of words, such as clichés, archaism, polysyllabic, monosyllabic), sentence structure such as loose and period sentences, parallelism, parenthetical expressions and passive expressions. Other features are cohesion, coherence, use of punctuation marks and figures of speech such as metaphor, simile, hyperbole, metonymy and personification, slang, colloquialism and connotation.

Diction: By diction, the reader looks at the simplicity or the difficulty of words chosen by the writer to express himself.

Sentence: It is made up of words that express a complete thought. It is the basic unit of thought in any communication. Both oral and written languages are made up of sentences. There are two main kinds of sentences; loose and periodic sentences.

Loose sentence: It is the kind of sentence that states the main point at the beginning. Even when the statement is grammatically complete, one or more explanatory clauses or phrases come after it.

Periodic sentence: This kind of sentence keeps the main point for the end. The sentence is not grammatically complete until the end of the sentence.

Parallelism: It is the use of pattern repetition in a literary text for a particular stylistic effect.

Parenthetical expression: It is used to give more information and also as an afterthought in a statement.

Passive expression: This is the use of words in the past tense to show the time of action.

Cohesion: It is a linguistic phenomenon which explains the way discourse is structured or organized with regard to message. It is a binding force that ties together stretches of utterances.

Coherence: This is the arrangement of sentences in a logical order.

Punctuation marks: These are signs in writing to divide sentences and phrases and to make meanings clear.

Figure of speech: A figure of speech is an expression used figuratively rather than literary. It gives a deeper meaning to words. Some examples are:

Metaphor: Is a comparison between two dissimilar things which have something in common.

Simile: It is a clear comparison between two dissimilar things. These two unlike items however share something in common. It is this common characteristic that is emphasized by the use of like or as …as.

Hyperbole: It is an overstatement where the speaker exaggerates what he is saying out of proportion.

Metonymy: This is using a word for something to refer to another with which it has become closely associated.

Personification: It is giving human quality to an inanimate object.

Slang: Very informal words and expressions that are more common in spoken language, especially used by a particular group of people.

Colloquialism: A word or phrase that is used in conversation but not in a formal speech in writing.

Connotation: It is the additional meaning the word gains because of the different environments in which a word has been used in the past.

Archaism: This is the use of old and middle English words which are no longer in general usage today. Some examples are, “thereto”, and “thou”.

Clichés: They are phrases or ideas that have been used so often that it no longer has much meaning and is not interesting.

A way of stylistic analysis is taking a text and analyzing it at the various levels of the linguistic organization – phonological, morphological, syntactic, and semantic levels. It is the identification of patterns of usage in speech and writing. It is usually made for the purpose of commenting on quality and meaning in a text.

1.2     Statement Of The Problem

Though many works have been done on the style of Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s other novels, not much has been done on his style in Wizard of the Crow, which is his most recent novel, published in 2007. Consequently, the researcher intends to examine the style of Ngugi in this latest novel.

Secondly, most of the works did not use quantitative stylistic analysis to determine the predominant or most frequently occurring devices. They often simply listed out all the devices used.

1.3     Objective Of The Study

The objectives of this study is to identify the predominant devices used by Ngugi wa Thiong’o in his novel Wizard of the Crow and what he achieved by using those devices.

1.4     Significance Of The Study

This research will help the readers identify the predominant stylistic devices used by Ngugi wa Thiong’o in his latest novel Wizard of the Crow and why he used them. It will also provide reference material for other researchers in the field.

1.5     Scope Of The Study

The study is restricted to the novel Wizard of the Crow, a novel comprising six books namely; Book 1 – Power Daemons, Book 2 – Queuing Daemons, Book 3 – Female Daemons, Book 4 – Male Daemons, Book 5 – Rebel Daemons and Book 6 – Bearded Daemons, with a total of 264 chapters.

To enable the researcher to carry out a detailed study of the text and for close textual references considering the limited time available to the researcher, the scope is further restricted to only 30 chapters of the novel. In addition, the researcher will restrict the analysis of the stylistic devices to the use of ellipses, rhetorical questions, parenthetical expressions, italics and long sentences which in the course of reading the novel, the researcher found to have occurred more frequently than the others.

1.6     Research Methodology

The method to be used in this study will be an intensive study of related materials from the library and a close textual analysis of the text: Wizard of the Crow using quantitative stylistic analysis. This entails counting and writing down the number of times each of the selected stylistic devices occurred. In addition, 5 chapters will be selected by simple random sampling from each of the six books giving a total sample of 30 chapters out of the total 264 chapters that make up the novel.

EDITOR SOURCE: Predominant Devices Used By Ngugi Wa Thiong’o In His Novel Wizard Of The Crow

The Principal Human Relation Strategies And Teacher’s Job Performances Of Secondary Schools

 The Principal Human Relation Strategies And Teacher’s Job Performances Of Secondary Schools

 

 

 

Background to the Study

          The aim of education in every society in the world is to develop the young ones to become useful adults. Although education varies in different societies of the world, education remains the bedrock of every society. Therefore, any nation that toys with education is definitely sitting on a key of gunpowder and this is bound to explode. For the goal of education to be achieved in a nation, the principal actors of learning are the teachers, and the learner and the environment must be co-operatively organized. The aim of education in the olden days includes moral and spiritual development which reflects in the societal system of thought and beliefs and these, in turn, have a great influence on the economic activities of its members. For example, the African traditional society is replete with people whose minds have been observed with the magical religious systems of thoughts, as nduka putss !! (Waste. 1999). Here society regards every fortune as coming from one or more of its numerous Gods as well as their spirits. In such an environment, progressive thinking is almost impossible.

          The success of any organization depends to a large extent upon the leader of the organization and the effectiveness of any secondary school in attaining its objective. Depends on the chief executive at the school level otherwise known as the principal. The principal helps to integrate the teachers, non-teaching staff, students and other resources into a productive working mechanism and student performance by influencing teachers' behaviours and beliefs through corrective supervisory activities, cooperation, motivation, effective communication and evaluation for the achievement of educational objectives. The principals perform dual functions as a professional and administrators. As an administrative duty like planning and conduct of meetings, attending to emails, visiting ministries to resolve school problems etc principal as a professional engaged in curriculum design recruiting and deploying and source of material resources to assist teaching staff. As put by Okeke (1985), The bigger the situation to be managed or administered the more complex the leadership needed and the greater the task involved. of the usefulness of all these activities. It is only when the principal is able to recognize and adopt the right leadership styles that he would get his subordinates to interact freely with him on a continuous basis. In this way, they will together pursue common goals. The teacher has personal goals and needs which he or may not be conscious of it may therefore be reasonable to argue that workers' behaviour in the workplace is a reaction, and action of the head colleagues' students and their entire environment.

          The falling standard of education has all been attributed to the fact that most of the school principals’ has failed to exhibit the good leadership required for the effectiveness of the school system. Furthermore, other people think that leaders are responsible for the poor performance of students. While others even believed that the students are also responsible for their academic performance as the majority of them disobey school rules and regulations and are no longer ready to work and some believed that the government should be held responsible since it has failed to satisfy the needs of teachers. From the various comments, it could be generally agreed that all the various components of the educational system have their own allocation of the blame. The attitude of a principal towards his subordinates would influence the behaviour of the teacher in a significant manner and this, in turn, affects students' academic performance it can then be assumed that the level of interaction of principals with their teachers would directly or indirectly determine student level of performance in their tasks. The principal should examine the performance of the school personnel to determine how the set objectives are being achieved Where performance deviates from the desired result, he undertakes corrective measures guiding counselling and coaching the personnel concerned. In the case of staff, he may even encourage them to go for higher education and training in order to acquire the desired competencies and establish good morals through their leadership styles. Promised on the backgrounds discussed so far, this study seeks to investigate the principals’ human relation strategies and teachers’ job performance in Patigi Local Government area Secondary schools, Kwara State.

Statement of the Problem

          The principal as an educational leader plays a pivotal role in the success of the school. To build a strong culture of collaboration and creative problem solving, set appropriate human relations that possess an instructional leadership quality that takes responsibility for achievement, develop and communicate plans for effective teaching among all staff members. {CFBT, 2008} argued that principals spent much of their time on political duties unrelated to the education of students at their schools, and required much absence from the school site. This seems to reduce the level of principal’s human relations and teacher’s job performance in the schools or cause undesirable outcomes such as failure of students in examination, repetition rate, drop out as well as other instructional activities at schools.

          The purpose of this study, therefore, was to investigate the principals’ human relation strategies and teachers’  job performance in secondary schools in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State. In addressing this problem, the following research questions were raised:-

1. What is the significant relationship between the principals with the teacher's performance in secondary schools?
2. Which type of principals’ human relation enhances teachers’ performance in the schools?
3. To what extent does school principals’ decision making influence the level of teachers’ performance in secondary schools?
4. To what extent does school principals’ communication affect teachers’ performance?
5. To what extent does school principals’ delegation of duties influence teachers' performance in the secondary school?
6. What is the like solution to improve the students’ academic performance as a result of the influence of principals’ teacher relationships?

 

Research Questions

          The following research questions were raised and answered in this research:

1. What are the principals’ human relations strategies Mostly used in secondary schools in Patigi Local Government Area, Kwara State?
2. What is the Level of teachers’ job performance in secondary schools in Patigi Local Government Area, Kwara State?

Research Hypotheses

                   The following hypotheses were generated to guide the Study?

HO:     There is no significant relationship between principals’ human relation strategies and teacher job performance in secondary schools in the Patigi Local government Area. Kwara State.

HO1:   There is no significant relationship between Collaboration Strategies and teachers’ job performance in secondary schools in Patigi Local Government Area, Kwara State.

HO2:   There is no significant relationship between Communication Strategies and teachers’ job performance in secondary schools in the Patigi Local Government Area in Kwara State.

HO3:   There is no significant relationship between Motivation Strategies and teachers’ job performance in secondary schools in Patigi Local Government Area, Kwara State.

HO4:   There is no significant relationship between Safety Strategies and teachers’ job performance in secondary schools in Patigi Local Government Area, Kwara State.

Purpose of the Study

The general purpose of this study is to find out the principal’s Humanrelation strategies and teachers’ job performance in secondary Schools in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State. Specifically, this study was carried out to:

1. Examine and assess principals’ human relations strategies in secondary schools.
2. Identify and assess teachers’ preference for job performance in the schools.
3. Find out the major factors limiting the principal human relation in secondary schools and
4. Suggest possible solutions.

Significance of the Study

The findings of this study would be of great benefit to principals and teachers in Secondary schools, by identifying the values of principal human relation strategies and Teachers' job performance as basic and Fundamental in the teaching profession.

-        It may also inform the teachers of the need to adequately cover

          topics in their scheme of work and lesson plan.

-        It may also encourage the principals concerned to enhance the

          Level of their human relation strategies in schools.

-        In addition, it may reveal some of the causes of poor performance

          Of teachers in schools and ways in how they can be adequately

          Prepared to achieve the stated goals.  

-        Furthermore, It may afford the teachers to be enlightened on the

          great opportunities awaiting them in future, such as appointing them as

          Directors in the ministries, Education secretary, and Head of the service. etc

Scope and Limitation of the Study

The study is delimited to the Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State. This study is restricted to investigating the principal’s human relations strategies and teacher’s job performance in Secondary schools of Patigi Local government, Kwara state. Even though the research has attained its objectives, were some unpreventable limitations. First, there are various models of principals’ motivation strategies due to the limited time, finance and material resources:

This research was not incorporating all models to see teachers’ performance in addition.

Because of the limits mentioned above, this research was conducted on Secondary schools teachers in the three districts named Patigi district, Lade district and Kpada district inPatigi Local Government Area in Kwara State

Definition of Variables and Terms

This is presented as used in this study

Principal Human Relation: refer to the pattern or way of doing Things by the Principal in pursuit of his or her duties. In this study, Human relations are looked at in terms of The way principals involve Teachers in decision making: The way they communicate and the way they delegate duties to teachers. The way the principals behave in line of decision making, communication and delegation of hypothesized to Determine teacher performance in secondary schools of Patigi local government in one way or the other.

 

Human Relation Strategies: Can seem in education through Development and the resulting interpersonal interaction. The ability to effectively communicate is the most important aspect of human Relations. Without the ability to effectively communicate, there would be no human relations.

Teacher Job Performance

Teachers' job performance refers to the way by which the teachers effectively discharge their duties it also includes commitment, promptness, punctuality, interest, and consistency in the process of teaching and learning within the schools and outside schools.

 

 

ABSTRACT

          This study examined principal human relation strategies and teachers' job performance in secondary schools in Patigi Local Government

 Area, Kwara State.

          A sample of secondary schools was randomly selected. The questionnaire was administered to one hundred and sixty principals and Teachers for research, questions were generated and tested for the study.  The result obtained showed good principal human relation strategies and Teachers' job performance by involving them in Motivation, Communication, Safety and collaboration for smoothly running of the school.

          Therefore, the principal and Teachers should continue having a good relationship to bring about improvement of the teacher and output of the school (student). The principal can also influence the teacher’s activities towards improving teacher skills, organizing workshops, in-service training and seminars.

EDITOR SOURCE: The Principal Human Relation Strategies And Teachers Job Performances Of Secondary Schools

 

Pragmatic Analysis Of Whatsapp Chats

 Pragmatic Analysis Of Whatsapp Chats

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction

1.1      Background to the Study

Language is one of the most complex of all human-specific phenomena. Its convolutions of parts and meanings. It goes beyond its semiotic possibility of conveying information at a communicative level to have an art form that exists by it alone which is known as the literary art.

At the communicative level, it involves other tools to aid interlocution namely voice modulation and pitch, gesticulations which for the sake of this study include facial expressions and feedback from the other person for the clarification of meanings and understanding. At the interpersonal level, language is always based on contextual sense-making as the complexity of language always bears upon every utterance.

Remove the verbal and personal arrangement of this semiotic speech act and all the other tools for sense-making to go with it. So that one runs the risk of being misunderstood which defeats the aim of conversations at all levels. However, with the advancement of technology especially in the telecommunications sector, people now rely much on texting and instant messaging platforms are becoming more and more popular across social classes and with this popularity comes the need for its acceptance by formal and informal purposes.

• Statement of the Problem

The use of the WhatsApp instant messaging application involves a two-way attempt to decipher interlocution beyond the texts. So features like emojis and Smiley’s are added to aid understanding while shorthands are also evolved and their meanings learnt by users and new users. However, a greater chance of sense-making still lies in the texts and how users are able to adjust to each person's texting pattern. In any event, one relies majorly on the context in order to make sense of what is being read and when this fails, one asks for clarifications from the other person(s). This is the problem that has given rise to the present research: to conduct a pragmatic study of WhatsApp chats.

• Research Questions
• what are the common methods through which users arrive at a contextual meaning of texts on the Application?
• How far can the Contextual theory of semantics with all its shortcomings bear upon any study such as the present one?
• What are the troubles users tend to run into in terms of sense-making on the platform
• And how peculiar are the texting styles across different regions
• Objectives of the Study

The major purpose of this research work is to carry out a pragmatic analysis of the intricacies of the WhatsApp instant messaging application. This would be achieved through:

• An identification of the various common methods users employs in the contextual sense-making process.
• The research will describe in detail the movement of contextual sensemaking among users of the instant messaging application. This description will aim at looking at these methods as they develop into popularity among a particular age range usually the millennials.
• Significance of the Study

The present research work is deeply significant especially as it closes up an academic gap which has been called it up. In language study especially the part the linguistics are mandated to study, the research will give models for reading WhatsApp conversations and other conversations on similar platforms with similar features like Imo, Instagram Direct Message and Facebook Messenger.

In the wider picture and seeing that many legal conversations go on with the use of the app, forensics and criminal law can gain insight from the work done here in understanding how to handle conversations of this kind tendered as evidence in legal action.

• Research Hypothesis

The assumption on which this research work is predicated upon the assumption that the contextual sense-making process is what is used by users of the instant messaging application: WhatsApp.

• Scope of the Study

The focus of this research work is on deciphering how sense-making in WhatsApp chats is predicated upon the context of messages. While focusing on WhatsApp references would be made as the discussion progresses to other instant messaging software like the Facebook Messenger app and Imo.

• Limitations of the Study

The major limitations of this research work are time issues and the nature of the research which would require sifting through a random cross-section of WhatsApp chats in order to better carry out the study which would also require lots of time and financial resources.

• Definition of Terms

Pragmatics

This is the branch of linguistics that enquires into how the context of texts and word usages bear upon their meanings.

 

 

 

 

EDITOR SOURCE: Pragmatic Analysis Of Whatsapp Chats

 

Political Corruption In Nigeria – The Causes And Prevention, Using The Work Of Selected Activists And Writers In Nigeria

 Political Corruption In Nigeria – The Causes And Prevention, Using The Work Of Selected Activists And Writers In Nigeria

Introduction 

        Nigeria’s political problems sprang from the carefree manner in which the British took over, administered, and abandoned the government and people of Nigeria. British administrators did not make an effort to weld the country together and unite the heterogeneous groups of people. Though many things we have today are due to their enlightenment, they still left us hanging. According to Adewele Ademoyega in his book Why We Struck 1981, he said that when the British came, they forcibly rubber-stamped the political state of the ethnic groups of Nigeria, and maintained that status quo until they left. According to him upon their departure nearly a hundred years later, the people resumed fighting for their political rights.

When the British came to Nigeria as an imperial nation to take over the rulership of the country from 1861 (with the cession of Lagos), they met the people of the south totally free, only observing and regulating their own monarchies and institutions (Adewele Ademoyega: Why We Struck). Chinua Achebe in his work or novel Things Fall Apart, 1958, tries to portray the life Africans lived before and during the arrival of the Europeans in Nigeria.

Things Fall Apart tells the tragic story of the rise and fall of Okonkwo and the equally tragic story of the disintegration of Igbo culture, symbolized by the agrarian society of Umofia, under the relentless encroachments of British Christian imperialism.

For Achebe, Mister Johnson represents the worst kind of portrayal of Africans by Europeans. To him, the portrayal was all the more disheartening because John Cary was working hard to achieve an accurate depiction, unlike many British authors during the imperial colonial period who deliberately, often cynically, exploited the stereotyping of Africans and African society. It was precise because John Cary was a liberal-minded and sympathetic writer, as well as a colonial administrator that Achebe felt the record had to be set straight. Achebe’s purpose then is to write about and for his own people. His first novels form a continuum over one hundred years of Igbo civilization. The Europeans have not yet penetrated Umuofia, the setting of the first novel when Things Fall Apart beings. When the novel ends colonial rule has been established. His other novels talk about the different changes that took place before independence and after it.

The British governed Nigeria indirectly through their traditional rulers, as a result, the true leader of the masses was hamstrung and held down. Just because Africans were given authority to rule over their own people, they saw it as a means to maltreat those that have wronged them, extort from those that have more than them and sell his/her own brother and sister for favours from the superior leaders - The British. (Adewele Ademoyega: Why We Struck).

These actions by the local and foreign leaders made the people sort for independence. Many of them were not thinking straight anymore. Many people now saw the need to transfer their faults to others using others as an excuse. The present leader blames the colonial masters and fore runners-for-independence for their actions for not doing what is expected of them well and also for the embezzlement and stealing of public funds. They claim that the colonial masters taught them to do so. The political elites in other to become rich and influential in the society, steal and blame it on the economy and leaders. No one takes responsibility for his own crime and faults.

Between the politicians and the military, they blame one another for a bad government no one agrees that the other is better than himself. In the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, people do all types of things just to steal from the petroleum companies they believe that it is their own right and bunkering which is a common business there is no stealing. That is why Tanure Ojaide uses his novel The Activist to enlighten the people about what is happening in the Niger Delta areas. He says those that claim to be literate in society are the Chief Criminals sabotaging one another. Everybody in the country is in one way or the other suffering from the harms political corruption brought, we are psychosocial disordered.

Kole Omotoso in his fiction focuses on identifying the problems in Nigerian society and proposing solutions. He lived his childhood and adolescence, sharing the nationalist dreams of peace, progress, and prosperity, as an adult and as a writer, he was forced to watch the systematic deferment of these dreams after independence for decades after freedom from colonial rule, Nigeria was cursed by civil strife, including a civil war (1967 – 1970) and incessant military coups d’etat. These events, together with undemocratic rule political chicanery and bureaucratic cynicism resulted in a steady decline in the quality of life in a nation that, because it is the most populous black nation on earth is often looked upon as representative of the black race. Omotoso tries to use fiction to talk about the decay and chaos in the society but he tries to make it less real as Armah did in his The Beautiful Ones are not yet Born.

1.1   Definition of Terms

Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality is also considered political corruption.

Forms of corruption vary, they include bribery, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, patronage, graft and embezzlement. While corruption may facilitate criminal enterprises such as drug trafficking, money laundering and trafficking, it is not restricted to these activities. While political corruption is an illegal abuse of power, the psychosocial disorder is the mental reaction one gets from it.

A psychosocial disorder is a mental illness caused or influenced by maladjusted cognitive and behavioural processes.

1.2   Statement of the Problem

Due to the political dictatorship and the high rate of starvation and poverty in the country, many of the people are suffering from problems caused by the many ways they are treated and controlled.

Their manner of thinking has been blurred with the idea that if they steal or kill to survive, it is not a crime because their leader is also thieved who loots the national treasure and put it in their foreign accounts.

Again due to this, the citizens are psychosocially disordered and their minds corrupt. The key problem is the government. Because of the corrupt nature of society, the government sells its pride and glory to foreign companies and enterprises. These people now treat the natural inhabitants of the areas where the companies are located like animals without dignity. An example is the Niger Delta area of Nigeria which is an oil-producing state.

The major problem is between the people and her government. Both are psychologically and socially sick. The pain of poverty and starvation in abundant money has destroyed the people's minds that they no longer think or reason straight.

1.3   Aim and Objectives

The objectives of this research are;

To identify the problems caused by political corruption and

To provide suggestions for the prevention of political corruption and psychosocial disorder and find a way to eliminate it completely from the society in general.

• Significance of the study

Political corruption and psychosocial disorder using The Activist by Tanure Ojaide and Arrow of Rain by Oke Ndibe will serve as good material for student researchers.

This work will show how the government and the citizens and foreign companies helped in the corruption of the society and her environment and how the act of corruption has disordered everything.

1.5   Scope of Research

This project is restricted to the study of political corruption and psychosocial disorder, using Tanure Ojaide’s The Activist and Okey Ndibe’s Arrow of Rain and other relevant literary work of some other Nigerian and African prose writers and commentaries on corruption.

The research is divided into five chapters, chapter one consists of the introduction, definition of the term, statement of the problem, aims and objectives, the significance of the study, scope of research and research methodology. Chapter two is the review of related literature, chapter three is a textual analysis of the novel The Activist by Tanure Ojaide, Chapter four is a textual analysis of the novel Arrows of Rain Arrow of Rain by Okey Ndibe and chapter five is the summary and conclusion.

1.6   Research Methodology

The main source of this research work is a textual analysis of   The main source of this research work is a textual analysis of The Activist by Tanue Ojaide and Arrow of Rain by Okey Ndibe.

The secondary materials are from the library, texts, magazines and some works on African prose writers.

 

EDITOR SOURCE: Political Corruption In Nigeria – The Causes And Prevention, Using The Work Of Selected Activists And Writers In Nigeria

 

Language Attitudes Among Teenagers And Its Effect

 Language Attitudes Among Teenagers And Its Effect (A Case Study Of Teenagers In Uyo

 

 

 

 

Introduction

1.1     Background of the Study

          In the time past, language attitudes have been analyzed and debated with respect to how languages can be endangered, and how they can die.  The two main points to be considered in this research are attitude and language, and how teenagers manipulate them. 

Attitude is defined as the way that one thinks and feels about somebody or something, the way that one behaves towards somebody or something that shows how one thinks and feels.  While language is defined as the system of communication in speech and writing that is used by people of a particular country. Also, another dictionary definition of language is a particular style of speaking or writing.

So for the purpose of further development and preservation of the Ibibio Language, this research is going to be concerned with the behaviour exhibited by teenagers In Uyo, Akwa Ibom State particularly those in the Uyo Local Government Area of the State to their indigenous language

1.2     Significance and Scope of the Study

          The study “language attitudes among teenagers and its effects” is a study of how language is being approached and manipulated by teenagers in the Uyo district of Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, for their day-to-day interaction, fellowship and relationship.

 

1.3     Purpose of this Study

          This research aims at seeing why teenagers behave the way they do to language (what influence and inform the behaviour so exhibited to language), see the effect of their behaviour on their indigenous language, and proffer possible solutions aimed at internalizing the language in the minds of these teenagers thereby preserving the language.

1.4            Methodology

In analyzing various related texts in relation to this field, a socio-linguistic method of approach is used in examining the behaviour or attitudes exhibited by teenagers in Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State to their indigenous language vis-à-vis English and pidgin.

Also, questionnaires have used the observation of their attitude to language as a means of data collection.

1.5     Statement of the Problem

          Most language users do not see the language that they speak as a definition of their race, their culture, and their personality.  Negligence, ignorance and quest to follow the current trend have left Africans in general and Nigerians in particular far from their root – their source/who they really are.

          So in this research, ways in which we have drifted from our culture (through the embracing of a foreign language) are being elaborated upon, and suggestions on how to re-position our attitude toward our indigenous language are made explicit.

 

EDITOR SOURCE: Language Attitudes Among Teenagers And Its Effect 

Influence Of Music On Language Acquisition On Children As Perceived By Primary School Teachers

 Influence Of Music On Language Acquisition On Children As Perceived By Primary School Teachers In Oyun Lga, Kwara State

 

 

 

Introduction

1.1   Background to the Study

Language is often seen generally as fundamental to human cognitive ability and development. Music on the other hand while being seen as human-specific and universal, is often viewed as a secondary skill one which is predicated and draws its origin from and in language.  However, when viewed critically it is often seen and arguably so that language is a systematically and universal kind of music in itself.  A couple of recent studies into the roles of music and its application reveals that it is fundamental to language learning.

At any rate, music is seen as a universal human skill and specific to humans as well one which every human who is born healthy is also born with the innate ability to produce or at least to appreciate.

However, in its level of application, music is often viewed in this regard as only applicable in the case of slower cognitive development and while this is true to a great extent, it doesn’t excuse the fact that its role especially in language acquisition cannot be overemphasized.

1.2   Statement of the Problem

The application and significance of music in language learning especially in a young child have always been suspected to be integral to the process. This is the problem this present research work has assigned itself – to investigate the influence of music in language learning on children through the eyes of a primary school teacher who has the front row seat to view the learning process in all its intricacies.

1.3   Research Questions

1.3.1      what are the different studies that have supported this research statement

1.3.2      What genre of music is most likely to aid language acquisition.

1.4   Objectives of the Study

The research aims to extensively describe the processes of music playing a significant role in the learning process of language in a child at the primary and preprimary school levels. The extent to which it quickens language acquisition in children will be analyzed while that of mentally challenged children will be discussed specifically in its own right.

The characteristics of music that help make it possible for it to aid language learning will be determined to a limited extent if time and space will allow while the research will also attempt to establish the limitations of music in aiding language learning and whether such is informed by the language in question and/or the kind of music introduced.

1.5   Significance of the Study

The significance of this research work borders between applied music and aiding language teaching both in school and at home. In the former, it is important in that it sheds light on what can be introduced by the primary education board into the curriculum other than the recommendations of texts to be repeatedly read by children who are yet to get inured to the graphic mode of language learning. With music helping in this regard, efforts can be put in to determine how to adapt its use in classrooms.

Its findings and recommendations will also prove very useful to parents and teachers as stated above who find it very difficult teaching some of their mentally challenged children.

1.6   Research Hypothesis

The assumption on which this research was built is one that recognizes the influence of music in the language acquisition process in primary school children. So that the research seeks to prove with its thorough study the correctness of this hypothesis.

1.7   Scope of the Study

The research work will focus its study on teachers and pupils at the primary school level and see to what extent music can be introduced in teaching language to them in practical terms. However, references might be made to the significance and use of music for the same purpose for kindergarten levels and comparing it with primary level one hopes to see the graduation and relevance of music in language learning.

1.8   Limitations of the Study

The major limitations of this research work are firstly the time factor to complete the required study within the given time irrespective of the volume of research that should go into the work. Another is that of resources to fund to conduct the length of observation needed to arrive at a conclusion and make recommendations which did not come in the needed amount hence, reflecting, though minutely, on the work.

1.9   Definition of Terms

Language Acquisition

This refers to the learning of a language anew with all the four language skills at a reasonable level of proficiency in both first languages and others.

 

 

EDITOR SOURCE: Influence Of Music On Language Acquisition On Children As Perceived By Primary School Teacher In Oyun Lga, Kwara State

Influence Of Guidance And Counselling On Career Choice Of Secondary School Students

 

Introduction

Background to the Study

            Counselling is a helping relationship in which one person endeavours to help another solve his/her adjustment problems (English and English, 1971, cited in Okebiah and Okorodudu, 2004). This helping relationship originated from the very discovery that young people need to be guided in their career decision-making process. Okobiah and Okorodudu (2004) emphasise that counselling is a person-to-person process in which one person (the counselee is helped by another person (the counsellor) to help, increase understanding and ability to solve his/her adjustment problems. They explained further that counselling requires a wide range of activities which should start from the infant stage of the child designed to aid individuals in solving their problems, the problems referred to in counselling and mostly those of decision-making and developmental problems. One of the benefits of counselling is that it helps the individual to develop, sustain a career and be adjusted in life (Obiunu and Ebunu, 2010).

            Career, according to Okobiah and Okorodudu (2004), refers to a variety of work and non-work situations which usually span through the entire life of an individual. According to them, a career is generally related to a pattern of decisions, transactions and adjustments affect one’s decision, transactions and adjustments affect one’s role in work, education family, community development and leisure. The National Career Development Association (NCDA) (2003) stated that a career is the total of work. Paid and unpaid – one does in his/her lifetime. Thus, a career embraces a sequence of positions jobs or occupations which an individual holds during his/her lifetime (Obiunu and Ebunu, 2010).

            Career counselling is a field of counselling which gives relevant information regarding different careers. It is a process of helping and enabling people in their career development. Career counselling helps the students to select their careers according to their choices and interests. Career counselling is now being increasingly stressed as an integral part of education. According to Francis (2010), career counselling involves three steps which are: self-analysis, occupational analysis, and true reasoning or counselling to relate personal and occupational information.

            One major variable that affects how people choose their occupations is personality traits. Holland (1987) argued that the choice of an occupation shares similar personality characteristics. Career interest is a second factor that affects the choice of a career. Interest may be concerned in terms of an activity which an individual engages in for the interest of it without deserving an external reward. The reward is in the performance of the activity the person does (Lazarus, 2011).

            Personality and interest are not the only criteria for choosing a career. An individual’s aptitude and intellectual abilities are equally of great importance. An aptitude is a potential for success in an area after undergoing some training but a layman may define aptitude as a flair for something. The context in which people live, their personal aptitudes, and educational attainment are other things that do influence people’s career choices (Bandura, Barbnaranelli, Cafrara and Pastorelli, 2001).

            Similarly, skill and values also affect peoples’ choices. Values are the guiding principles that are ordered in importance and serve as standards for judging and justifying actions (Schwartz, 1992). In addition, Osakunle and Adegoroye (20080 identified factors that influence adolescents’ choice of career as sex, location of the choice maker, environment, school influence (peer and curriculum content), religious affiliation, child-rearing and family values.

            In the opinion of Morris and Levinson 91995): and Pierce, McDdermolt and Butkus (2003), although intelligence is associated with career maturity and the development of decision-making skills, factors other than skills, abilities, and personality play a major role in career development and satisfaction for people with mental retardation. Factors such as interests, social opportunities, emotional rewards, and economic benefits influence the career choices (of most adolescents, including those with cognitive limitations) (Szymanski, Hershenson, Enright and Ettinger, 1998).

            In addition, Krumboltz, Mitchell and Jones (1976) opined that there are four factors that affect the career choice of individuals, these are genetic enrolment and special abilities (such as race, gender, physical appearance and characteristics), environmental conditions and events like social, cultural and political, economic forces; natural forces and natural resources), learning experiences (instrumental learning experience which consists of preceding circumstances.sti1mulus; behavioural responses (overt and covert); consequences, associative learning experience, and task approach skills (personal standards of performance; work habits, emotional responses).

            Fundamentally, the goal of guidance and counselling is to make it possible for an individual to see and explore his or her unlimited endowed options. Many scholars such as Odeck (1999), Ipaye, (1995), and Makinde (1981) opined that the major service areas of guidance and counselling which assist students in their curriculum and school life choices, vocational guidance and counselling which assists the individual to choose and prepare for an occupation that is compatible with his interests and aptitudes, and personal and social guidance and counselling which assists the individual to behave appropriately in relation to other members of the society.

            As part of vocational guidance and counselling programme, career development enables guidance counsellors to assist individuals to identify and learn the skills by which they can be more effective in planning for and choosing jobs, in making effective transitions effectively. Career development, for most people, is a lifelong process of engaging the work world through choosing among employment opportunities made available to them. It is a process of getting ready to choose, choosing, and continuing to make choices (Brown, Brooks, and Associates, 1996). 

            The National Career Development Association (NCDA) (1993) noted, that helping individuals increase their self-understanding of their abilities, interests, values, and goals is a vital foundation of the career development process (p.2). The NCDA suggested that career development activities help students develop positive work habits (for example, organization, following directions, completing assignments on time), setting goals, making informed decisions, identifying interests and abilities and exploring jobs (for example, job shadowing and apprenticeships).

            From the foregoing, the factors influencing career choices include psychological, sociological, physical, economic, educational and choice factors. It should be noted that the roles of guidance and counselling on the career choices of secondary school students cannot be overemphasized.

 

Statement of Problem

            A major turning point in adolescents’ lives involves the career choice that they make while in senior secondary school. Frequently, it is viewed by family and community as a mere start to workplace readiness; however, this decision plays a major role in establishing youth in a career path that opens as well as closes opportunities (Lazarus, 2011).

            Essentially, parental influence has been inflated in the career choice of children (Roe 1987, Adigwe 1981, Okeke 1996, Gesinde 1986). Okeke for example also studied the relationship between parental occupations and their children’s occupational preferences. Okeke found that 60% of the children were willing to take after their fathers’ occupations (medicine) while 23% were willing to follow their mother’s occupations (nursing). Gesinde on other hand posits that parents' influence is much more intricate and more pervasive than is shown, students of secondary schools are often not aware of these influences and may accept the choice of their parents as theirs. The situation owes its origin to early childhood when the child grabs his parent’s attitude towards different vocations. A conflict, therefore, occurs when the child submits to his parent’s choice while at the same time deeply resenting his submissions as he becomes aware of his loss of independence and finds his area of interest (Gesinde, 1986).

            Peer groups also have an influence on the occupation choice of students. In his view, Hinchilife (1973) observes that friends are an important factor in the career choice of adolescents. Durojaiye (1970) also found that 76.6% of the pupils he studied said that their classmates would be employed in professional occupations just like them; while 24% said that their chosen jobs would be the same as those of their friends. 

            Interest is also a significant factor in students’ vocational choices. Owie (2003) advanced the position that the most important reason why a person chooses a particular career is that the person has an intrinsic interest in the field, while this may be highly influenced by prior academic achievement.

            Moreover, Gesinde’s (1978) study showed that gender plays an important role in determining the career preferences of students. Other research findings which support gender differences in career preferences and choices include the works of Yuh (1980) who in her study of some correlates of vocational orientations of some Nigerian Secondary students discovered that significantly, more male students preferred realistic, investigative and enterprising careers than females.

            Thus, the problem of the study is that some secondary school students are not able to make appropriate career ch1oices due to a number of factors that affect their career development process. This study investigated the influence of guidance and counselling on career choices among secondary school students in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.

 

Research questions

            The following research questions are generated for the study which the researcher intends to answer:

• What is the influence of guidance and counselling on the career choice of secondary school students?
• Is there any significant difference in the expression of secondary school students on the influence of guidance and counselling on career choices on the basis of sex?
• Is there any significant difference in the expression of secondary school students on the influence of guidance and counselling on career choices on the basis of class level?
• Is there any significant difference in the expression of secondary school students on the influence of guidance and counselling on career choices on the basis of age?
• Is there any significant difference in the expression of secondary school students on the influence of guidance and counselling on career choices on the basis of religion?

 

Research Hypotheses

            From the questions stated above, the following null hypotheses have been formulated: 

• There is no significant difference in the expression of secondary school students on the influence of guidance and counselling on career choices on the basis of sex.
• There is no significant difference in the expression of secondary school students on the influence of guidance and counselling on career choices on the basis of class level.
• There is no significant difference in the expression of secondary school students on the influence of guidance and counselling on career choices on the basis of age.
• There is no significant difference in the expression of secondary school students on the influence of guidance and counselling on career choices on the basis of religion.

 

Purpose of the Study

            The purpose of the study is to investigate the view of secondary school students on the influence of guidance and counselling on career choices. In the course of this research work, variables such as age, religion, sex and class levels are considered whether they have direct significant impacts on the influence of guidance and counselling on career choices as expressed by the respondents.

 

Significance of the Study

            This study is highly imperative to secondary school students because it will enable them to know various career choices in our contemporary world. In other words, it will enlighten and sensitize them on various career options and determinants of career choices in our society. Therefore, the problem of wrong and ill-informed career choices will be addressed, because the students will be more informed and sensitized by this empirical study.

            Moreover, this study will be highly useful to the school administrators in the area of planning and curricular development in schools. It will enlighten them on the relevance and importance of guidance and counselling on career choices among the students in secondary schools. Therefore, emphasis will be placed on guidance and counselling as an important mechanism for career guidance and development.

            Subsequently, this study is fundamental because it will enlighten the parents on various career options for their children or wards ad various determinants of career choices. This will enable them to properly guide their children and wards towards making an informed career option or choice because teachers or school counsellors cannot do it alone; it is a collective responsibility.

            Lastly, this study is highly imperative to the Ministry of Education in their formulation of career guidance programs for secondary school students, such programs may include sponsoring workshops, classes, focus groups and special presentations that focus on job skills and personal development. Also, like job shadowing arrangements, work placement and community-based learning programs.

 

 

 

Operational Definition of Terms

            For the purpose of clarity, the following terms are operationally defined as used in this study:

Career Choices and Options: Career options are a series of jobs that are available for people to choose such as medicine, law, engineering, pharmacist, and teacher. This can also mean career options. Therefore, career choices can be referred to as the picking of a job out of various career options available.

Career Guidance: Career guidance means those programs aimed to help students make more informed and better educational and career choices.

Career: A career is the series of jobs that a person in a particular area of work, usually involving more responsibility as time passes. In other words, the period of time that someone spends in his/her life working or doing a particular thing.

Counselling: Counselling can be defined, according to how it is used in the study, as professional advice about a problem such as career choices.

Guidance: Guidance, according to the study, means help or advice that is given to somebody, especially by somebody older or with more experience.

School Counsellor: A school counsellor is a counsellor who works in elementary, middle and secondary schools to provide academic career, college access and personal/social competencies to students.

 

Scope of the Study

            This research work is designed to find the influence of guidance and counselling on career choices in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State as expressed by secondary school students. All the secondary school students of the area are the target population but 100 respondents are selected to participate in the study. In the course of the research work, consider whether they have direct significant impacts on the influence of guidance and counselling on career choices as expressed by the respondents. The questionnaire technique will be used to collect the information/data from the respondents.

 

 

 

ABSTRACT

            This study investigated the influence of Guidance and Counselling on the career choice of secondary school students in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State. This research work was to assess the extent to which the influence of Guidance and Counselling has influenced the career choice of secondary school students in Ekiti Local Government Area, Kwara State.

            The population sample was two hundred (200) students randomly selected from each school in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State. The researcher’s designed influence of Guidance and Counselling in carrier choice questionnaire (IGCCQ) was used to collect data from the respondents. Four null hypotheses were generated to guide the study.

The finding revealed that age, gender, religion and class level of respondents have an influence on guidance and counselling in the career choice of secondary school students in Ekiti Local Government, Kwara State.

            It was recommended that practising counsellors from all levels of institutions should design individual and group counselling programmes for students to cater for comprehensive and effective education for all levels of institutions. Through such programmes, students will be educated to appreciate good morals and stay away from deviant behaviours in the school and outside the school. Also, the indecent dressing should be discouraged and students should work harder and be dedicated to their studies.

 

 

EDITOR SOURCE: Influence Of Guidance And Counselling On Career Choice Of Secondary School Students