https://journals.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/index.php/cjls <p><span>CJLS is an international scholarly open access journal that provides a forum devoted to current and state of the art studies in Language and Communication. It is a fully refereed journal, focusing both on conceptual and theoretical approaches to Language and Communication studies. Submissions that deal with case studies and essays demonstrating new knowledge and advanced methods providing heightened scholarly understanding of traditional topics in English and French linguistics or literary studies, pragmatics, discourse studies and (new) media communications are particularly welcome. The journal also encourages descriptive and highly objective reviews.</span></p> en-US Covenant Journal of Language Studies 2354-3582 https://journals.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/index.php/cjls/article/view/4970 <p>The popularity of SMS text abbreviations among students from the secondary school level to tertiary institutions has become increasingly evident in what passes as ‘good’ English.&nbsp; SMS is a major form of communication in today’s day and age that has impacted in various areas especially in that of learning and teaching. The purpose of this study was to determine the non-standard English features in the written English of ESL pre-service teachers. This study also aimed to investigate the non-standard features that could be attributed to ESL pre-service teachers’ frequent use of SMS and its implications on teacher education in Nigeria. The study adopted the expost-facto descriptive survey approach. Two research questions and three hypotheses were raised to guide the study. A total of 81 ESL pre-service teachers and 6 lecturers participated in the study. Three instruments, teachers’ questionnaire, SMS forwarded by the students’ participants and a written composition test were used as the mode of data collection. The results of this study indicated that non-standard English features are present in the written composition of the ESL pre-service teachers. The results also showed a significant relationship between ESL pre-service teachers’ frequent use of SMS and their written composition. It was concluded that frequent usage of SMS language plays a great role in influencing ESL pre-service teachers written composition negatively. The implications for pre-service teacher education were discussed and recommendations were made.</p> Abimbola Omoseebi Copyright (c) 2025 Covenant Journal of Language Studies 2025-03-26 2025-03-26 11 2 1 17 https://journals.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/index.php/cjls/article/view/4038 <p style="font-weight: 400;">For many Nigerian poets, Lagos is not just their abode but also the City where the Muses can be invoked for literary creativity. In this sense, the city represents the meeting point of all networks of intellectual and creative interactions. The symbolic representation of life in the city is depicted in Odia Ofeimun’s <em>Lagos of the Poets </em>(2010)<em>.</em> This paper examines and analyses selected poems from the empirical experiences of the poets who have invoked the muse to capture their imagination of in different appellations of the city. This is an attempt to underscore the environmental influences, the metropolis, private dwelling, interiors, and self-awareness in the chaotic and ever busy city. Apparently, many of the poems traverse the realm of the manipulating words to initiating and revealing the journey of self-discovery. The paper deployed some methodological insights of Betrad Westphal’s <em>Geocriticism </em>to explicate the textual and literary representations of the spaces in the city as shown by the various poets. It concludes that Lagos is the sky where every writer with poetic wings can fly. It is a city of the muses for many Nigerian creative writers.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</p> CHARLES AKWEN Copyright (c) 2025 Covenant Journal of Language Studies 2025-03-26 2025-03-26 11 2