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INTRODUCTION
Linguistics is a discipline, which came into being in the early 1930' especially with the publication of LANGUAGE in 1933 by Leonard Bloomfield. Hitherto, language, the primary means of communication among humans was not seriously studies except by traditional grammarians whose tenets were philosophically based. Since inception, linguistic have carried out systematic studies of its intrinsic potentials in the communication effort of man. Thus, linguistics and communication are two inextricable partners in a world that needs to be informed, that is becoming technologically very adventurous and whose basic is stuck to language, oral or written, along with man's ability create and develop equipment for studying and understanding society. Linguistics and Communication Studies is a course approved by the National University Commission (NUC) to train students in the tenets of language and communication studies. Igbo is a language and fails under the armpit of linguistics studies for the description of its linguistic features and the study of socio- cultural under printings.
Students of Linguistics and communication Studies / Igbo are exposed to the theories and practice of the discipline. They are exposed to the industrial environment through industrial attachment to language centers and media houses.
They are also equipped to pursue higher academic studies in linguistics, communication and the Igbo language.
The place of a linguist in communication and language experts in inestimable in any society of the world. The programme of courses undertaken in this department is detailed and exhaustive. Students of this discipline who successfully and conscientious pass through this crucible of learning will be irresistible in the labour market and academics.
HISTORY OF THE DEPARTMENT
The Department of Linguistic and Communication Studies/ Igbo was first established as the Department of Linguistics/1gbo at former Imo State University, Etiti, in 1981. The urgent need to study African languages of which Igbo language was a pervading force that gave impetus to the establishment of the discipline as one of the pioneer disciplines of the University, given the fact that Igbo, like many other African languages had not undergone a thorough and systematic study enough to reveal its structure, lexis and phonology. A single degree of B.A Linguistics/Igbo was initially offered but after a period if time a second degree of B.A Igbo, a consequence of the need to develop and describe the language, its literature, and culture was approved by the senate. Thus, the department started offering the degrees in B.A Linguistics and B.A Igbo up till February 2000 when a proposal to extend the relevance of linguistics students, as people knowledgeable in Language as a means of communication, yielded fruit with a Senate approval for the new Department of Linguistics and Communication Studies/Igbo.
The above decision was informed by the ever-changing needs of the students; the needs that are determined in part by dynamics of the labour market and in part by the dialectics of academic fields. Furthermore, in the domain of academics, there is developing a merging of Linguistics and Communication as there was once between Linguistics and computer (programming), Linguistics and Anthropology, Linguistics and philosophy etc. The renamed determine department caters to the old established problems, in addition to new ones. It investigates linguistics structures as additional studies remain in the forefront of academic innovativeness.
The B.A Igbo programme is still housed in the Department of Linguistics and Communication Studies for purposes of convenience of staffing many of whom are specialists or are specializing in Linguistics and Igbo Studies. The overall aim is that the B.A Igbo programme will soon stand on its own as an autonomous department.
VISION OF THE DEPARTMENT
As a department we aim at being one of the top class centers for language, communication and Igbo studies in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa; reputable for high intellectual base, knowledge –impacting zeal and quest for scholarly research.
MISSION OF THE DEPARTMENT
Our mission as a department is to build language, communication and Igbo studies' experts; being in the fore front in promoting language and communication studies particularly Igbo language and culture through dedicated teaching and reputable researches.
