The Misuse of English Prepositions in The Nigerian Print Media: Issues of Grammaticality and Conventionality

Abstract

The print media have, over the years, been the cynosure of all eyes. It is an apparatus for language learning. However, when one listens to our radio and television broadcasts, especially the news bulletins, one will shudder at the level of ungrammaticality in the use of the English language. This dissertation therefore investigates the use of English prepositions in the Nigerian print media. It examines the arbitrary use of prepositions, the omission of prepositions, the superfluity of use, and their effects in media discourse. The theoretical framework adopted in this research is error analysis, which is considered one of the best ways to describe and explain errors made by learners who study English as a second or foreign language. It was established by Stephen Pit Corder in the late 1960s as an alternative to contrastive analysis that failed to account for learners' errors. This research therefore focuses on the extent to which the inappropriate use of prepositions impairs the communication of print media content. Five research questions and objectives were formulated for this study. To carry out the study, three major newspapers, namely the Vanguard, the Nigerian Tribune, and the Sun, were selected to ascertain the degree of appropriateness in the use of English prepositions in reports, general presentation, and features. The findings of this thesis reveal that an average user of the English language does not possess significant cognitive competence to handle the grammatical fluidity and arbitrariness that characterize the language, with particular reference to the preposition paradigm. Following the research findings, the researcher recommends the need for print media practitioners or journalists to remain ‘in school’ no matter their disciplines in order to serve their readers better through the use of standard English, including the correct use of English prepositions.