MOTHER TONGUE INTERFERENCE ON ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE ETI-OSA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA WAS PERCEIVED BY TEACHERS.
ABSTRACT: It has been shown that when students speak English, they often have interference from their mother languages at the levels of phonology, grammar, and semantics. For example, if a student from the Yoruba or Igbo tribes comes to study English, he or she would experience some mother language influence when speaking English.
The purpose of this research was to determine the influence of mother tongue interference on English language acquisition among junior secondary school students in Eti-Osa local government Area, Lagos State, at the levels of phonology, grammar, and semantics. The descriptive survey research design was used in this study.
The purposeful sampling strategy was employed to choose 30 English instructors to serve as research respondents. The Teachers’ Perceived Interference on English Language Learning Questionnaire (TPILELQ) was used to gather data from research participants.
The researcher individually gathered data for the study with the assistance of a research assistant. Descriptive statistics and basic linear regression were used to analyze the acquired data. The research found that mother tongue interferes with the learning and teaching of English among junior secondary school students, which affects students’ pronunciation and grammar, resulting in poor performance, mixing up words, and lowering students’ confidence in speaking in English.
Some of the issues raised by the interference of mother tongue to English language are that it affects pupils’ pronunciation and spelling patterns. Teachers felt that pupils who utilize their native language do badly in English. It also has an impact on pupils’ confidence and the way they speak English.
Based on the research’s results, it was recommended that the administration of the schools in the study region develop a policy that makes English the sole language of communication for all students in schools. This will go a long way toward enhancing student performance in schools.
Students who speak their native language in school should also be penalized. Furthermore, parents should develop the practice of conversing with their children in English. This will help the youngsters become more comfortable and confident while speaking with their classmates and instructors at school, therefore enhancing their performance.
The research revealed that mother tongue interference had a detrimental impact on English language acquisition among junior secondary school pupils in Eti-Osa local government Area, Lagos State, particularly at the levels of phonology, grammar, and semantics.
INTRODUCTION TO CHAPTER ONE 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY Language is the use of signs and symbols through which humans communicate with one another. It is a tool for communication that allows for engagement. It is a way for us to express ourselves so that others can hear and react.
It is the fundamental component of human communication that makes man’s daily actions meaningful and effective (Oyinloye, 2018). It is a unique occurrence, according to her, that differentiates humans from animals. Man is able to grasp the obstacles and issues that face and impede his progress via the use of language. Language, by implication, is the garment of thinking, since the efficacy and efficiency of thoughts are grounded on language.
The key to society’s capacity to grasp his environment, domesticate it, and access its resources in order to improve its well-being is based on society’s ability to utilize language effectively and efficiently. Similarly, Aje (2019) said that language is a vital instrument for improving human communication and interaction. It is an essential tool for cultural transmission, preservation, and proliferation of the human race.
An investigation of the linguistic content of a certain speech community might provide information about a people’s lifestyle and vocation. The English language is a global language, and it is the national official language of the United Kingdom (Aje, 2019). It was brought to Nigeria as a consequence of colonialism, despite the fact that it was previously the language of the British, but it is no longer the exclusive property of the British. Most nations have embraced it as a lingua franca, foreign language, or official language. (Newaygo, 2012) said that it has established itself as a worldwide language of political, social, economic, and religious matters. IMPACT OF BULLYING AND UNHEALTHY PSYCHOLOGICAL ATMOSPHERE ON THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION.
It is considered one of Africa’s primary languages since it has become a crucial and necessary instrument in the everyday lives of the continent’s inhabitants. According to Bamisaye (1997), Nigeria, a multi-lingual and plural-linguistic country endowed with myriads of languages belonging to diverse families of roughly 452 ethnic languages, selected English as the national language.
The reason for this was that every effort since independence to adopt one of Nigeria’s languages has failed to owe to disagreement among the country’s multi-linguistic ethnic groupings (Nwaugo, 2012). Thus, in Nigeria, education and career prospects were centered on the English language; anyone seeking a better life, according to her, needed to be fluent in the language.
As a consequence, it has become our national language, making its instruction so important at all levels of school. To grasp any topic, a kid must first understand the language used to teach the subject. Nigerian children have a liking for studying English since most of the courses studied in Nigerian education centers were introduced and are taught in English. As a result, English is now our second language in Nigeria.
As a result, our separate mother tongues existed before to colonization, interfering with our English language in distinct research sites around the country. Our native tongue significantly impedes the process of acquiring a new language. According to Melissa (2019), this is because our brains employ habitual patterns from our mother tongue to construct any new hypothesis of how the new language operates.
IMPACT OF BULLYING AND UNHEALTHY PSYCHOLOGICAL ATMOSPHERE ON THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION.
Everything from phonetics to syntax to semantics reflects it. Depending on how close your first language is to the one you are attempting to acquire, this interference may be both harmful and good. The influence of the mother tongue on a second language may be seen in anything from simple pronunciation to grammar and vocabulary. According to Mackay (2016), pronunciation errors may be caused by transfer from the original language. Negative language also causes a lack of precision and linguistic proficiency.
Following the learning of their diverse mother tongues, students in Nigeria acquire English as a second language. Students who are visited in their native languages prior to entering the school system are pushed to acquire English due to the roles it will play in their life.
As a result, even in the educational setting, most pupils find it easier to utilize their home tongue than English. As a consequence, some Nigerian students seem to be inadequate in oral communication when it comes to speech work in the English language (Oyinloye, 2002). According to Aje (2019), another issue that a youngster who speaks a language other than English may confront is that he often thinks in his mother tongue while expressing himself in the second language.
This generally fosters rote learning and so understanding in pairs. There is also the issue of educational loss, particularly in systems where second language usage starts too early in the first few years of school. Melissa (2019) believes that interference of mother tongue with learning a second language is an unavoidable impact that, if managed appropriately, may be minimal or even helpful.
In general, we believe that interference impairs learner performance in the target language, which is English. This research was needed by the unfavorable impact of our mother tongue on learning and speaking accurate English. As a result, the purpose of this research is to assess the impacts of mother tongue interference on the study of English language in secondary schools in Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Lagos State. 1.2
Statement of the Problem The English language is a language that both unifies and divides Nigerians. According to previous research, while speaking English, we often encounter interference from our mother languages at the levels of phonology, grammar, and semantics. For example, if a student from the Yoruba or Igbo tribes comes to study English, he or she would experience some mother language influence when speaking English. For example, “Shebi, you’re ill” rather than “Are you sick?” The Igbo student may then say “Biko lemme alone” rather than “Please let me alone.”
This research will look at the impact of mother tongue interference on English language acquisition in terms of phonological, grammatical, and semantic circumstances. In light of these issues, the purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of mother tongue interference on English language acquisition among students in Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Lagos State, in the areas of phonology, grammar, and semantics. 1.3
The Study’s Objectives The overall goal of this research is to investigate the influence of mother tongue interference on English language acquisition among junior secondary school students in Eti-Osa local government Area, Lagos State, at the levels of phonology, grammar, and semantics.
The specific objectives are as follows: I to determine whether the mother tongue interferes with the learning and teaching of English Language among junior secondary school students in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State; (ii) to investigate the problems posed by mother tongue interference with English Language in junior secondary school students in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State; and (iii) to assess teacher perception. 1.4
Research Concerns Do instructors employ appropriate ways of teaching English to junior secondary school pupils in Lagos State’s Eti-Osa Local Government Area? What are the issues caused by mother tongue interference in junior secondary school children in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State? Are English resources and materials accessible to improve English language learning in junior secondary schools in Lagos State’s Eti-Osa Local Government Area? Does the mother language impede the learning and teaching of English among junior secondary school pupils in Lagos State’s Eti-Osa Local Government Area? Is there a link between teachers’ perceptions of the effect of mother tongue and learning and teaching English in junior secondary schools in Lagos State’s Eti-Osa Local Government Area? 1.5
Hypotheses for Research Ho1: There is no major interference of the mother tongue in the learning and teaching of English among junior secondary school pupils in Lagos State’s Eti-Osa Local Government Area. Ho2: Teachers’ perceptions of the effect of mother tongue had no significant link with learning and teaching English in junior secondary schools in Lagos State’s Eti-Osa Local Government Area. 1.6 Importance of the Research This research might be useful to English language students who are studying and speaking English.
This is to enable pupils to be mindful of how they talk from an early age since this is one of the strategies to overcome the interference of the mother language in English for successful communication and academic performance. This research will also be beneficial to all those who utilize English as a medium of teaching. It will also be beneficial to find areas in which they may enhance their teaching approaches and skills. Because students cannot learn without instructors to help them, teachers should choose effective instructional materials to improve student’s English language acquisition.
The value of this study to curriculum designers and researchers is that it raises awareness of the issue of the mother tongue’s impact on English language and allows them to build a good and effective curriculum that will assist enhance students’ performance in English Language in secondary schools. It also assists curriculum designers in carefully selecting instructional resources such as audio-visual aides, visual aids, audio aids, reading materials, and charts that may be utilized to educate students more successfully.
This research also determines effective teaching strategies that assist students’ knowledge of the English language. 1.7 The Study’s Scope This project will investigate the impact of mother tongue interference on English language acquisition.
The study will focus on the phonological, grammatical, and semantic levels in a sample of junior public secondary schools in Lagos State’s Eti-Osa Local Government Area. 1.8 Operational Terminology Definition For this research, a mother tongue is a kid’s native language, which is a language that a child learns from birth, also known as the home language or native tongue.
It will be referred to as the first language in this research (L1). Interference – The effect of one’s native or first language on the second language or interruption of a language by another, particularly when it comes to pronunciation and intonation. Language in English – English is an Indo-European language of the West Germanic branch; it is the official language of the United Kingdom, the United States, and the majority of Commonwealth nations. Mother tongue interference – the impact of the learner’s original language on her/his learning of the target language. The target language is the English language that the student wishes to master.
It is also the second language classified as L2 in this work. Students – A student is someone who is learning in a school or other educational setting.
It has been shown that when students speak English, they often have interference from their mother languages at the levels of phonology, grammar, and semantics. For example, if a student from the Yoruba or Igbo tribes comes to study English, he or she would experience some mother language influence when speaking English. The purpose of this research was to determine the influence of mother tongue interference on English language acquisition among junior secondary school students in Eti-Osa local government Area, Lagos State, at the levels of phonology, grammar, and semantics.
The descriptive survey research design was used in this study. The purposeful sampling strategy was employed to choose 30 English instructors to serve as research respondents. The Teachers’ Perceived Interference on English Language Learning Questionnaire (TPILELQ) was used to gather data from research participants. The researcher individually gathered data for the study with the assistance of a research assistant. Descriptive statistics and basic linear regression were used to analyze the acquired data.
The research found that the mother tongue interferes with the learning and teaching of English among junior secondary school students, which affects students’ pronunciation and grammar, resulting in poor performance, mixing up words, and lowering students’ confidence in speaking in English. Some of the issues raised by the interference of the mother tongue in English language are that it affects pupils’ pronunciation and spelling patterns. Teachers felt that pupils who utilize their native language do badly in English. It also has an impact on pupils’ confidence and the way they speak English.
Based on the research’s results, it was recommended that the administration of the schools in the study region develop a policy that makes English the sole language of communication for all students in schools. This will go a long way toward enhancing student performance in schools. Students who speak their native language in school should also be penalized. Furthermore, parents should develop the practice of conversing with their children in English.
This will help the youngsters become more comfortable and confident while speaking with their classmates and instructors at school, therefore enhancing their performance. The research revealed that mother tongue interference had a detrimental impact on English language acquisition among junior secondary school pupils in Eti-Osa local government Area, Lagos State, particularly at the levels of phonology, grammar, and semantics.
1.1 The Study’s Background
Language is the use of signs and symbols through which humans communicate with one another. It is a tool for communication that allows for engagement. It is a way for us to express ourselves so that others can hear and react. It is the fundamental component of human communication that makes man’s daily actions meaningful and effective (Oyinloye, 2018). It is a unique occurrence, according to her, that differentiates humans from animals. Man is able to grasp the obstacles and issues that face and impede his progress via the use of language. Language, by implication, is the garment of thinking, since the efficacy and efficiency of thoughts are grounded on language. The key to society’s capacity to grasp its environment, domesticate it, and access its resources in order to improve its well-being is based on society’s ability to utilize language effectively and efficiently.
Similarly, Aje (2019) said that language is a vital instrument for improving human communication and interaction. It is an essential tool for cultural transmission, preservation, and proliferation of the human race. An investigation of the linguistic content of a certain speech community might provide information about a people’s lifestyle and vocation.
The English language is a global language, and it is the national official language of the United Kingdom (Aje, 2019). It was brought to Nigeria as a consequence of colonialism, despite the fact that it was previously the language of the British, but it is no longer the exclusive property of the British. Most nations have embraced it as a lingua franca, foreign language, or official language. (Nwaugo, 2012) said that it has established itself as a worldwide language of political, social, economic, and religious matters. It is considered one of Africa’s primary languages since it has become a crucial and necessary instrument in the everyday lives of the continent’s inhabitants.
According to Bamisaye (1997), Nigeria, a multi-lingual and plural-linguistic country endowed with myriads of languages belonging to diverse families of roughly 452 ethnic languages selected English as the national language. The reason for this was that every effort since independence to adopt one of Nigeria’s languages has failed to owe to disagreement among the country’s multi-linguistic ethnic groupings (Nwaugo, 2012). Thus, in Nigeria, education and career prospects were centered on the English language; anyone seeking a better life, according to her, needed to be fluent in the language.
As a consequence, it has become our national language, making its instruction so important at all levels of school. To grasp any topic, a kid must first understand the language used to teach the subject. Nigerian children have a liking for studying English since most of the courses studied in Nigerian education centers were introduced and are taught in English. As a result, English is now our second language in Nigeria.
As a result, our separate mother tongues existed before to colonization, interfering with our English language in distinct research sites around the country. Our native tongue significantly impedes the process of acquiring a new language. According to Melissa (2019), this is because our brains employ habitual patterns from our mother tongue to construct any new hypothesis of how the new language operates. Everything from phonetics to syntax to semantics reflects it.
Depending on how close your first language is to the one you are attempting to acquire, this interference may be both harmful and good. The influence of the mother tongue on a second language may be seen in anything from simple pronunciation to grammar and vocabulary. According to Mackay (2016), pronunciation errors may be caused by transfer from the original language. Negative language also causes a lack of precision and linguistic proficiency.
Following the learning of their diverse mother tongues, students in Nigeria acquire English as a second language. Students who are visited in their native languages prior to entering the school system are pushed to acquire English due to the roles it will play in their life. As a result, even in the educational setting, most pupils find it easier to utilize their home tongue than English. As a consequence, some Nigerian students seem to be inadequate in oral communication when it comes to speech work in the English language (Oyinloye, 2002).
According to Aje (2019), another issue that a youngster who speaks a language other than English may confront is that he often thinks in his mother tongue while expressing himself in the second language. This generally fosters rote learning and so understanding in pairs. There is also the issue of educational loss, particularly in systems where second language usage starts too early in the first few years of school.
Melissa (2019) believes that interference of mother tongue with learning a second language is an unavoidable impact that, if managed appropriately, may be minimal or even helpful. In general, we believe that interference impairs learner performance in the target language, which is English. This research was needed by the unfavorable impact of our mother tongue on learning and speaking accurate English. As a result, the purpose of this research is to assess the impacts of mother tongue interference on the study of English language in secondary schools in Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Lagos State.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The English language is a language that both unifies and divides Nigerians. According to previous research, while speaking English, we often encounter interference from our mother languages at the levels of phonology, grammar, and semantics. For example, if a student from the Yoruba or Igbo tribes comes to study English, he or she would experience some mother language influence when speaking English. For example, “Shebi, you’re ill” rather than “Are you sick?” The Igbo student may then say “Biko lemme alone” rather than “Please let me alone.” This research will look at the impact of mother tongue interference on English language acquisition in terms of phonological, grammatical, and semantic circumstances. In light of these issues, the purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of mother tongue interference on English language acquisition among students in Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Lagos State, in the areas of phonology, grammar, and semantics.
1.3 The Study’s Objectives
The overall goal of this research is to investigate the influence of mother tongue interference on English language acquisition among junior secondary school students in Eti-Osa local government Area, Lagos State, at the levels of phonology, grammar, and semantics. The precise goals are as follows:
I to assess if mother tongue interferes with the learning and teaching of English among junior secondary school pupils in Lagos State’s Eti-Osa Local Government Area;
(ii) to explore the issues raised by the interference of home tongue to English language among junior secondary school pupils in Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Lagos State;
(iii) to measure instructors’ perceptions of the effect of mother tongue on students’ English language performance in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State;
(iv) determine if sufficient resources and materials are available in the school to improve English language learning in junior secondary schools in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State; and
(v) to determine if teachers’ perceptions of the effect of mother tongue have any association with English language learning and instruction in junior secondary schools in Lagos State’s Eti-Osa Local Government Area.
1.4 Research Concerns
1.5 Hypotheses for Research
Ho1: There is no major interference of the mother tongue in the learning and teaching of English among junior secondary school pupils in Lagos State’s Eti-Osa Local Government Area.
Ho2: Teachers’ perceptions of the effect of mother tongue had no significant link with learning and teaching English in junior secondary schools in Lagos State’s Eti-Osa Local Government Area.
1.6 Importance of the Research
This research might be useful to English language students who are studying and speaking English. This is to enable pupils to be mindful of how they talk from an early age since this is one of the strategies to overcome the interference of the mother language in English for successful communication and academic performance. This research will also be beneficial to all those who utilize English as a medium of teaching. It will also be beneficial to find areas in which they may enhance their teaching approaches and skills. Because students cannot learn without instructors to help them, teachers should choose effective instructional materials to improve student’s English language acquisition.
The value of this study to curriculum designers and researchers is that it raises awareness of the issue of the mother tongue’s impact on English language and allows them to build a good and effective curriculum that will assist enhance students’ performance in English Language in secondary schools.
It also assists curriculum designers in carefully selecting instructional resources such as audio-visual aides, visual aids, audio aids, reading materials, and charts that may be utilized to educate students more successfully. This research also determines effective teaching strategies that assist students’ knowledge of the English language.
1.7 The Study’s Scope
This project will investigate the impact of mother tongue interference on English language acquisition. The study will focus on the phonological, grammatical, and semantic levels in a sample of junior public secondary schools in Lagos State’s Eti-Osa Local Government Area.
1.8 Operational Terminology Definition
For this research, a mother tongue is a kid’s native language, which is a language that a child learns from birth, also known as a home language or native tongue. It will be referred to as the first language in this research (L1).
Interference – The effect of one’s native or first language on the second language or interruption of a language by another, particularly when it comes to pronunciation and intonation.
English is an Indo-European language of the West Germanic branch; it is the official language of the United Kingdom, the United States, and the majority of Commonwealth nations.
Mother tongue interference – the impact of the learner’s original language on her/his learning of the target language.
The target language is the English language that the student wishes to master. It is also the second language classified as L2 in this work.
Students – A student is someone who is learning in a school or other educational setting.
