INFLUENCE OF INTER-ETHNIC MARRIAGE AND SELECTED VARIABLES ON CHILDREN'S LANGUAGE ACQUISITION.
INFLUENCE OF INTER-ETHNIC MARRIAGE AND SELECTED VARIABLES ON CHILDREN'S LANGUAGE ACQUISITION.
No Thumbnail Available
Date
1996-01
Authors
ANAKA, DEBORAH NWADIONU
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
vii
ABSTRACT
This study investigation on the influence of interethnic
marriage and such other variables as (a) age of
children (b) peer-group or play-mates (c) School (d)
environment and (e) Parents' educational attainment on
the children's language acquisition. These variables
were assumed to influence children's mother tongue
acquisition. There were four research questions and
six basic assumptions. The views of various authors in
the area of language acquisition in a bilingual
environment were highlighted. The factors that
psycho-linguists viewed as responsible for language
acquisition in children were also looked at. Five
hundred (500) Hausa and Yoruba couples as well five
hundred (500) Hausa and Yoruba children were
administered with questionnaire. Their response were
used to answer the research questions. Oral interviews
were conducted on forty-four (44) selected children,
using audio cassette recorder. Their responses were
used for the measurement of communicative competence.
The data collected from the study were presented,
using frequency distribution tables, simple percentages
and cross-tabulation.
The result of the study showed that inter-ethnic
marriage and environment have some influence on
viii
children's native language a cquisition. Age of children,
the peer-group or play-mates with which the children
associate were discovered to have less influence on
children's native language acquisition. It was also
discovered that the school attended by the children as
well as parents' educational attainment have little
influence on their native language acquisition.
From the result of the oral interview with the
children, it was discovered that most of them were more
fluent in Hausa language than in Yoruba language. This
was more evident amongst children of inter-ethnic
couples.
The role of parents as the prime - movers in
children's language acquisition was really upheld. It
was therefore concluded that parents are still the
strongest sources of children's language acquisition.
Other agencies of learning such as peer-group or
play-mates and school were discovered to be of secondary
importance, and as such, they were concluded as having
no major influence on children's language acquisition.
It was therefore recommended that parents should
continue in their efforts as their children's model in
language acquisition, especially in inter-ethnic homes.
Description
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY
ZARIA, NIGERIA.
Keywords
INFLUENCE,, INTER-ETHNIC,, MARRIAGE,, SELECTED,, VARIABLES,, CHILDREN'S,, LANGUAGE,, ACQUISITION.