University don stresses the importance of lecturers, students engaging in effective modes of communication

Odunola Alabi, a professor of English Semiotics and Stylistics at the University of Ilorin, argues that lecturers and students must explore semiotic and stylistic modes of communication in order to achieve the intended effect.

She stated that people engage in various languages, such as symbols, signs, writings, and noises, to express their opinions in order to improve understanding and mutual benefit.

Alabi stated this Thursday evening while delivering the University’s 254th inaugural lecture, titled ‘Cocoons of the Meanings of Signs and Styles in Semiotics and Stylistics.’

According to her, semiotics describes signs, interpretation, and how meaning is produced through words, images, and sounds, whereas stylistics is the study of the style of nonverbal and verbal discourses.

Examples include smoke as a sign of fire, clouds as a sign of an incoming storm for sailors at sea, a flushed complexion as a symptom of fever for a physician, a knock at the door as a clue that someone is nearby, and so on.

She noted that the world was full of signs and their meanings therefore, everyone should be sensitive to semiotic apparatuses and the meanings that can be generated from them in written, text and spoken as well as in dream.

Alabi added that, “semiotics underscores the fact that the world is suffered with many signs in culture, literature, ethnography, etc, attention should be paid to this and we should take note of different signs in whatever we do and wherever we find ourselves to explore and savour the rich underlying meanings of discourse.

“Both semiotics and stylistics as cocoons are figuratively speaking, enveloping comfortably and sounding myriads of meanings of signs and styles respectively.”

The inaugural lecturer who was the first female professor to deliver lecture from English Department, emphasised that to communicate effectively and efficiently for development, “annual seminars should be organised on campus to promote language use on stylistics and semiotics for effective communication for teaching and non-teaching staff.

“Semiotics with its tremendous significance value; greater attention should be paid to the existence and importance of semiotics in all discipline especially performing arts, biology, mathematics, law, medicine, nursing, business and so on.”