NOUN PHRASE PATTERNS IN ENGLISH AND TAROK: A CONTRASTIVE LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS

Abstract

This study presents a descriptive and contrastive analysis of noun phrase (NP) structures in English 
and Tarok with a view to examining their implications for English as a Second Language (ESL) 
pedagogy in Nigeria. The motivation for the study stems from the multilingual nature of Nigerian 
classrooms where learners’ first languages (L1s) significantly influence second language (L2) 
acquisition. Drawing on data elicited from bilingual Tarok speakers and standard English 
grammatical descriptions, the study analyzes five grammatical domains: determiners and 
definiteness, plurality marking, modifier ordering, possessive constructions, and NP expansion. 
Findings reveal major structural divergences between English and Tarok NPs, including the 
absence of articles in Tarok, non-morphological plural marking, post-nominal modification, and 
juxtaposition-based possession. These contrasts align with ESL learner difficulties documented in 
the literature and highlight the relevance of L1 transfer, interlanguage development, and form
focused instruction. The study highlights the pedagogical valuable of contrastive insights for ESL 
teacher in preparation, curriculum planning, instructional materials development, and assessment 
within the Nigerian context. The study also contributes to minority language research by extending 
applied linguistic scholarship beyond major Nigerian languages. It concludes that teacher 
education systems should integrate applied linguistic perspectives to support multilingual learner 
profiles and recommends further empirical studies on learner performance and instructional 
interventions.