A comparative analysis of reflexivisation in English and Ibibio
Keywords:
Reflexivisation, binding, co-referentiality, anaphor-antecedent, ccommandAbstract
This paper examines patterns of reflexivisation in English and Ibibio to establish their structures, similarities and dissimilarities and implications on Ibibio-English bilinguals' performance in this aspect of English grammar. The study is anchored on Binding Theory. Data for this research were drawn from a test conducted among selected Ibibio-English bilinguals. Findings indicate that the two languages have proforms which occur leftward and rightward; and that those proforms in leftward position, our area of interest, are anaphors and have antecedents. Findings also show that anaphors and their antecedents in the two languages agree in person and number but differ in gender as there is no gender distinction in Ibibio reflexives whereas English anaphors and their antecedents show gender distinction. It is also discovered that Ibibio-English bilinguals encounter difficulties in assigning appropriate grammatical interpretations to English anaphors and their antecedents as well as misunderstand reciprocals. Cross- linguistic influence, interlanguage problem and overgeneralisation of grammatical rules are some of the major causes of infelicities in the use of reflexives among Ibibio-English bilinguals. The paper recommends intensive instructions on this aspect of English grammar among these bilinguals.
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