IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL POLICY (JHSP )

E-ISSN 2545-5729
P-ISSN 2695 2416
VOL. 10 NO. 5 2024
DOI: 10.56201/jhsp.v10.no5.2024.pg76.88

---

English Suprasegmentals: How Nigerian Speakers Assign Primary Stress

Shehu Sidi Ibrahim Abubakar Atiku Alkali

---

Abstract

English in Nigeria is a second language; hence, Nigerian English can be categorised as English as a Second Language (ESL) because it is a product of colonial settlement, it is learnt through the education system, it is spoken in an environment where majority of speakers are non-native; and it has become nativised by taking some of the features of the native languages. This paper examines some aspects of the suprasegmental features of Nigerian English with emphasis on stress assignment. Vowels and consonants can be considered to be the segments of which speech is composed. Together they form syllables, which in turn make up utterances. Superimposed on the syllables, are other features that include variations in stress (accent) and pitch (tone and intonation). Variations in length are also considered to be the suprasegmental features, although they can affect single segments as well as whole syllables. All of the suprasegmental features are characterised by the fact that they must be the same utterance. Taking educated speakers of English in Nigeria as the case study, this study finds that Nigerian speakers are still struggling to attain proficiency in spoken English; a fact that should be expected considering the period at which Nigerians are introduced to the English language.

keywords:

Suprasegmental, Stress, Intonation, Nigerian English

---

References:

Akmajian, A., Demers, R.A. & Harnish, R.M. (1979) Linguistics: An introduction to
language and communication. MIT Press.

Bolinger, D.L. (9172) Intonation. Harmondsworth: Penguin

Egbokhare, F.O. (2003) Introductory Phonetics: A Course Book on Articulatory
Phonetics. Ibadan: E-Watch Print Media.

Fromkin, V and Rodman, R. (1974) An Introduction to Language, 2nd ed. Holt, Rinehart
and Winston.

Hawkins, P. (1984) Introducing Phonology. Routledge.
Hayes, B., (1980). A Metrical Theory of Stress Rules. Ph.D. dissertation, MIT.

Ibrahim, S.S. (2002) The Intonation Patterns of Educated Nigerian English. Unpublished
PhD. Thesis, Bayero University, Kano.

Jowitt, D. (2000) Nigerian English Usage. An Introduction. Longman

Matthews, P.H. (1991) Morphology: Cambridge University Press.

Platt, J., Weber, H., and Ho, M. L. (1984). The New Englishes. Routledge and Kegan
Paul.

Roach, P. (1991) English Phonetics and Phonology, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press.

Roach, P. (2009). English phonetics and phonology: A practical course. Cambridge
University Press

Stevenson, K.J. (1974) Teaching of Spoken English. JNESA, Vol. 6 No. 1

Yule, G. (1985) The Study of Language, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press.

DOWNLOAD PDF

---

Back