A Contrastive Analysis Of Conjugation Of English And Igbo Verbs

Chapter Five
5.0    Conclusion    Recommendations    and    Suggestions for Further Research
5.1    Preamble
In this chapter, the researcher provides the conclusion of the study on the topic: A contrastive Analysis of conjugation of word formations of English and Igbo verbs. The researcher will also discuss the findings of the study and make recommendations to learners of English or Igbo as a second language, teachers, curriculum planners, and textbook designers. New area
(s) of emphasis for future research in the field will also be suggested.
5.2    Summary
This concludes that the use of “Contrastive Analysis” is a very important part of language learning process. It is particularly useful in the methodologies of teaching English as a second language or any target language.
In the same way, the analysis proved that there are similarities and differences existing between the verb formation processes in the languages studied.
The act of  conjugation  word-formation  is  governed by rules, which reflect on the processes morphological realization (derivative) of new words or word classes in a given language. These rules account for word formation processes, which include derivational process, inflectional processes, verbal extension, interfix of Igbo.
Verbs of the English and Igbo languages have attracted the attention of the researcher, because verbs are very significant elements (parts of speech) in any languages of the world. This is because verbs are “content words” without which there will be no ideal or meaningful communication.
The extent to which teachers, learners and researchers make recourse to this work as a resource material shall underscore its significance to learning. To this end, further research work is recommended. This shows that the researcher has not made any claim to conclusive findings or has exhausted all aspects of this topic.
5.3    Recommendations
In an ideal situation, a learner of a second language (L2), (be it any of the languages under study) must, first of all know, what a verb is, types of verbs, and how it can be used in a sentence. This will enable him to know the methods of their formations, thus, improving ones competence for the target language.
The learner should also avoid linguistic transfer from mother tongue (L1) to the target language, lest the meaning carrier (verb) will lose it’s significance.
Because there is no interfix added to the root word for the English language, and verbal extensions, Igbo learners of English as a second language should not have Igbo direct translation of the content word (verb) into the English language.
A proper understanding of  this  study  will  improve the effort of curriculum  planners  in  designing  textbooks for academic purposes.
Form the literature review, it was confirmed that, conjugation processes in English and Igbo languages involve  affixation,  word-formation,  inflections  and  forms of derivation, but the English form of verbal ablaut, and paradigmatic relations of verbs which  does  not  exist  in Igbo language must be given more attention by other researcher in further research.
Thus, the  interfixation  and  forms  of  verb  extension in Igbo language demands further study by researchers.
The above recommendations were made in  order to aid the second language learners in his language acquisition process.
5.4    Suggestions for Further Research
This study was limited to the conjugation processes through affixation, inflections, derivation, and forms of word-formation processes available in both languages.  It was also limited  to other  forms  of  dissimilarities  existing in both languages under study. Interfixation and verbal extension in Igbo language needs further extended research.
There is need also for further research in some other area (s) related to the study, in other to improve on the methods of verb formation processes, by the learners of English as a second language or any other target language.
Because the present study concentrated on the teachers in five secondary schools  in Nnewi South L.G.A, of Anambra State, who had been exposed to a lot of errors students make in learning a second language; it is suggested, that similar studies be carried out with other teachers as well as learners of the languages under study, at other  levels  of  educational  system.  Perhaps,  some  of the identified problems in this study  might  be  nipped  in the bud at the lower level of learning the target language, particularly in our primary schools as well as secondary schools.
Other areas which may be considered worthy of similar research, include:
(1)    Contrastive analysis of conjugation, of morphosyntactic processes of English and Igbo verbs.
(2)    Contrastive analysis of phonotactic process of English and Igbo verbs.
(3)    A contrastive analysis of Igbo and English morphologies etc.