An X-Bar Analysis of English and Okun Words Structures and its Pedagogical Implications

Abstract

The crucial interactive role played by language has tremendously enhanced transformation in every societal segment. For any language to achieve effectiveness in communication, users must be exposed to the acceptable manner in which each word comprising the language is formed. The objectives of this research are to: identify areas of similarities, differences and account for the difficulties the differences are liable to pose to Okun learners who study English language and vice-versa. The version of X-Bar developed by Noam Chomsky is the model adopted for analysis in this paper because It has been established that the theory captures the structural analysis of English and most languages across the globe. This presupposes that all languages share certain structural similarities in words and in the other larger components which are not adequately analysed by earlier theories. Therefore, this paper affirms that the duo languages adhere to lucid morphological conventions that govern their phonemic/alphabetical sequences in order to form or derive meaningful words. It also unveils the fact that there are simple, complex, compound, compound-complex and multiple words in the two languages. However, the English words contain multiple-complex words which are not attested to in Okun morphology. Similarly, Okun contains calqued words which can form phrases, clauses or sentences which are not obtainable in English. It is also discovered that words do not overtly attract inflections at the plural, possessive, present progressive, past and participle forms in Okun as realized in its English counterpart. This paper concludes that linguists should endeavour to embark on more researches that will provide a platform for contrasting a globalised language such as English with other African or Nigerian languages (dialects) in order to prevent them from extinction.