Spectrum Books’ English For All Purposes hits shelves

Spectrum Books Limited’s new offering, English For All Purposes: A Hands-on Guide for Excellence in the Use of English, is an encompassing, innovative book on the use of English at virtually all situations. Its authors, Prof. Joy Eyisi, Chinonso Okolo and Joseph Onwe, having studied the Nigerian environment closely in its use of English language, the country’s lingua franca, made efforts to correct some of the obvious shortcomings.

It is what informed their approach in bringing out a book that comprehensively deals with various aspects and usages in he application of English, both in written and spoken forms. The authors are seasoned teachers of the subject at various levels of education.

According to one reviewer, “Eyisi et al deserves praise for their comprehensive, painstaking work. With a flagging rate in the proficient use of English in Nigeria among students and a large member of the public, English For All Purposes proves a timely book. The ready, silly excuse that ‘English is not my language’ isn’t just tenable anymore, especially as proficiency in Nigerian mother tongues has become worse among Nigerians. This is where Eyisi et al’s English For All Purposes becomes a handy lifeline for those struggling to get a foothold on the language that has come to define how Nigerians talk to each other!”

Providing the ‘forward’ for the book is Prof. I.A. Olaofe, who is a specialist in Applied Linguistics and Language Education at the Department of Arts and Social Science Education, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, who said of English For All Purposes, “It attempts to take the major levels of the language beyond their mere theoretical shores to a level where they become practical to learn of English as second language. The coverage of the book is copious and broad. The book is a central text to the mastery of English grammar, the arts of speaking, reading and writing…”