The Need for Primary School Subject-Specific Dictionaries in the Igbo Language
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60787/jolan.vol6no1.473Keywords:
dictionary, Igbo, language policy, primary schools, subject-specificAbstract
School subject-specific dictionaries (SSSDs) are reference books specially designed to help students understand the specified vocabulary, terminologies and concepts within a particular subject area. The 2022 edition of the National Language Policy states that the Mother Tongue (MT) or Language of the Immediate Community (LIC) shall be used as the medium of instruction from Early Childhood Care and Development Education to the six years of primary education; and that Registers in Nigerian languages for the various school subjects shall be developed. This implies that there shall be textbooks and related materials in all subjects written in the various Nigerian languages. Certainly, the requirements of the National Language Policy with respect to primary education include availability of textbooks for all school subjects in various Nigerian languages in addition to school subject-specific dictionaries (SSSDs). This study looks at the availability of school subject-specific dictionaries in the Igbo language in the Primary schools as one of the major tools for fulfilling the National Language Policy. The theoretical framework adopted for the study is the Substance over Form approach which focuses on types of data that actually exist in different sections of a dictionary. Data for the study were collected from randomly selected twelve primary schools in Anambra, Enugu and Imo States and from three Igbo school dictionaries identified to be in use. Analyses of the available Igbo Primary school dictionaries reveal that there are no school subject specific dictionaries in the Igbo language. Having identified the ideal features of this dictionary type, and observed its importance for effective teaching and learning in our primary schools, especially for fulfilling the requirements of our National Language Policy, this paper recommends the development of school subject-specific dictionaries in the Igbo language for our primary schools.
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