The Challenges of Globalization and the Use of Children’s Literature in Achieving Cultural Literacy in Nigeria

In the past, Africans attached great value to the transmission of their values and norms to their younger generation. This was done through oral traditions, such as story telling, songs, lullabies, riddles, plays and more. This emphasises continuity and cultural preservation .Cultural transmission aims at producing a generation who will sustain the communities’ values like honesty, perseverance, diligence, good community and brotherly relationship. Children’s Literature refers to quality books for children ranging from birth to adolescence; while globalization is the process of increased inter dependence and integration of cultures and values among nations, This paper thus, discusses the use of children’s literature as an instrument of achieving national integration in the era of globalization. It also examines the relevance of children’s literature to the society and asserts that children’s literature could be used to promote and sustain the national heritage. It will serve as a voice to forestall loss of our values. It proffers suggestions and concludes, .by stating how to achieve these aims. Keywords: Children’s literature; Globalization and Cultural Literac

Promoting Learning through Interaction: Examples from the English Language Classroom

Classroom interaction is helpful for language learning. Every learner is expected to develop competence in English language learning, in order to function effectively in the multilingual Nigerian setting. English as the official language in Nigeria occupies an important position. Considering the importance, role and functions of English in Nigeria the primary goal of the English language curriculum is that learners should acquire communicative competence in English. From our observation we found that learners learn more comprehensively through classroom interaction. This research also discovered that applying the basic principles of interactive language teaching can promote learners initiative and autonomy, which in turn begets linguistic and communicative competence. To achieve this goal, the curriculum recommends the communicative language teaching approach for teachers of English; to enable learners achieve communicative competence in the use of the English language. Teaching through interaction enhances observation, using apt methods, strategies and resources which in turn promote learners autonomy and initiative. This study thus, emphasizes the need to use interactive strategies in order to enable students to use, practice and achieve fluency in the language. This paper therefore, explores some interactive strategies applied in the classroom with a focus on re-tooling English language teachers for more productive teaching and learning. Keywords: Learning, Interaction, English Language and Classroo

Linguistic Landscape and Symbolic construction of Multilingual Literacies: Between Creativity and Communication

Understanding communication within expanding public spaces creates the need for the interpretation of changing connections of written texts and linguistic knowledge prominent in an environment. Studies on public space language are referred to as linguistic landscape studies (LL). This study demonstrates a link between language, culture and social practices within an environment and shows how visual designs, pictures and signs transcend information for effective communication. Multilingual literacies on the other hand help in the description of the many forms of language interaction and analysis of the different domains of language use. This study thus, aims at exploring the presence of visible texts of written languages on public spaces such as billboards, road and navigation signs, shop signage’s campaign posters, graffiti and general adverts within the selected environment. This research centers on the theoretical notions of Landry and Bourhis (1997) on: “the visibility and salience of languages on public and commercial signs in a given territory or region” and Gorter (2006) who sees LL as opening a “new approach to multilingualism”. The data is collected through fieldwork, interview, participant observation and snapshots. This study argues that since linguistic landscape studies have expanded the roles and functions of creative designs, pictures and languages in different settings, language should not be the sole strategy for analyzing expressions or ideas rather linguistic landscape should also be adopted because it interprets processes, expressions and social realities in multilingual environments. This study recommends systematic description of linguistic artifacts of given environments as a means of enhancing multilingual literacy

Use of Codes: A Model of Language Shift in Nigerian Communication

The predominance of code and bilingual usage among university students and the youths triggered the curiosity to investigate the preference for code choice/mix and its attendant problems, within Federal University of Technology, Owerri [FUTO]. There was random selection of statements made by the students within the university environment. This study shows the impact of language mix and switch among Igbo-English bilinguals. It also reviews how bilingualism manifests itself as interference in the second language (L2) situation. The study also brings to the fore the issue of language dependence of the Igbo/English bilingual. The study concludes by affirming that bilinguals should control influence on their code choice, to avoid becoming linguistic incompetent individuals in the future. The subjects of this study are Igbo students in the Information Management Technology (IMT) Department, of Federal University of Technology, Owerri

Linguistic Landscape and Symbolic construction of Multilingual Literacies: Between Creativity and Communication

Understanding communication within expanding public spaces creates the need for the interpretation of changing connections of written texts and linguistic knowledge prominent in an environment. Studies on public space language are referred to as linguistic landscape studies (LL). This study demonstrates a link between language, culture and social practices within an environment and shows how visual designs, pictures and signs transcend information for effective communication. Multilingual literacies on the other hand help in the description of the many forms of language interaction and analysis of the different domains of language use. This study thus, aims at exploring the presence of visible texts of written languages on public spaces such as billboards, road and navigation signs, shop signage’s campaign posters, graffiti and general adverts within the selected environment. This research centers on the theoretical notions of Landry and Bourhis (1997) on: “the visibility and salience of languages on public and commercial signs in a given territory or region” and Gorter (2006) who sees LL as opening a “new approach to multilingualism”. The data is collected through fieldwork, interview, participant observation and snapshots. This study argues that since linguistic landscape studies have expanded the roles and functions of creative designs, pictures and languages in different settings, language should not be the sole strategy for analyzing expressions or ideas rather linguistic landscape should also be adopted because it interprets processes, expressions and social realities in multilingual environments. This study recommends systematic description of linguistic artifacts of given environments as a means of enhancing multilingual literacy

Use of Codes: a Model of Language Shift in Nigerian Communication

The predominance of code and bilingual usage among university students and the youths triggered the curiosity to investigate the preference for code choice/mix and its attendant problems, within Federal University of Technology, Owerri [FUTO]. There was random selection of statements made by the students within the university environment. This study shows the impact of language mix and switch among Igbo-English bilinguals. It also reviews how bilingualism manifests itself as interference in the second language (L2) situation. The study also brings to the fore the issue of language dependence of the Igbo/English bilingual. The study concludes by affirming that bilinguals should control influence on their code choice, to avoid becoming linguistic incompetent individuals in the future. The subjects of this study are Igbo students in the Information Management Technology (IMT) Department, of Federal University of Technology, Owerri

Linguistic Landscape and Symbolic construction of Multilingual Literacies: Between Creativity and Communication

Understanding communication within expanding public spaces creates the need for the interpretation of changing connections of written texts and linguistic knowledge prominent in an environment. Studies on public space language are referred to as linguistic landscape studies (LL). This study demonstrates a link between language, culture and social practices within an environment and shows how visual designs, pictures and signs transcend information for effective communication. Multilingual literacies on the other hand help in the description of the many forms of language interaction and analysis of the different domains of language use. This study thus, aims at exploring the presence of visible texts of written languages on public spaces such as billboards, road and navigation signs, shop signage’s campaign posters, graffiti and general adverts within the selected environment. This research centers on the theoretical notions of Landry and Bourhis (1997) on: “the visibility and salience of languages on public and commercial signs in a given territory or region” and Gorter (2006) who sees LL as opening a “new approach to multilingualism”. The data is collected through fieldwork, interview, participant observation and snapshots. This study argues that since linguistic landscape studies have expanded the roles and functions of creative designs, pictures and languages in different settings, language should not be the sole strategy for analyzing expressions or ideas rather linguistic landscape should also be adopted because it interprets processes, expressions and social realities in multilingual environments. This study recommends systematic description of linguistic artifacts of given environments as a means of enhancing multilingual literacy

A Structuralist Study of Chinua Achebe’s Anthills of the Savannah

Major African writers have never stopped exploring the themes of corruption, radical struggles and political instability in their respective domains. One of these writers and his monumental classic, Chinua Achebe; Anthills of the Savanna, discusses these themes expertly and with utmost dexterity. The major task of this paper is not to discuss the themes, rather to study the underlying structures of signification as they are applied in the structure of the narrative. The researcher therefore, will attempt to identify the smallest meaningful units in the text and study their modes of combination with the sole aim of comprehending fully how the meaning and thematic content of this narrative is created instead of interpreting the actual meaning conveyed. Simply put, this study will take a deep incursion into the methods through which the author deftly gets these themes across to his audience.Key words: structuralism, semiotics, narrative, Actants, functions, binary opposition