PHONOLOGICAL CHALLENGES OF MASS COMMUNICATION STUDENTS IN NIGERIAN PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES
Phonology is the scientific study of the sound system. Mass communication students are exposed to different modes of human communication and this is aimed at making one proficient enough to communicate messages to others. Therefore, communication and phonology are inseparable because the latter entails the study of the sounds of a language, how they are articulated and the rules guiding their articulation to ensure an accurate expression. This study investigates the level of phonological challenges encountered in practical news broadcasting of Mass Communication students of the selected Nigerian private Universities. The population of the study comprised one hundred and forty-eight (148) final year students of Mass Communication from which forty-five students were randomly selected as sample. The data were audio-recorded students’ practical news broadcasting activity. The data were phonetically transcribed and analysed using frequencies, percentages, mean, standard deviation and charts. The study found that the level of phonological challenges in the broadcasting communication of the students was high. It was discovered that the students faced in area of phonological challenges the application of phonological rules include substitution, under-differentiation, spelling, pronunciation, insertion of sounds and simplification of consonant cluster. The result of the analysis also showed that the phonological application on the speech communication of the students was highly influenced by their mother tongues (L1). It is recommended among others that the lecturers should pay attention to the differences in the phonological systems of the students’ first language (L1) and the second language (L2) which can cause interference.
Phonology, Challenges, Broadcasting, Mass Communication, Simplification.