SUBSITTUTION AS A PHONOLOGICAL INTERFERENCES IN HAUSA SPOKEN BY IGBO AND YORUBA SPEAKERS

Abstract

This paper focuses on substitution as a phonological interference observed in the speech of Igbo and Yoruba native speakers when they attempted to pronounce some Hausa lexical items. The study adopts qualitative research method with a comparative strategy sub-type. The population of the study comprises Igbo and Yoruba native speakers that speak Hausa as second language and are domicile in Okene, Kogi State in North-Central zone of Nigeria. Stratified sampling technique was employed. Data was collected using the test of oral and speech recordings. Findings show that Igbo and Yoruba speakers exhibit phonemic substitution in the process of pronouncing some lexical items in Hausa. Common example includes the replacement of vowels and consonants with similar ones from the native language. This development triggered yet again some phonological processes such as vowel raising and deglottalisation. The implications of this research extend to the fields of language learning, bilingualism and language teaching. In conclusion, phonological interference was established through scientific investigation