Phonological Structure of Suprasegmental Features: An overview of English and Arigidi

In essence, second language implies that the individual or the society already has a first or native language (LI), which in most cases is the mother tongue. But in addition, the individual or the society acquires another language termed a second language which is used as another means of communication for various purposes and to varying degrees (Maduckwe, 2007). Ilence, their quest for learning it formally in schools.
However, the teaching and learning of spoken English in second language situations such as Nigeria is usually beset with some challenges in the segmental as well as the supra-segmental features. These challenges can lead to various forms of speech deficiencies and errors in second-language speakers of English, which adversely affect effective communication such as wrong pronunciation of sounds, insertion of vowels into a stretch of consonants and wrong placement of stress to mention but a few, which in turn adversely affect effective communication.
Additionally, linguistic studies provide some important evidence for language teaching decisions in that it plays an important role in the determination of the contents of learning. Linguistics as a discipline studies language, explains how it works, and examines its nature, features, and structure for the benefit of mankind. According to Ogundepo (2015), the people who generate teaching materials have the goal of improving learning. Hence, the study of linguistics is of assistance in expressing the implications of many current and proposed practices in language teaching. Umeodinka and Ogwudile (2017) affirm that linguists look for solutions to the problems that are faced in language teaching, and this goes a long way to establish that the concern of linguistics is traceable to the increase in the awareness of teacher of language as it makes him a more competent and
better teacher.
Olowofoyeku (2023) exposits contrastive study as a science that deals with practical applications of the findings of theoretical linguistics in such areas as language teaching, methodology, and speech therapy. Contrastive analysis has always been relevant to language teachers and language learners for effective teaching and learning of languages respectively. It is against this background that the contrastive study of English and Arigidi suprasegmental phonological systems was investigated.