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BIOGRAPHY
Professor Efurosibina Emmanuel Adegbija (March 14, 1952 – January 8, 2005).

Professor Adegbija was born to Jonah and Rhoda Adegbija on March 14, 1952, Kogi State Nigeria. He obtained his high school certificate at Government Secondary School, Okene Kogi State Nigeria and an Advanced level certificate at the Federal Government College, Sokoto Nigeria. He attended the University of Ibadan where he graduated with a B.A Hons. English in 1975. He began his tertiary teaching career at the University of Ilorin as a graduate assistant in the same year. Professor Adegbija proceeded for postgraduate studies at Indiana University, Bloomington, United States of America from 1979 to 1982. H obtained a Masters of Science in Education degree in Teaching English to other Speakers of English (TESOL) and Applied English Linguistics in 1980, and another Masters of Arts degree in English Linguistics. His Ph.D was also in English Linguistics and his doctoral dissertation was in the area of discourse analysis and pragmatics titled ‘A Speech Act Analysis of Consumer Advertisements in the Nigerian Daily Times’.

In addition to these, Professor Adegbija also participated in Certificate courses in the teaching, management and administration of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) at the University of Reading, United Kingdom. In his drive for knowledge Professor Adegbija participated in the courses of the Virtual Institute for Higher Education (VIHEAP) run by the National Universities Commission.

Professor Adegbija went on to become a full Professor of English Linguistics with specialization in Semantics, Pragmatics and Sociolinguistics in 1993 at the age of 41. His vast experience in research and teaching of courses in the liberal arts subfield of English and linguistics to undergraduate and postgraduate students at the University level both in Nigeria and abroad spanned a period of twenty-eight years. During his academic career, Professor Adegbija supervised several undergraduate projects, over forty Masters’ theses, and nine doctoral dissertations in interdisciplinary subfields in the liberal arts such as Semantics, Pragmatics, Sociolinguistics, Applied Linguistics, English as a Second Language, and Discourse Analysis. Such expertise and knowledge in each of these areas gave Professor Adegbija a unique platform for understanding the interconnectivity of linguistics and the other fields of studies, and thereby provided a rich repertoire of insight for cross-fertilization of ideas.

His vast and rich administrative experience stemmed from the various capacities in which he served, including member of University Senate; External examiner in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Semantics, Pragmatics and Sociolinguistics in several Universities; Director of the General English programme; Editor, Ilorin Journal of Language and Literature; Head of department; Dean of Faculty of Arts; Chairman, Curriculum Review Committee; Assessor of professorial candidates for several Universities; Evaluator of journal articles for several international journals; Consultant to the UNESCO Institute for Education in the seminar on language issues on basic education and literacy; and Visiting Research Professor to the Department of English, University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany.

Professor Adegbija’s research interests included semantics, pragmatics, language contact, language attitudes, language policy and planning, discourse analysis and writing, language learning and language education, sociolinguistics, and applied linguistics, as well as different subfields of English and linguistics. Apart from several contributions of chapters in books, Professor Adegbija published widely in several international refereed journals including Journal of Pragmatics; World Englishes; The International Journal of Sociology of Language; Text; English for Specific Purposes; Multilingua; Journal of Crosscultural and Interlanguage Communication; Language, Culture and Curriculum; and ITL Review of Applied Lingustics. In addition, he published full length books which currently serve as major research reference materials for academics across the world. The most popular is Language Attitudes in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Sociolinguistic Overview published by Multilingua Matters in the U.K in 1994. His last book-length publication, entitled Multilingualism: A Nigerian Case Study, was published in June 2004 by Africa World Press, Trenton, New Jersey in the U.S.A.

Professor Efurosibina Emmanuel Adegbija was a highly principled individual guided by sound Christian principles. He was a man who lived what he preached and who practiced God’s love and peace. That he lived a much fulfilled life is evidenced by the numerous achievements as well as the lives he touched everywhere he went.

His legacy lives on.

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PUBLICATIONS

Books and Monographs
2004 Multilingualism: A Nigerian Case Study. Trenton, New Jersey: Africa World Press.
1994 Language Attitudes in Sub- Saharan Africa: A Sociolinguistic Overview, Clevedon, Avon: Multilingual Matters.
1993 Greeting norms in Nigeria and Germany: their place in Intercultural Understanding and Misunderstanding, LAUD: University of Duisburg, Series B: Applied and Interdisciplinary Papers, Paper No. 241 (Monograph).
1991 The Context of Language Planning in Africa: An Illustration with Nigeria. Duisburg (LAUD), Series B, Applied and Interdisciplinary Papers, paper No 228 (Monograph). Also published in Language contact and Language conflict, Martin Putz, editor. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins, (1994: pp. 139-163).
1989 Mastering English Writing Skills. Ibadan: Associated Book.

Edited Books
2004 Language, Communication and Study Skills: A course Text for Colleges and Universities. Ota: Covenant University Press.
1999 The English Language and Literature in English: An Introductory Handbook. Ilorin: Department of Modern European Languages.
1998 Communicating in Higher Education: The Use of English. Ilorin: General Studies Division.
1996 English Language and Communication Skills: For Medical, Engineering, Science, Technology and Agricultural (MESTA) Students. Ilorin: The English Language Outer Circle. (edited with V.A. Ofuya).
1991 Effective Communication Skills in Teaching and learning: Basic Principles. University of Ilorin: General Studies and National Awareness Division (edited work).
1987 Effective Study Skills and Use of English, Ilorin: General Studies and National Awareness Division (edited work).

Chapters in Books
2003 Globalisation and the Management of Pluralism: A Comparative Sociolinguistic Study.’ In Suman Gupta et al., (editors), India in the Age of Globalisation, pp. 321-352. New Delhi: Nehru Memorial Museum and Library.
2003 ‘Central Language Issues in Literacy and basic Education: Three Mother tongue Education Experiments in Nigeria.’ In Adama Ouane, editor, Towards a Multilingual Culture of Education, pp. 299-332. Hamburg: UNESCO Institute for Education.
2003  ‘Idiomatic variation in Nigerian English.’ In Peter Lucko et al., (editors), pp. 41-56. Studies in African Varieties of English. Frankfurt am main: Peter Lang.
2001 ‘Saving Threatened Languages in Africa: A case study of Oko.” In Can Threatened Languages Be Saved? Professor Joshua Fishman, editor. Clevedon, Avon: Multilingual Matters, pp.284-308.
1999 “Sub-Saharan Africa” Joshua Fishman, editor Handbook of Language and Ethnic Identity. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 353-381. (with Samuel Gyasi Obeng).
1997 “The Language Factor in the Achievement of Better results in Literacy programs in Nigeria: Some General Considerations”. In Human Contact Through Language and Linguistics, Birgit Smeija and Meike Tasch, Eds, (1997: 221-242). Berlin: Peter Lang.
1995 “Marketing New Lexical Terminology in Nigeria: Some Practical Considerations”. In Martin Putz, ed. (pp. 101-122) Discrimination Through Language in Africa? Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
1992  “English as an International Language”. In Olu Obafemi, ed. The English Language: An Introduction. Ibadan: Associated Book Publishers.
1991 “Effective Communication in a University Classroom A Survey of Pragmatic Considerations from Learners’ Perspectives”. In Adegbija, E. editor, (1991: 19-27).
1990 “Towards a Viable Semantic Theory”. In Concepts of the Ideal in English Studies, Theo Vincent and A.V. Eruvbetine, editors. University of Lagos: Department of English, pp. 34-47.

Journal Articles
2001 “Language and Attitude Change: A Case study of Africa”. ITL, Review of Applied Linguistics 133-134, pp. 271-301.
2001 ‘The Semantics of O.K. in Nigerian English”. World Englishes, Vol. 20 No 1, pp. 89-98.
2000 “Language attitudes in West Africa”. International Journal of the Sociology of Language No. 141, pp. 75-100.
1997 “The Identity, Survival and Promotion of Minority Languages in Nigeria’. International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 125: 5-27.
1995 “I Major-General X: Discourse Tacts in Military Coup Speeches in Nigeria”. Text, 15, 2 SPECIAL Issue on Discourse in Africa, Kwesi Yankah, editor. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, pp. 253-270.
1994 “Three Years of the Communication Skills (COMPSKIP) Project: An insider’s Appraisal.” Centrepoint: A Journal of Intellectual, Scientific and Cultural Interest, Vol. 4, 2: 99-116.
Language Attitudes in Kwara State (Nigeria): The Bottom-line Attitudinal Determining Factors. “, Multilingua: Journal of Cross-cultural and Interlanguage Communication 13, 3, Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, pp. 253-284.
1993 “The Candidature of Nigerian Pidgin as a national Language: Some Initial Hurdles”. ITL Review of Applied Linguistics, 105-106. Leuven, Belgium: Afdeling Toegepaste Linguistiek at the Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven, pp. 1-23.
1993 “The Graphicisation of a Small-group Language: The Case of Oko”. International Journal of the Sociology of Language, Issue No 102, pp. 152-173.
1991 “A Survey of Students’ Pre-writing Activities and their Implications for Teaching”. English for Specific Purposes, Vol. 10, pp. 227-235. Pergaman Press.
1990 “Towards Improving English for Academic Purpose (The Use of English) Tests: Some Pragmatic Considerations”. COMSKIP Publication Series CPS No1, Ebo Ubahakwe, General Editor, pp. 188-209.
1990 “Learners’ Strategies for Improving English: A Case Study of Nigerian Undergraduates”. Glottodidactica: An International Journal of Applied Linguistics. Poznan, Poland: Department of Applied Linguistics, Adam Mickiewicz University Press, pp. 103-111.
1989 “Politeness Phenomena in Nigerian English, Yoruba and Ogori”. Multilingua: Journal of Cross-cultural and Interlanguage Communication 8, 1. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, pp. 57-80.
1988 “Towards a Speech Act Approach to Nigerian Literature in English”. Language and Style, 21, 3. Flushing, New York: Queens College Press, pp. 259-271.
1988 “My Friend, Where is Anini?”: Decoding the Meaning of Utterances”. Journal of Pragmatics, Vol. 12. Amsterdam: North Holland Publishing Company, pp. 151-160.
1988 “Words and Meanings: A Study of Patterns of Semantic Change in the English Lexicon”. Ilorin Journal of Language and Literature, Vol. 1, 1. University of Ilorin: Department of Modern European Languages.
1987  “Speech Act Functions: Dimensions of Communication and Meaning in the English Language in Nigeria”. ITL Review of Applied Linguistics, Vol. 76 Louvain, Belgium: Afdeling Toegepaste Linguisteik at the University of Leuven, pp. 43-62.

Reviews
2003 Review of Niemeier, Susanne and Rene Dirven (eds.) 2001. ‘Evidence for Linguistic Relativity’. In Studies in Language , 25, 3, pp. 631-637.
2001 Review of Dirven and Verspoors’ “Cognitive Exploration of Linguistics”. In ITL Review of Applied Linguistics, 131-132, pp. 171-178.

1983  Review of Ballmer and Brennenstuhl’s ‘Speech Act Classification: A Study in the Lexical Analysis of English Speech Activity Verbs’. In General Linguistics Vol. 23, 3. The Pennsylvania State University Press.

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