Talking about Professions
Can Do Statement
- Talking about a chosen profession
- Talking about a preferred profession
- Talking about high paying jobs
Vocabulary List
Click the audio icon below to play the recorded pronunciation for each word. You can also open the list below in a new tab, which can be downloaded or printed.
Practice: Interpretive Communication
Presentational Communication
Context: Tolu is talking about the job she likes best
Transcript:
Olùkọ́ ni mí; iṣẹ́ olùkọ́ ni mo yàn láàyò. Mo fẹ́ràn láti bá àwọn akẹkọ̀ọ́ sọ̀rọ̀ àti láti ràn wọ́n lọ́wọ́ nípa oríṣiríṣi nǹkan tí wọ́n bá ń kọ́ nípa rẹ̀. Bó tilẹ̀ jẹ́ wípé oríṣiríṣi iṣẹ́ mìíràn ni mo lè ṣe bíi iṣẹ́ tíátà, oǹkọ̀wé, ọlóṣèlú, akọ̀ròyìn, tàbí akàròyìn, iṣẹ́ olùkọ́ ni mo fẹ́ràn jùlọ.
Practice: Presentational Communication
- Listen to the recorded audio vocabulary about professions.
- Use the sample sentences as a model to talk about the profession you like
Interpersonal Communication
Context:
Tọ́ba meets Tolu and they discuss different high paying jobs.
Transcript:
Tọ́ba: Hello Tolú, báwo ni?
Tolú: Tóba, dáadáa ni.
Tọ́ba:: Ǹjẹ́ o ti gbọ́ nípa àwọn owó tabua tí wọ́n ń san fún àwọn enjiníà, pàapàá àwọn tí wọ́n lè fi kọ̀m̀pútá ṣe oríṣiríṣi iṣẹ́?
Tolú: Òótọ́ ni, computer programing ni wọ́n ń pè é. Owó tabua ni wọ́n ń san fún àwọn ẹnjiníà yìí.
Tọ́ba: Àmọ́ ṣá o, àwọn oríṣiríṣi iṣẹ míràn tí ó pa owó ju iṣẹ́ enjiníà àti iṣ́ẹ dókítà lọ ti wà.
Tolú: Awọn irú iṣẹ́ wo nìyẹn?
Tọ́ba:: Ṣé o mọ̀ pé àwọn oníṣọ̀wò ilé àti ilẹ̀ jẹ́ miliọnía?
Tolú: Ótì o.
Tọ́ba:: Bẹèni. Wón ni ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ owó. Àwọn tí wọn ń ṣe iṣẹ́ karakata epo rọ̀bì náà ní owó tabua.
Tolú: Lọ́rọ̀ kan, àwọn oníṣọ̀wò ni wọ́n ń pawo gidi gan an nísisìyìí.
Tọ́ba:: Àbí o. Mo fẹ́ lọ sí kíláàsì nísisìyìí.
Tolú: Kò burú, à á máa sọ̀rọ̀ láìpẹ́.
Tọ́ba: Ó dára.
Practice: Interpersonal Communication
- Read the transcript and write out the meaning of at least five new words
- Call your friend over the phone and say the words and their meaning
Grammar Notes
Reduplication
Reduplication occurs when new words are created by repeating the root word. The words that are created through reduplication may express the degree of an action or situation, expand the meaning of the reduplicated word, or change the grammatical category of such words.
Example:
- Ọmo “child”
- Ọmọọmọ “grandchild”
- Note that the reduplication in Example 2 changes the meaning of the root word ọmọ, “child” in example 1 above.
There are two types of reduplication: complete and partial reduplication.
In complete reduplication, the entire word is repeated as part of one singular word, usually expanding the meaning of the root word.
-
- Oṣù means “month” in complete reduplication, we will have: oṣù+oṣù “oṣooṣù” “monthly” or “every month.”
- pa+iná (paná) “quench fire”→panápaná “firefighter”
Examples:
3. Àwọn panápaná wá sí ile wa. “The firefighter came to our house.”
4. Awọn òbí mi ní ọmoọmọ márùnún “My parents have five grandchildren.”
Partial reduplication, however, implies that only a part of the root word is reduplicated. The process of achieving this includes copying a part of the root word and inserting a vowel sound. This process usually alters the grammatical category and the meaning of such words.
- Dùn “sweet” is a verb. In partial reduplication, it changes to dí+dùn “dídùn,” which could function as an adjective or a verbal noun depending on the context of use.
5. Ọsàn yìí dùn ” This orange is sweet.”
- In example 6, dùn, “sweet” is a verb. (Refer to the grammar notes in the preceding chapter.).
However in:
6. Mo mu oṣàn dídùn. “I drank (ate) a sweet orange.”
- Dídùn in this example is an adjective, describing the type of orange that I drank.
*Note: In appropriate Yoruba expression, we say “drink” and *not eat* oranges.
Where “dùn” has a different meaning other than sweet, the partially reduplicated version will belong in the verbal noun category.
7. Ikú bàbábàbá mi dùn mí “The passing of my grandfather is painful for me.”
- In example 5, dùn means “pain” and not “sweet,” shown in example 6. Yet, “bàbabàbá” is reduplicated from the root word, “bàbá.”
8. Dídùn ni ìrántí olódodo. “Painful is the memory of the righteous.”
- Painful, as used in Example 8, is a verbal noun.