THE INFLUENCE OF MOTHER TONGUE (L1) ON THE USE OF ENGLISH (IGBO) BY STUDENTS OF WEST-END MIXED SECONDARY SCHOOL ASABA DELTA STATE

The purpose of this thesis was to examine the effects of the students’ L2 language, English, as well as their native language, Igbo, on how they speak and write English. The students attended the West-end Mixed Secondary School in Asaba DELTA State. This study used a qualitative methodology, collecting data for the study through interviews and written essays. All of the teachers and students at West-end Mixed Secondary School in Asaba Delta State served as the study’s population. The non-probability (purposive) sampling strategy was utilized by the researcher to choose the study participants. Some of the teachers were interviewed by the researcher. Students’ essays were also selected using a non-probability sampling technique. Utilizing frequency tables and charts for percentages, the generated data was evaluated. Based on the research objectives, the qualitative analysis of the interviews was added to the numbers and percentages discovered through the analysis. According to the study, students seldom think in the L2; instead, they first think in the L1 and then convert those thoughts into the L2. They make mistakes in their second language due to this immediate translation. The survey found that some teachers interact with their students in their home tongue. In response, all of the teachers said they encourage their students to speak English and make sure they use proper or standard English. Direct translation from Igbo to English, concord, and proposition are the primary areas where the students’ writings deviated in the areas where the L1 interfered with the L2, as seen in the essays of the students. The study found that negative transfers from the native language to the L2 are the cause of the faults shown in the students’ essays as reflected in their writing and the opinions of the teachers. The study suggests that teachers should encourage students to speak
English with one another in class. Students should develop a reading habit as well to help them with their English.