HEAD MOVEMENT TRANSFORMATION AND IT'S VIOLATION BY NIGERIA BILINGUALS OF ENGLISH

1.0 Introduction

Head movement transformation is a central concept in syntax, involving the movement of the head of a phrase within a sentence, as part of the Minimalist Program in generative grammar. This movement impacts sentence structure and meaning. Bilingualism, the proficient use of two or more languages, is crucial in understanding syntactic theories, shedding light on language acquisition, processing, and representation. Bilingual speakers often show syntactic variations influenced by their language backgrounds, highlighting the dynamic nature of language contact. This paper delves into the violation of head movement transformation by Nigerian bilinguals of English, aiming to uncover how their linguistic backgrounds and language contact scenarios contribute to deviations from standard syntactic principles. By examining these violations, we gain insights into the interplay between language structure, bilingualism, and language contact phenomena, which are vital for understanding language diversity and the human capacity for language adaptation and variation.