International Journal of English Literature and Culture

Vol. 15(1), pp. 24-41, August 2026

 ISSN: 2360-7831

https://doi.org/10.14662/ijelc2026090

 

Review

 

Abstract

 

The meaning derivable from language is not only determined by the linguistic components of the expression, but also by the context of the given expression. This paper examines the lexical features and cushioning techniques that form part of the pragmatics of the language used by Zaynab Alkali and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in their selected novels. The selected novels are Zaynab Alkali’s The Virtuous Woman and The Stillborn, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus and Half of Yellow Sun. This study adopts Braj Kachru's theory of Concentric Circle. The data analysis shows that the language used by the authors in the selected texts emanates from the Nigerian sociolinguistic environment as it contains lexical features and cushioning techniques from the author’s Nigerian indigenous languages. The analysis shows also that Adichie’s use of the identified lexical features and cushioning techniques is overwhelmingly higher than Alkali’s even as there are some similarities in their language such as in kinship terms. These features capture the indigenous language habits of the Nigerian environment where the authors originate from.

 

Keywords: EFL students, conjunctions, academic writing  

 

Cite This Article As: Eugene, CO., Mbagwu, UR (2026). Nigeria’s Literary English: Lexical and Cushioning Techniques in Selected Novels of Zaynab Alkali and Chimamanda Adichie. Inter. J. Eng. Lit. Cult. 15(1): 24-41