ROLES OF SYNTAX AND ITS CONTRIBUTIONS IN DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS IN NIGERIA
The study on roles of syntax and its contributions in developing effective communication skills among primary school pupils in Nigeria investigated 32 structural arrangements of phrases and clauses generated from the speeches of pupils from the West, East, South, North and Centre parts of the country. Anchored on the descriptive research methodology, related literature were reviewed and Chomsky’s Transformational-Generative Grammar Theory and Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory were utilised as the study framework. The analysis show some syntactic inadequacies ranging from incorrect constituent ordering of words, misplacement of modifiers, incorrect verb-form selection, the use of inappropriate human-relative pronouns, unnecessary insertion of the indefinite article, incorrect combination of subordinating and coordinating conjunctions, and violation of the linguistic agreement relationship between the verb and their subjects. The findings indicate that the identified syntactic problems exist in parts of the nation with varying degree as a result of second language challenges. The article concludes that Syntax remains an essential aspect of language learning and communication development among primary school pupils in Nigeria; as a result, effective teaching of syntax should be prioritized (using leaner-centred approach) in the primary schools to improve pupils’ communication skills and academic performance. Educational stakeholders should also provide adequate language learning resources and teacher training opportunities to improve syntax instruction in schools.
Key words: Challenges, communication, Primary school, Syntax, Pupils.
