NAME: REG.

NUMBER: COURSE:

IMASUEN, MERCY EGHONGHON 2011/73658 ENL 800 STATEMENT OF INTENT

THE EFFECT OF AGE OF ACQUISITION AND MOTHER TONGUE INTERFERENCE ON THE LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE BY RESIDENTS IN BENIN CITY.

This study shall examine learning processes and geographical influence which takes into cognizance the environment in which a learner grew up and the linguistic background of his instructors. No one person of my acquaintance has approached this topic from this perspective. The inhabitants of Benin City are bilinguals. This means that they all have a mother tongue (first language [L1]) which a majority of them speak in addition to the English Language. English Language is used as an L2 in Benin City. The phonological flaws in the learning and performance of English Language by residents in Benin City are attributable to the marked difference between the phonological patterns of English and those of the indigenous languages in Benin City. This is because the mastery of the L1 tends to interfere with the acquisition and performance of the L2. John Spencer is of the view that the phonology of the second language will almost always receive some imprints from the phonology of the mother tongue (25). The problem of interference (negative transfer) is more glaring in spoken English than in written English. This is why, according to Ayo Bamgbose, Many people claim that they can tell what part of a country a Nigerian belongs to from the way he speaks English (42). He further reaffirms this assertion thus: The greatest influence on the pronunciation of English by Nigerians is the sound systems of the vernacular languages (42). It is therefore expected, in a language contact situation such as exists in Benin City, that there will be an interaction between the mother tongues and English Language. Basically, the patterns of the local languages tend to be transferred into the patterns of the English language. The problem lies in expressing thoughts and cultures acquired in one language in another language. This is so because true bilingualism implies biculturalism (the assimilation of two cultures). This problem is further compounded in a multi-cultural setting such as Benin City. Ideas formulated in a particular language will be expressed with difficulty in another language. The reason is that the old system is likely to acquire interference with the new one. Bamgbose also opines: Most of the phonetic characteristics in the English of Nigerians can, of course, be traced to the transfer of features from their first language (42). Phonological flaws are likely to impair intelligibility which is the essence of communication. It is on this account that this research is being carried out with a view to coming up with remedial measures. Recommendations on how to drastically reduce the difficulties in the learning and performance of English language by residents in Benin City would be proffered at the end of this study. This will go a long way in improving intelligibility among interlocutor.