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A Sociolinguistic Study of Semantic Interference Among Yoruba-English Bilingual Secondary School Teachers in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State

Ayinde Nurudeen Lekan

Subject area: Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities  ·  Area of research: Language

DOI: 10.64388/IREV9I5-1711667-9793

Abstract

This research work investigated sociolinguistic study of semantic interference among Yoruba English bilingual secondary school teachers considering the semantic arrangement of English language as it has to reflect its new home and describe new concepts which the language, in its original form, may lack linguistic resources to express. The concept of interference is one of the features of bilingualism and multilingualism as Nigeria and most African countries are bilingual or multilingual countries. The concept of interference refers to deviation from the norms of either language which occur in the speech of bilinguals as a result of their familiarity with more than one language. It also implies a re-arrangement of patterns that result from the introduction of foreign elements into the more highly- structured domains of language such as the bulk of the phonemic system, a large part of the morphology and syntax, and some areas of vocabulary, Culture and discourse (Weinreich, 1974). This study explicated that domestication of English language through interference is not an aberration since it conveys meaning in the context of usage and agree with the grammar of the language. It also asserted that Nigerian English is a variation that reflects the experiences of Nigerians as they have to use the language to explain what they have conceptualized in their indigenous languages and revealed the aesthetic creation of new English words drawn from the rich repertoire of the Yoruba lexicon.

References

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[2] Yemi, O. (2007). English in a bilingual/bicultural, multilingual/multicultural environment. In Dele, A. (Ed.), Sociolinguistic in the Nigerian context (pp. 1-14). Ile-Ife, Nigeria: Obafemi Awolowo University Press Ltd.

[3] Akindele, F., & Adegbite, W. (1999). The sociology and politics of English in Nigeria: An introduction. Ile-Ife, Nigeria; Obafemi Awolowo University Press Ltd.

[4] Pushpinder, S., & Jindal, D.V. (2007). An introduction to Linguistics: language, grammar and semantics. Delhi, India: PHI Learning Private Limited.

[5] Dadzie, A.B.K., & Awonusi, S. (2004). Nigerian English influences and characteristics. Lagos, Nigerian: Sam Iroanusi Publications.

[6] Labov, W. (1984). Field Methods of the Project on linguistic change and variation. In J.Baugh, and J. Sherzer (eds.), Language in use; readings in Sociolinguistics. Englewood cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, (28-66).

[7] Mesthrie, R., Swann, J., Deumert, A., & Leap, W.L. (2009) Introducing sociolinguistics 2nd ed. Edinburg, Scotland: Edinburgh University Press.

[8] Wardhaugh, R. (2010). An introduction to sociolinguistics 6" ed. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.

[9] Jowitt, D. (1991). Nigerian English usage: An introduction. Nigeria: Longman Nigeria.

[10] Moji, O., & Lekan, O. (2005). Perspectives on language and literature, Ile-ife, Nigeria: Obafemi Awolowo University Press Ltd.

[11] Oyedola, S. (1998). Perspectives on the English Language in Nigeria. Ibadan, Nigeria: Ben-cl Books.

[12] Patrick, G. (2006). An introduction to English semantics and pragmatics: Edinburg, Scotland: Edinburg University Press.

[13] George, Y. (1985). The study of language. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

How to cite this paper

Ayinde Nurudeen Lekan "A Sociolinguistic Study of Semantic Interference Among Yoruba-English Bilingual Secondary School Teachers in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 9 Issue 5 2025 Page 99-105 https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I5-1711667-9793
Ayinde Nurudeen Lekan "A Sociolinguistic Study of Semantic Interference Among Yoruba-English Bilingual Secondary School Teachers in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, vol. 9, no. 5, Nov. 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I5-1711667-9793
Ayinde Nurudeen Lekan (2025). A Sociolinguistic Study of Semantic Interference Among Yoruba-English Bilingual Secondary School Teachers in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State. Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 9(5). doi: https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I5-1711667-9793
Ayinde Nurudeen Lekan "A Sociolinguistic Study of Semantic Interference Among Yoruba-English Bilingual Secondary School Teachers in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, vol. 9, no. 5, Nov. 2025. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I5-1711667-9793
@article{1711667,
      author = {Ayinde Nurudeen Lekan},
      title = {A Sociolinguistic Study of Semantic Interference Among Yoruba-English Bilingual Secondary School Teachers in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State},
      journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
      year = {2025},
      volume = {9},
      number = {5},
      pages = {99-105},
      issn = {2456-8880},
      url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1711667.pdf},
      abstract = {This research work investigated sociolinguistic study of semantic interference among Yoruba English bilingual secondary school teachers considering the semantic arrangement of English language as it has to reflect its new home and describe new concepts which the language, in its original form, may lack linguistic resources to express. The concept of interference is one of the features of bilingualism and multilingualism as Nigeria and most African countries are bilingual or multilingual countries. The concept of interference refers to deviation from the norms of either language which occur in the speech of bilinguals as a result of their familiarity with more than one language. It also implies a re-arrangement of patterns that result from the introduction of foreign elements into the more highly- structured domains of language such as the bulk of the phonemic system, a large part of the morphology and syntax, and some areas of vocabulary, Culture and discourse (Weinreich, 1974). This study explicated that domestication of English language through interference is not an aberration since it conveys meaning in the context of usage and agree with the grammar of the language. It also asserted that Nigerian English is a variation that reflects the experiences of Nigerians as they have to use the language to explain what they have conceptualized in their indigenous languages and revealed the aesthetic creation of new English words drawn from the rich repertoire of the Yoruba lexicon.},
      month = {November},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I5-1711667-9793}
  }