Good evening all.
I was excited to see this week's contest on "course of study" at school.
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This is mine!
I am studying linguistics and Nigerian languages at university of Uyo, Akwa lbom State, Nigeria. Without no doubt, I didn't intend studying this course in school, I wanted to venture into Faculty of Education but since I didn't have someone to guide me, I had to asked my classmate at secondary school to guide me on which course to apply. She told me to go for linguistics and Nigerian languages. I asked her what the course is all about.
Naturally, I love teaching right from my childhood days. Teaching stools, cassava stem in the farm whenever we go to farm. Since that time till today, I love teaching.
I got admitted into school, hoping that linguistics is English language because I really wanted to learn English language,how to write in English and how to speak English fluently. I thank God it was an awesome section when i have an encounter with my phonetics lecturer teaching us sounds and pronunciation.
I was impressed that I am taught sounds and how to transcribe them. It was interesting.
From my year 1, it was all about introduction of linguistics, history of linguistics, Applied linguistics. Some courses were repeated in our year 2. Year 3, I came to understand what linguistics is all about.
I applied my course of study in real life situations. In anything that I am doing, do something that will give solution to someone's problem.
Now, linguistics and any other course of discipline must give solution in real life. Any student studying a particular course that doesn't bring tangible results to his/ her society such student is not creative.
In my year 3, we treated "field research and methodology as a topic" before we enbarked on strike.
If I am asked, what is research?
Research is a process of gathering relevant information or data to answer a question that solve a problem about the environment and other related things for the development of knowledge.
What are the purposes of research
Research is used to increase or generate knowledge to the existing knowledge.
Research is used to draw hypothesis, and social conclusion about reality.
Research is used to solve problems in a particular subject matter.
As a linguist, my research will based on any language of my choice. This is how I will undergo my research. I will find a language that has a problem in the system and work on it, from my intensive data analysis and careful inquiring, there will be a solution to the problem and answer to the question.
In English, we have English phonetic consonant chart and English phonetic consonant description, and it distribution well defined and documented.
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Coming to my language,Ibibio, we have; Ibibio vowel chart, Ibibio phonetic consonant description, Ibibio phonetic distribution.
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Now, since my language, Ibibio is documented, it is my place to investigate if there is a language that do have this procedure, if they don't have, I work on it.
My interest as a linguist is to develop my language and other people's language that want to get moribund or extinct. What is the cause of this? Is the people who dump their languages to speak people's language and migration.
My work is to instill knowledge of knowing how your natural language or mother tongue is valuable in your society. Your dialect is your identity, any where you go
Do not let anyone see your dialect as barbaric but your pride.
Some people's language do not have origin, not knowing how it was developed but they speak nor is being documented or publish. My duty as linguist is to undergo investigation in that environment, asking relevant questions to get relevant answers.
Some languages are mutually intelligible. Like; Italian and Spanish are mutually intelligible languages, Ibibio and Annang are mutually intelligible languages in Akwa lbom State.
Our Languages over the globe are unique, created by God. He is the originator of languages.
Anything created by God is excellent, beautiful and attractive. Therefore, your language, my language is excellent, beautiful and unique. Be proud to speak it.
Thank you for reading.
God bless you all.
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