CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INRODUCTION

1.0 Introduction

This study aims to investigate the pros and cons of second language learning using Ìkálè, a

dialect of Yorùbá spoken in the eastern fringe of the Southern Eastern Yorùbá (SEY) dialect

areas (Awóbùlúyì, 1998) as a case study. There are many languages spoken in the world. The

first language learned by a baby is his or her mother tongue. It is the language, which he or she

listens to from his or her birth. Any other language learned or acquired is known as the second

language. Second language learning describes how formal language education helps us learn

language through more conscious processes. The definition of second language learning is

learning of a second language once the mother tongue or first language acquisition is established.

It is the systematic study of how people learn a language other than their mother tongue. Second

language learning is the process of learning other languages in addition to the native language.

For instance, a child who speaks Yorùbá as the mother tongue starts learning English when he

starts going to school. English is learned by the process of second language learning. In fact, a

young child can learn a second language faster than an adult can learn the same language.

However language learning has its pros and cons because learning a second language requires

conscious effort and in most cases, exposure to the second language is limited. Learning a

second language is never easy. Learning Ìkálè will rather be more difficult than easy because the

materials for learning the language are not readily available like with Yorùbá language. As a

result, it is critical to study the benefits and challenges in learning Ìkálẹ̀ as a second language to

recognize the challenges and impediments they may face in the course of the learning. Weaving
all that has been mentioned above, this research aims to look into the challenges learners face

when learning Ìkálẹ̀ as a second language and the benefits of learning the language.

1.1 Ìkálẹ̀ dialect and its people

Ìkálẹ dialect is the native language of the Ìkálẹ̀ people whose population, according to the

National Population Commission (2006) is three hundred and seventy eight thousand, two

hundred and seventy four (378,274). They occupy Òkìtìpupa and Ìrèlè Local Government areas

of Ondo State and part of Ogun State. The Ìkálẹ̀ people are bounded by Edo to the East, Ìlàjẹ and

Àpọ́ì to the South, Ondo to the North and Ìjẹ̀bú to the West. There are nine major Ìkálẹ̀ towns.

They are: Òkìtìpupa, Òde-Ìrèlè, Ìlú-Titun, Iju-odò, Ìkọyà, Igbótako, Òde-Erínjẹ, Àyèká and

Erékìtì.

1.2 Sociolinguistic Survey of Ìkálẹ̀

Ìkálẹ̀ is a multilingual society where different speech forms are used. Ìkálẹ̀ dialect is mostly used

for informal activities while they make use of standard Yoruba and English to communicate in

formal settings. Ìkálẹ̀ dialect is spoken among young adults which have been a means of

identification, means of transaction in the market, medium of instruction at home, medium of

discussion in an informal gathering and other informal settings while standard Yoruba and

English are medium of instruction in schools.

Ìkálẹ̀ is a small community with nine region, the nine region has little differences in their spoken

form but it is very difficult for non-indigenes to identify these differences. These regions include;

Òde-Ìrèlè, Òde- Aye, Òkìtìpupa, Òde-Erínjẹ, Ìkọyà, Ìlú-Tuntun, Iju-Odò, Igbotako and Igbodigo.
1.2 Statement of the Problem

Learning a new language is a source of enhanced mental flexibility, cognitive development,

creativity and language learning ability for an individual. As benefits come with setbacks, the

factors affecting language learning are the issues of proficiency/fluency and hesitation to speak

the language with less command. Learning Ìkálè as a second language will rather be more

difficult than easy because the materials for learning the language are not readily available like

with Yorùbá language, therefore this study will examine the prons and cons of learning Ìkálẹ̀ as a

second language.

1.3 Research Questions

This study intends to answer the following research questions:

i. What are the benefits of learning Ìkálẹ̀ dialect?

ii. What are the challenges that a learner of Ìkálẹ̀ dialect will experience in the course of

learning the dialect?

iii. What are the ways of mitigating these challenges?

1.4 Purpose of the Study

This study first aims at describing the pros or benefits of learning Ìkálẹ̀ as a second language, it

intends to do this by looking at the opportunities that may open to an intending learner of Ìkàlẹ̀

dialect and the challenges that the learner will face in while learning the dialect and the ways of

mitigating these challenges. In summary, the purpose of this research is to know and understand

the prons and cons of learning Ìkálẹ̀ as a second language.

1.5 Significance of the study

This study will provide an intending learner a head start into the learning of Ìkálẹ̀ dialect, it will

highlight the prons and cons of learning the dialect for the intending. In addition, the significance

of this research is that it will enable other researchers in linguistics who wishes to conduct a

study for a related topic in second language learning field as a source of reference.

1.6 Limitations to the Study

The major problem encountered during the course of this study was that there were not enough

significant materials on the subject matter i.e. the pros and cons of second language learning

especially on Nigerian languages, so we just had to make do with what we have. It is hoped that

after this study, more and more second language learning studies will be carried out on the pros

and cons of second language learning using Ìkálè especially in Nigeria language/dialect context.

1.6 Scope and Organization of the study

The scope of this study is to carry out an investigation on the extent of The pros and cons of

second language learning: Ìkálẹ̀ as a case study. The study shall look into the benefits of second

language learning in the perspective of Ìkálẹ̀ dialect and examine the challenges that a learner of

Ìkálẹ̀ dialect will experience in the course of learning the dialect and also the ways that these

challenges can be mitigated.

The study is divided into five chapters, the first chapter presents the general introduction to this

study where the sociolinguistic background of Ìkálẹ̀ and statement of the research problems, the

research questions, significance of the study, and the limitation to the study were discussed.
Chapter two of this study presents literature review and the conceptual framework that was used

for this study.

Chapter three of this study presents the research methodology, where source of data, instruments

for data collection, reliability of data, methods of data analysis will be discussed.

Chapter four of this study presents the analysis of our data, where we observed the prons and

cons of learning Ìkálẹ̀ as a second language.

Chapter five of this study presents the findings, recommendation and general conclusion to this

study.

1.7 Summary3

This chapter has discussed the background and the general introduction to this study. Researcher

has made it known that learning Ìkálè as a second language will rather be more difficult than

easy because the materials for learning the language are not readily available like with Yorùbá

language. So, the researcher has made known the interest to be investigated.

We as well stated the limitation to this study, the scope of the study, purpose of the study and the

aim of this study not excluding the sociolinguistic survey of Ìkálẹ̀.