# Adapting and Writing Language Lessons/Appendix F

APPENDIX F TO CHAPTER 3
MATERIALS FOR DISCUSSION (IGBO)
Blass, Johnson and Gage (1970) list no fewer than five sets of teaching materials produced for the Igbo language within the 1960's. The most recent is Welmers and Welmers (1968). The subject of this appendix is 5 of the 10 pages of Lesson 1 in that book. Later lessons are a little longer, but are generally similar in format. In the introduction to their book, the authors say:
Since these lessons are intended to be intensely practical, it may seem strange that they do not start right out with some lively, useful daily conversations. There is good reason, however, for the procedure used. For one not used to a second language, and particularly a tone language, accurate pronunciation is difficult to achieve; but it is also crucially important. The drills that may seem monotonous at first are actually a golden opportunity to learn to control pronunciation at the outset, so that habits of sloppy pronunciation will never have a good chance to develop. At the same time, every utterance in every drill is a perfectly good and natural utterance that will be found useful in daily life.
The details of Igbo pronunciation will be outlined step by step in the early lessons. Try to imitate every detail accurately, but don't expect everything to be explained at once; concentrate on the points emphasized in each drill as you go along. The same is true of grammar: don't try to anticipate new forms and constructions, or you will only confuse yourself and everyone else. Don't worry about what you haven't learned to say: concentrate on saying what you have learned, and saying it accurately. The goal is to speak not so that you can be understood, but so that you cannot be misunderstood.
* With reference to the distinction between audiolingual habit formation and cognitive-code learning (Chapter 1, p. 7 ff.), does this textbook seem to be predominately A-L, or T-C?
* Comment on the strength, lightness and transparency of the individual lines in this lesson, and of the lesson as a whole.
* To what extent does this lesson include what we have listed as the four basic components?
* What kinds of reward (Chapter 1, p.23f)are available to the student from this lesson as it stands?
* What special obstacles does the Igbo language present to the would-be adapter?
* Suggest ways of adapting or augmenting a lesson in this format so that new strength would probably justify added weight or opacity.
Lesson L.
In a fairly long Igbo sentence, there may be a large number of different levels of pitch; but every pitch can be described in terms of one of three alternative possibilities at any particular point in the sentence.
First, the mark ’ represents a phenomenon which we will call "step". The pitch of a vowel or m or n or ŋ so marked is never low. In any Igbo utterance, each-"step" is a little lower than the preceding one. You can only step down, and once you have done so you cannot climb up again until you come to a pause at the end of a phrase or sentence. Thus the sequence "step - step" is something like a child's call, "Daddy!", or like the melody at the beginning of the song "Chlo-e".
Second, the mark ‘ indicates "low". A "low" is distinctly lower in pitch than a "step" either before or after it. The sequence "step - low - step" is something like the melody at the beginning of the World War I song "Over There".
Third, any vowel (or m, n, ŋ as will be explained later) which is unmarked has the same pitch as that indicated by the last mark before it. Such unmarked syllables after a "step" will be called "same". After "low", following unmarked syllables will also be labelled "low". The sequence "step - same" is thus two syllables on a monotone; the second syllable must be on exactly the same pitch as the first. The sequence "low - low" (in which only the first low is marked) is also level within a sentence, but on a lower pitch than "step - same". At the end of a sentence, "low - low" may go a bit downhill in pitch, but it sounds nothing like two successive "steps", nor like "step - low". In an isolated two-syllable word, the first "low" in "low - low" may be noticably higher than the second; but the interval is not nearly as great as for "step - low". A final "low" is relaxed, much like the ending of a simple declarative sentence in English.
Igbo has eight vowel sounds. Not one of them is exactly the same as any English vowel, but you will not find all of them difficult to recognize or reproduce. The vowels are written: i, ị, e, a, ọ, o, ụ, u; the marks under some of the letters (usually a dot or a short vertical stroke rather than the cedilla .used here) are part of the vowel symbols themselves; to a speaker of Igbo, the vowel written ụ is as different from u as it is from o. For the time being, imitate these vowel sounds as carefully as you can, though the major point emphasized in the first several drills is tone. There are also some consonant sounds that will be strange to you; you will be helped with them as difficulties arise. ​Drill 1. Each of the following sentences begins with the sequence"step-low", and continues with syllables that are "low" to the end. Thus each sentence has a melody somewhat like the English sentence "THEY were coming." Remember that in Igbo, however, the higher pitch at the beginning has absolutely nothing to do with emphasis. After the English is read aloud, each student should repeat each sentence in direct imitation of the model until his pronunciation is acceptable.
| It's a bed. | ọ́ bụ̀ akwa |
| It's a pot. | ọ́ bụ̀ ite. |
| It's a rope. | ọ́ bụ̀ ụ̀dọ̀. |
| It's a bag. | ọ́ bụ̀ akpa. |
| It's a drum. | ọ́ bụ̀ ịgba. |
| He saw a bed. | ọ́ hụ̀rụ̀ akwa. |
| He saw a pot. | ọ́ hụ̀rụ̀ ite. |
| He saw a rope. | ọ́ hụ̀rụ̀ ụ̀dọ. |
| He saw a bag. | ọ́ hụ̀rụ̀ akpa. |
| He saw a drum. | ọ́ hụ̀rụ̀ ịgba. |
Drill 2. Each of the·sentences in this drill differs in tone from those in Drill 1 only in that the very last syllable is a "step"; that is, the pitch goes up again with the last syllable, but not quite as high as the initial "step".
| It's a cup. | ọ́ bụ̀ ikó. |
| It's an egg. | ọ́ bụ̀ akwá. |
| It's a dress. | ọ́ bụ̀ uwé. |
| It's a box. | ọ́ bụ̀ igbé. |
| It's a compound. | ọ́ bụ̀ ezí. |
| He saw a cup. | ọ́ hụ̀rụ̀ ikó. |
| They saw an egg. | ọ́ hụ̀rụ̀ akwá. |
| They saw a dress. | ọ́ hụ̀rụ̀ uwé. |
| They saw a box. | ọ́ hụ̀rụ̀ igbé. |
| They saw a compound. | ọ́ hụ̀rụ̀ ezí. |
(Note: ùwé may also refer to a blouse, shirt, or other sewn garment. èzí 'compound' is the area on which a house and subsidiary buildings are located.)
​Notes.
The five groups of nouns used in the above drills are typical of the majority of Igbo nouns: two syllables, the first being a vowel or a syllabic m or n or ŋ, the second beginning with a consonant and ending with a vowel, all accompanied by one of the five tone sequences illustrated above. There are some threesyllable and longer nouns in Igbo, and some nouns beginning with consonants, but they will give little trouble once these five basic types are mastered. In isolation, the five types of nouns are labelled and written as follows:
| 1. | Low - low: | àkwa | 'a bed' |
| 2. | Low - step: | àkwá | 'an egg' |
| 3. | Step - same: | óce | 'a chair' |
| 4. | Step - step: | égó | 'money' |
| 5. | Step - low: | ákwà | 'cloth' |
In the sentences on which you have drilled, the initial low tone of the first two of the above types has, of course, not been marked, because the last preceding marked tone was low. If you want to keep a vocabulary card file, be sure to mark the tones as above, not as they appear in full sentences.
As you begin to learn Igbo vocabulary. remember that the tone is an integral part of the word, and must be learned along with the consonants and vowels. It is true that tones sometimes undergo alternations that will surprise you, somewhat as the f in English wife changes to v in the plural wives. But the existence of this alternation in English does not permit us to interchange f and v whenever we feel like it; neither does the existence of variant tonal forms in Igbo permit us to ignore tone. First learn the words as they have been introduced, including their tones; the alternations follow statable rules, and will be systematically presented as the lessons progress.
A few words about consonants, consonant clusters, and syllabic nasals. The writings kp and gb represent single consonants, not sequences of k and p or k and g. The closure at the back of the mouth for k or g, and at the lips for p or b, is simultaneous; the releases are also simultaneous. These may not be easy consonants at first, but with practice you can learn them. You have probably used a consonant similar to the Igbo kp in imitating a hen cackling; Igbo orthography, a common American imitation would be written ""kpọ́" kpọ kpọ kpọ kpọ". After a vowel or syllabic nasal, the syllable division always precedes the consonants kp and gb it does not come between them.
​The writings kw and gw (and ŋw, which you will meet later) also represent single consonants as far as Igbo structure is concerned. kw and gw are not particularly hard to recognize or reproduce, but again remember that the syllable division precedes them, never splits them.
The letter c represents a consonant much like that which is written ch in English (and in most written Igbo); c always represents this sound in our writing of Igbo, so that there is no need to add another letter to show what the sound is.
The letters m and n (and ŋ, which you will meet later) sometimes appear before vowels; in-such cases, they are consonants just like k or b. However, they may also appear before consonants; in such cases, they are syllables by themselves, with their own tone. Be sure you don't use a vowel either before or after such a syllabic nasal; just hum-m-m it and then go on-n-n to the next consonant. As you will soon learn, m is also frequently written as a word by itself; in such cases also, it is syllabic and has its own tone. Syllabic m also appears occasionally at the end of an Igbo word; apart from a few cases of this type, all Igbo words end with vowels.
Review of Lesson 1:
Twenty-five nouns have been introduced in this lesson, and at first it won't be easy to remember which is which. For further practice on pronunciation, and to help learn the vocabulary, use the following procedures:
1. Have the model pick a sentence at random from this lesson, say it clearly, and call on a student first to repeat the Igbo sentence and then, if he can, to give the meaning. If the student gives the wrong translation, or cannot remember the meaning, the correct English should be given immediately. Continue with Igbo sentences selected at random, calling on students in random order.
2. Call on students at random to say any Igbo sentence in this lesson that they happen to remember hearing, and to give the meaning if they can. Correction of pronunciation, especially tone, should be strict. If the English equivalent is not given immediately, call on another student to give it, or supply it without permitting long intervals of silence.
3. Call on students at random, supply any of the English equivalents from this lesson, and ask for the Igbo sentence. If the reply is not reasonably prompt, supply the correct Igbo. After some drilling of this sort, much of the vocabulary will be learned.
​Recognition Test: 1
Students: DO NOT TURN TO THE NEXT PAGE.
A. Below are ten Igbo words without tone marks. Each one has either the sequence step - same (like ánụ) or the sequence step - low (like ázụ̀. You will hear each word pronounced at least twice. Mark the tone in either of the above ways, as you hear it. (The words should be read to the students from the following page.)
| 1. | a t ụ | 6. | i k w e |
| 2. | e l e | 7. | ụ g b ọ |
| 3. | ọ b a | 8. | e g b e |
| 4. | a k p ụ | 9. | e z i |
| 5. | i g w u | 10 | a k a |
The correct markings will now be given to you. Indicate each error by a check mark, and then make the appropriate correction.
B. Below are another ten Igbo words without tone marks. This time, each word has either the sequence low - low (like ite) or low - step (like ikó). Mark each word in one of these two ways as you hear it.
| 1. | o k e | 6. | o k p u |
| 2. | ŋ k e | 7. | ŋ g b e |
| 3. | ọk w a | 8. | ọ s a |
| 4. | a t ọ | 9. | i s e |
| 5. | u d u | 10. | a l a |
Again you will be given the correct markings. Indicate each error by a check mark, and then make the appropriate correction.
On the following page, the correct forms of the above are given, with their English meanings. Most of these words will become part of your vocabulary within the next few lessons. The results of this test may indicate a need for further drill or explanation.
Recognition Test: 1 -- Instructor's Key
Each of the following is to be read twice, with a few seconds between, in a clear voice, but not too slowly.
A.
| 1. | áty | 'chewing stick' | 6. | íkwe | 'mortar' |
| 2. | éle | 'antelope' | 7. | ụ́gbọ | 'vehicle' |
| 3. | ọ́bà | 'calabash' | 8. | égbè | 'gun' |
| 4. | ákpụ | 'cassava' | 9. | ézì | 'pig' |
| 5. | ígwè | 'iron; bicycle' | 10. | áka | 'hand' |
(The correct markings should be given as "Number one: stepsame; Number two: step-same; Number three: step-low", etc.)
B.
| 1. | òké | 'rat' | 6. | òkpú | 'cap' |
| 2. | ŋ̀ke | 'thing' | 7. | ŋ̀gbe | 'time' |
| 3. | ọ̀kwa | 'partridge' | 8. | ọ̀sá | 'squirrel' |
| 4. | àtọ̀ | 'three' | 9. | ìsé | 'five' |
| 5. | ùdu | 'water jug' | 10. | àla | 'ground, land' |
(The correct markings should be given as "Number one: low-step; Number two: low-low", etc.)
(The nouns from this test can be used for supplementary drill by asking students to construct sentences such as "He saw an antelope", "It's a rat", etc.. Do not attempt to use the numerals at this stage.)