ABSTRACT
This study is on the First Language Interference in the use of English
Question Tags among Nigeria Certificate in Education Hausa Students in
Federal College of Education, Zaria. It aims at examining the problems
in the use of the English question tags as employed by the Hausa
learners of English as a second language, that is, the target population
caused by the first language in the formation processes and use of the
English question tags by looking at the form, structure and meaning of
each. Illustrations of some of the problems identified are,
overgeneralization, generalization, learners‟ induced rules,
interference of the learner‟s mother language, learner‟s age, learner‟s
psychological attitude and the insufficient language knowledge of
English question tags. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the
study. Qualitative method of data collection and analysis were used.
The tools for the collection of the data that were used in the study
include test frame and assignment which the target population (sampled
Hausa NCE 1-3) did (answered the questions on both the test and the
assignment). The study reveals that the Hausa learners of English as a
second language have a peculiar problem of overgeneralization, inducing
their rules in forming and using English question tags. It also reveals
that the greater the difference between the two languages the more
negative the effects of the interference are likely to be. The study
reveals that the usage of the English question tags is generally
affected by the age of the Hausa learners of English as a second
language and females often than not use English question tags more than
their male counterparts. It further reveals that the youths majorly
employ the use of the invariant question tags because it is fashionable
coupled with its being handy to use than the canonical type. Finally, it
shows that the usage of English question tags is influenced by the
first language of the learners of English as the second language and
recommends methods that could be put in place to ameliorate incessant
cases of errors in using the question tags by the target population.