Which Preposition? An EFL Dilemma (Published)
EFL students face tremendous difficulties when translating from Arabic to English. One aspect of grammatical constructions that EFL students find difficult to translate is the translation of prepositions. This study aims at investigating the difficulties EFL students face when translating prepositions from Arabic into English. 105 students enrolled in undergraduate Translation courses in the English department, College of Basic Education were given a list of statements and short paragraphs and asked to translate them from Arabic into English. In addition, the students were asked to provide academic information to be statistically evaluated as independent variables. After data was collected and analyzed, it was found that students have considerable difficulty translating prepositions, some more than others.
Keywords: Arabic, EFL, English, Grammar, Prepositions, translation
Wrong Usage as Threat to English Language in Nigeria (Published)
: English is a second language in Nigeria because it is non-indigenous, it was introduced by British Colonialists and Missionaries into the country. The roles and functions English language has assumed since its introduction into the country are outlined. Since Nigeria functions in virtually all spheres of life in English language, a variety known, internationally acceptable and intelligible exists as the Standard Nigerian English. What is really of concern is the increasing deviations noticeable in the speech and writings of Nigerians from the grammar of English. The error laden English spoken by many people in the country may well be replacing the Standard Nigerian English if the situation is not checked. The root causes of the problem are pointed out recommendations are made towards curbing the negative trend.
Keywords: English Language, Errors, Grammar, Mother tongue, Second Language, Standard Nigerian English, varieties of English