Traduction et Langues
Volume 22, Numéro 1, Pages 374-399
2023-06-30

Syllable Isochrony In Selected Nigerian Hip-hops: Implication For Nigerian English Pedagogy

Authors : Julianah Akindele . Victor Fabunmi .

Abstract

Scholarly attention, especially in the context of rhythmic patterns of Nigerian Hip-hop and implication for Nigerian English pedagogy has been very rare. Hence, the study inquires into whether or not Nigeria Hip-Hop could be an alternative medium to teaching English rhythm in Nigerian schools, especially due to its influx on Nigerian youths, and thereby improve on the pronunciation of L2 learners/speakers. The study sampled four songs from two artists’ rhythmic patterns - Temilade Openiyi (TEMS) and Adedamola Adefolahan (Fireboy DML). The lyrical lines of the selected songs were analysed using metrical grid; an aspect of metrical phonology) to establish the isochronic patterns in the sampled Nigerian Hip-hop songs through segmentation of selected lines of the lyrics in order to establish whether or not divergence or convergence exist in the rhythm patterns of selected Nigerian Hip-hop as noticed in Standard English songs. Boersma and Weenink (2010), software tool for speech signal editing and labeling, this was evident in the following instances://aɪ////keɪm// //ˈsɔːdɪnlɪ:// realised at equal timing of 0.2886 milliseconds (ms). //aɪ həv bɪn kɪlɪŋ// //ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ// at 0.1904ms. //aɪ/ //əm// //ə////kɪŋ// at 0.2251ms; //juː// //dəʊnt// //fiːl// at 0.2901ms; //aɪ// //wɪʃ// //aɪ// //kʊd// //fiːl// //jɔː// //peɪn// at 0.210ms; //aɪ// //traɪd// //tu// //tiːtʃ// //ˈjuː// at 0.3071ms; //aɪ// //wɪl/ /maɪnd/ //maɪ// //mænəs// at 0.310ms; //fɪə// //ɪn// // mai// //maɪnd// /ɪz/ //ə// //ˈwɔːnɪŋ// at 0.215ms; //aɪ// //sɛd// //faɪv// //ɪn ðiː// //ˈmɔrnɪŋ// at 0.234ms; //fɪə// //ɪn// // mai// //maɪnd// /ɪz/ //ə// //ˈwɔːnɪŋ// at 0.3092ms; //aɪ ˈtraɪ tu// //ˈgɛt baɪ// //bʌt aɪm ˈbɜːnɪŋ// at 0.2967ms; //sɛnd// //miː// //a// //lʌv// //ðæt// //juː// //kænɒt// //mɪz// at 0.214ms; //aɪ// //wɪl/ /maɪnd/ //maɪ// //mænəs// realised at 0.221ms; //wəʊnt// //teɪk// //ədˈvɑːntɪdʒ// at 0.318; and //nəʊ// //mɔ// //dæmeidʒɪs// //naʊ// realised at 0.2011ms. This means the syllables were realised at relatively equal timing. The study concludes that there is a divergence in the rhythm patterns of Nigerian Hip-hop which makes it significantly different from Standard British English rhythm structure. This implies that the Nigerian Hip-hop rhythm tilts more towards syllable-timing than stress-timing as earlier posited by Nigerian linguists hence may not be appropriate to teach rhythm in Nigerian schools due to its inability to meet national, international and social acceptability standard.

Keywords

Divergence or convergence in rhyme patterns ; Metrical grid; Nigerian Hip-Hop; Nigerien English rhythm; Syllable Isochrony