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Smith Akoko English Class

An online classroom where the Second Language users' knowledge of English is enhanced unto mastery.

15/02/2025

ENGLISH CLASS (49)

Are Lecturers Academics or Academicians?: An Explanation

Happy Weekend, social media family. You're welcome to Smith Akoko English Class, the online class where we are reminded of things we already know in English, albeit with little emphasis. This weekend, I bring you another reminder and humbly anticipate your usual attention.

There appears to be a wrong use of "academic" and "academician" that is gradually gaining popularity in the Nigerian parlance. Some Nigerian speakers of English use "academic" to refer to a teacher in the tertiary institution, others use academician, yet some others use both interchangeably. Which usage is correct? An explanation of the two individual words may help.

An academic is someone who teaches and researches in a tertiary institution. The plural of academic is academics; and in the British English, academics are also called “lecturers”. On the other hand, an academician is a person who works with or is honored with membership into an academy (a professional institution like the Royal Academy of Arts, the National Academy of Sciences, or Pepsi Music Academy).

For example, if 2face is honoured with the membership of the Royal Academy of Arts, he automatically becomes an academician [of the academy]. However, that does not make him an academic because he does not lecture in a higher education of learning. In the same vein, if Dr John Ogi lectures in BSU, Makurdi, he is an academic but is not an academician because he has not secured the membership of an academy.

The foregoing implies that not all academics are academicians, and not all academicians are academics, downplaying the interchangeable use of the words. This is because one can teach in a tertiary institution and not be a member of an academy, the same way one can be a member of an academy without being a tertiary educator and researcher. While the former is called an academic or lecturer, the latter is an academician.

Thank you, and enjoy your weekend.

02/11/2024

ENGLISH CLASS (48)

Happy Weekend, and welcome to the class where we are reminded of our previous knowledge of basic communication. Today's focus is on the common noun, "meat", and here we go!

It is not "cow meat" ❌
It is "beef" ✅

It is not "goat meat ❌
It is "chevon" ✅

It is not "pig meat" ❌
It is "pork" ✅

It is not "sheep meat" ❌
It is "mutton" (or "lamb" for young sheep ) ✅

Note: the use of "meat" alongside the name of an animal typifies language impropriety. While this may be grammatically correct, it negates propriety. The use of specific names given to meat obtained from each animal is more adequate.

Thanks for your time, and do enjoy the rest of the weekend.

© Smith Akoko

14/09/2024

ENGLISH CLASS (47)

It is another weekend to remind us of common mistakes in English language to avoid. I hope you get the value for your time.

It is not: If WORSE comes to WORSE...❌
It is: If WORSE comes to WORST...✔️
Note: The superlative of WORSE is WORST. If, however, you wish to use the comparative WORSE in this context, then the statement should be rendered as "If BAD comes to WORSE..."

It is not: A little bit. ❌
It is: A little (or a bit).✔️
Note: "A little" and "a bit" have the same meaning, namely "in small amount". Only one should be used per time.

It is not: When the DESIRABLE is not AVAILABLE, the AVAILABLE becomes the DESIRABLE. ❌
It is: When the DESIRABLE is not AVAILABLE, the AVAILABLE becomes the ALTERNATIVE. ✔️
Note: The desirable means the "most desired". What is available but is not the most desired cannot be termed "desirable". It is "alternative".

It is not: Face cap ❌
It is: Fez cap✔️
Note: "Face cap" is a Nigerian misappropriation. The cap was named after a Moroccan city, Fez, where the dye used for it is obtained. Besides, what is known as Fez cap (or wrongly as Face cap) in Nigeria is actually called baseball cap, as Fez cap is cylindrical and is usually red (see the attached photo).

Thank you for sparing time for the weekend edition of the Smith Akoko English. Enjoy your weekend!

Meanwhile, you may contact us for proofreading of dissertations, theses and books of all kinds.

© Smith Akoko

07/09/2024

ENGLISH CLASS (46)

Another weekend for another Smith Akoko Enlish Class. Let's be reminded of the following.

It is not: Let me repeat that again.
It is: Let me repeat that (or alternatively "let me say that again").

It is not: We are lacking behind.
It is: We are lagging behind.

Lastly, the words *listen* and *often* are pronounced as *lisin* and *ofun*, not as *listin* and *oftun*. The letter "t" is silent.

Thanks, and enjoy your weekend.

PS: This is a rare throwback photo of the admin.

Please share and invite lovers of language of follow the page.

Thanks.

01/09/2024

ENGLISH CLASS (45)

It's the weekend edition of the Smith Akoko English Class. Since a good English without money sounds like French, I'll make this class as brief as the remaining hours to credit alert (for those who are civil servants). So, jump in the ride let's go.

Do not say: You're doing yourself. ❌
Say: You're undoing yourself.✔️
Note: The phrase "doing yourself" is an interferential problem – a direct translation from the mother tongue which does not communicate the intended meaning in English.

Do not say: When you return back... ❌
Say: When you return... (or When you're back...) ✔️
Note: The word "return" means "to be back". Therefore, using them to qualify each other amounts to redundancy.

Do not say: The students greeted themselves.❌
Say: The students greeted each other .✔️
Note: The first expression is reflexive and means that each student greeted himself or herself (wrong). The second is reciprocal which means that each of the students greeted another. However, if those who carried out the action of greeting are than two, "one another" is more adequate. Eg: The students (more than two) greeted one another.

Do not say: I did not see you people.❌
Say: I did not see you.✔️
Note: The pronoun "you" is both singular and plural. In sentences as this, it is inherently plural and does not need a plural indicator.

Thanks for staying in the class to the end and do have a splendid weekend.✌️

© Smith Akoko

29/06/2024

Big shout out to my newest top fans! Emmanuel Onma Silas

20/06/2024

Class 43
Horn b4 you overtake ❎
Honk b4 you overtake ✅
Note: 'Horn' is an object, 'honk' is an action.

11/05/2024

Class 42
It is "congratulations on", not "congratulations for". Congratulations usually precedes the prepositions, "on" and "to".

29/04/2024

Letter Writing

Source: Theresa Udie Page

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