The Influence of Culture on the Learning of English as a Second Language: Igbo People as a Case Study
Conference: ISA 22nd Annual International Conference (2025)
Presenter(s): Ngozi Theresa Onuora, Ethel Ebere Obiakor
Tags: 2025 Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ikwo Ndufu-Alike Owerri Alvan Ikoku University Education Ethel Ebere Obiakor Ngozi Theresa Onuora
Abstract
This study investigates the influence of culture on the learning of English as a second language among the people of Igbo in southeastern Nigeria. The research explores the linguistic challenges faced by Igbo speakers in acquiring English language proficiency. The population for this study comprises secondary school students and business people in Onitsha North LGA, where Igbo is predominantly spoken both at home, market places, churches, social gathering etc. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected through interviews from business enterprise and structured questionnaires from secondary school students. The theoretical framework is based on the Interlanguage Theory, which explains the process of second language acquisition in a bilingual context, propounded by American linguist Larry Selinker in 1972. This theory explains the linguistic system that second language learners create as they progress in learning a new language. It highlights how learners' interlanguage is influenced by both their native language and the language they are trying to acquire. The findings reveal a significant interference of Igbo linguistic structures in the learning of English, particularly in areas of syntax and phonology. This interference often results in common errors and code switching in English usage among learners. The study concludes that a better understanding of these challenges can inform more effective teaching strategies to improve English proficiency among Igbo speakers and not by forcing even the wrong English grammar on the children at home.
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