A Contrastive Analysis Of Conjugation Of English And Igbo Verbs

Chapter One
1.0    Introduction/Background of the Study
The importance of language in human society has attracted great scholarly attention. Various studies  have been carried out with a view to determining the structure of language. Language is  dynamic,  this  dynamic  nature calls for constant and persistent research on the nature of every human language, especially the development processes involved in particular language.
However, there are many ramifications in these changes in language especially English Language which a learner of any language must master. For instance auditory habituation could handicap the effect of a second language learner, especially when the structure  of the mother tongue (MT) has been internalized for a long period before learning the second languages.
Based on  this assumption,  it is necessary to analyze the similarities and differences between the learner’s mother tongue (MT) and the target language (TL) with a view to alleviating the problems in second language learning (SLL).
Research has shown that there are difficulties associated with learning a second language, because the inbuilt structure of the mother   tongue   influences learning of the second language. The structure of the first language, in many cases is at variance with the structure of the second language. This variance makes the learner transliterate this target language after the structure of the first. He transfers the accent of this first language  (MT) to the pronunciation of the second language  (TSL).  In  so doing, communicative competence is hindered, as the expected message not successful conveyed. Word-order pattern of the target language is distorted.
The major concern of this study is to make a” contrastive analysis of the word-formations of English and Igbo Verbs”. With reference to Affixation, Derivational, Inflectional, Verbal Ablaut and verb Extension. centered on making a  “contrastive  analysis  of the word-formations of English and Igbo Verbs”.  In  the areas of Affixation, Derivational, Inflectional,   Verbal Ablaut and Verb Extension. Verb is defined  as  “the  heart and life of a sentence which denotes action and deed” (Ifensor 22). Orji adds that “verbs of the English  language are words which fit into an inflectional verbal  paradigm (20). He further buttresses that:
English verbs are divided into finite and non finite verbs. Finite verbs consist of lexical (main) verb and auxiliary verb. Lexical verb is made up of transitive and intransitive verbs. Auxiliary verb is divided into two, namely: primary and modal auxiliary. The non-finite verb is made up of infinitive, gerund and participle (21).
Lexical verbs are content words which can be conjugated or  made  to  undergo  morphological  contrasts of tense, person, aspect, mood, and number. Verbs conjugation or inflection reflect the aforementioned contrasts as used in speech and writing. Verb inflection or conjugation delineate time before now (past), time now (present), and time after now (future): it also appears in two forms in relating with the personal pronouns. Verbs matched with the persons take the bare infinitive form except the first person singular where the verbs take an ‘S’.
Apart from the above, there is  the  Igbo  system  of verb extension through interfix between two verbs. For instance, the Igbo language admit letters like ‘m’, ‘a’, and ‘r’ etc. to form verbal extension e.g.

It can be noted that the English language has two major affixation processes of prefix and suffix technically further represented as inflection and derivation, but interfix, infix and circumfix  appear  not  to  be  present  in the language. The Igbo language has infix  and  possibly, other affixes not found in English. Changes surely will be creating problems for the Igbo second language learners.
The Igbo second language  learners  (ISLL)  has  cause to make use of the English language, as well as the Igbo language based  on  the  prevailing  situation  or  occasion. His effort at using either of the languages may involve interference of the one  with other depending on his ability to manipulate the language. It is therefore important to discover the method  and  structures  of  both  languages that coincide and those that differ, as these may be helpful to the second language learners (SLL) and teachers of this second language alike (TSL).
1.2    Significance of the Study
The basic function of language is communication. A critical look on language reveals that languages are made up of simple and complex units of structures which contain meaning because of the presence of the predicator (verb) used in such sentences. In addition to knowing these verbs, it is important to understand how these verbs are used, and are formed especially by the second language learners.
(a)        This thesis will help the second language learner to understand the similarities and differences between the verbs of the first and the target languages.
(b)    The research will help the teachers of second language to predict the difficult situation in language learning (LL), thus encouraging the learners to overcome those difficulties.
(c)    Course and syllabus designers will find the research findings helpful in highlighting problem areas and making them easier for learners.
(d)    It provides for proper knowledge of the verb structures, thus educating teachers and learners alike.
(e)    It will also add to the existing knowledge of the systems of verb formation and serve as reference material to researchers.
(f)    Above all, this study, which  is not  exhaustive, is bound to arouse the interests of future  researchers who may want to further the study.