Language plays a significant role in business,trade and commerce.Bargaining in open-air markets often involves the speech act of negotiating,compromising and manoeuvring,which could either result in conflict or persua...Language plays a significant role in business,trade and commerce.Bargaining in open-air markets often involves the speech act of negotiating,compromising and manoeuvring,which could either result in conflict or persuasion of the potential buyer to patronize a seller.This article examined the sociolinguistic aspects of language use between sellers and buyers in Ipata,a popular market in Ilorin,north-central Nigeria.The call strategy,spiel,honorification,pragmatic mechanics as well as sociolinguistic style employed by vendors were observed.The objectives of the study were to:identify the number of languages used in Ipata market;investigate the factors that influence the choice of any of the languages used between sellers and buyers at a particular time;analyze their sociolinguistic and stylistic features;and discuss some of the barriers that could cause intercultural communication breakdown between sellers and buyers in a market situation.Oral interview,systematic observation and Bauman’s(2001)method of street recording were used to gather data for the study.Sixty-five people comprising thirty-six females and twenty-nine males were interviewed.The survey which spanned three months discovered that open-air markets bear some universal features,however,due to cultural relativity,variations occur.To this end,it was established that Ipata market harbours different languages;it also identified calls and spiels with their characteristic stylistic,sociolinguistic and discourse features in the market.In conclusion,the study argued that studying the verbal discourse of marketplaces is significant as it defines what the language-culture-society-relationship is all about.展开更多
The development of bio-sourced materials is essential to ensuring sustainable construction;it is considered a locomotive of the green economy.Furthermore,it is an abundant material in our country,to which very little ...The development of bio-sourced materials is essential to ensuring sustainable construction;it is considered a locomotive of the green economy.Furthermore,it is an abundant material in our country,to which very little attention is being given.This work aims to valorize the waste of the trunks of banana trees to be used in construction.Firstly,the physicochemical properties of the fiber,such as the percentage of crystallization and its morphology,have been determined by X-ray diffraction tests and scanning electron microscopy to confirm the potential and the impact of the mode of drying on the quality of the banana fibers,with the purpose to promote the use of this material in construction.Secondly,the results obtained with the gypsum matrix allowed us to note a preponderant improvement in the composite’s thermal properties thanks to the variation of the banana fiber additive.Thirdly,the impact of the nature of the banana fiber distribution(either fiber mixed in matrix or fiber series model)on the flexural and compressive strengths of the composites was studied.The results obtained indicate that the insulation gain reaches up to 40%.It depends on the volume fraction and type of distribution of the banana fibers.However,the thermal inertia of the composites developed,represented by thermal diffusivity and thermal effusivity,was studied.Results indicate a gain of 40%and 25%,respectively,in terms of thermal diffusivity and thermal effusivity of the developed composites compared to plaster alone.Concerning the mechanical properties,the flexural strength depends on the percentage of the volume fraction of banana fibers used,and it can reach 20%more than the flexural strength of plaster;nevertheless,there is a significant loss in terms of the compressive strength of the studied composites.The results obtained are confirmed by the microstructure of the fiber banana.In fact,the morphology of the banana fibers was improved by the drying process.It reduces the amorphous area and improves the cellulosic crystalline surfaces,which assures good adhesion between the fiber and the matrix plaster.Finally,the dimensionless coefficient analysis was done to judge the optimal proportion of the banana fiber additive and to recommend its use even on false ceilings or walls.展开更多
文摘Language plays a significant role in business,trade and commerce.Bargaining in open-air markets often involves the speech act of negotiating,compromising and manoeuvring,which could either result in conflict or persuasion of the potential buyer to patronize a seller.This article examined the sociolinguistic aspects of language use between sellers and buyers in Ipata,a popular market in Ilorin,north-central Nigeria.The call strategy,spiel,honorification,pragmatic mechanics as well as sociolinguistic style employed by vendors were observed.The objectives of the study were to:identify the number of languages used in Ipata market;investigate the factors that influence the choice of any of the languages used between sellers and buyers at a particular time;analyze their sociolinguistic and stylistic features;and discuss some of the barriers that could cause intercultural communication breakdown between sellers and buyers in a market situation.Oral interview,systematic observation and Bauman’s(2001)method of street recording were used to gather data for the study.Sixty-five people comprising thirty-six females and twenty-nine males were interviewed.The survey which spanned three months discovered that open-air markets bear some universal features,however,due to cultural relativity,variations occur.To this end,it was established that Ipata market harbours different languages;it also identified calls and spiels with their characteristic stylistic,sociolinguistic and discourse features in the market.In conclusion,the study argued that studying the verbal discourse of marketplaces is significant as it defines what the language-culture-society-relationship is all about.
文摘The development of bio-sourced materials is essential to ensuring sustainable construction;it is considered a locomotive of the green economy.Furthermore,it is an abundant material in our country,to which very little attention is being given.This work aims to valorize the waste of the trunks of banana trees to be used in construction.Firstly,the physicochemical properties of the fiber,such as the percentage of crystallization and its morphology,have been determined by X-ray diffraction tests and scanning electron microscopy to confirm the potential and the impact of the mode of drying on the quality of the banana fibers,with the purpose to promote the use of this material in construction.Secondly,the results obtained with the gypsum matrix allowed us to note a preponderant improvement in the composite’s thermal properties thanks to the variation of the banana fiber additive.Thirdly,the impact of the nature of the banana fiber distribution(either fiber mixed in matrix or fiber series model)on the flexural and compressive strengths of the composites was studied.The results obtained indicate that the insulation gain reaches up to 40%.It depends on the volume fraction and type of distribution of the banana fibers.However,the thermal inertia of the composites developed,represented by thermal diffusivity and thermal effusivity,was studied.Results indicate a gain of 40%and 25%,respectively,in terms of thermal diffusivity and thermal effusivity of the developed composites compared to plaster alone.Concerning the mechanical properties,the flexural strength depends on the percentage of the volume fraction of banana fibers used,and it can reach 20%more than the flexural strength of plaster;nevertheless,there is a significant loss in terms of the compressive strength of the studied composites.The results obtained are confirmed by the microstructure of the fiber banana.In fact,the morphology of the banana fibers was improved by the drying process.It reduces the amorphous area and improves the cellulosic crystalline surfaces,which assures good adhesion between the fiber and the matrix plaster.Finally,the dimensionless coefficient analysis was done to judge the optimal proportion of the banana fiber additive and to recommend its use even on false ceilings or walls.
