How To Apply For Honorary DLitt
Dodoh Michael Tombari Honorary DLitt is Proud of Nigeria
Exclusive Interview of Dodoh Michael Tombari from Nigeria
Question: What inspired you to enter into Linguistics?
Answer: My interest began when I was a teenager; it wasn’t so much about Linguistic than it was about writing a dictionary of my language (Gokana Language). As a teenager, I once asked my father “Why have the professors from Gokana not written a dictionary of Gokana language?” He gave me an answer that I will never forget; he told me that I will be the one to write that dictionary. I was dumbfounded, although I didn’t believe at the time that I could write any book, much more a dictionary, I pondered upon it. For several years that followed, I was still boiling with discontent that I had not seen a dictionary of Gokana language; it wasn’t until 2017 when I was excelling in the University of Port Harcourt (Uniport) and gained optimum confidence in my intellectual capability, that I thought I would give it a trial. I recruited my younger sister Favour to join me in gathering Gokana words, so as I translated each word she would write it. Soon we got tired and discontinued [we only wrote a few words, not up to hundred]. Probably, the failure of that project was due to my busyness with schoolwork. Just when it seemed the spark had been extinguished, I began working on writing the Gokana language dictionary after my graduation from Uniport. In 2020, COVID-19 came in and gave me enormous time to the extent I could complete and publish it. I also wrote several other Lexicons as well.
Question: Since how long, you have been into Linguistics field and in which cities you have been associated for administration, entrepreneurship, teaching, research, commercial and training programs?
Answer: Honestly, I’m more of a practicing linguist than a trained linguist. Before now, I’ve not had any degree in linguistics, my academic background is in Education. But I have an incredible desire to advance the Gokana language to international standards. Well, I have taken a certificate course in African languages, but that was out of curiosity, while in Theological Seminary in 2015, I also learned about the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek languages which are the biblical languages so I could interpret the scriptures more clearly, these spurred my interest in language and I went further to explore several other languages until I propounded “Dodoh’s theory of language alteration”. Yeah, I admit that I’ve done some genius work in the linguistic arena more than the average linguist, and I hope to do more. I can say I’ve contributed to this field for at least 9 years now. I’ve also being a teacher for several years now. Furthermore, one of my most significant achievements is to advance the counting/number system of my language to the number 10 trillion; I really felt like a genius at that moment. As regards the city/place, my work has been done in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Some of my scholarly works include:
1. Dodoh, M. (2023). Similarities in West African Languages, a clue to a common origin (Unpublished).
2. Dodoh, M. (2021). Dodoh’s dictionary of Gokana language (Self-published book on Amazon.com)
3. Dodoh, M. (2021). Gokana Lexicon of Food, Nutrition and Agriculture. (Self-published book on Smashwords.com)
4. Dodoh, M. (2021). Gokana Lexicon of Technology (Self-published book on Smashwords.com).
5. Epidemics in Goi and Bodo City (Self-published book on Smashwords.com). 9. Dodoh, M. (2020).
6. Dodoh, M. (2020). Gokana Lexicon of Health and Education (Self-published book on Smashwords.com).
7. Dodoh, M. (2020). Gokana Lexicon of Mathematics and Physical Science (Self-published book on Smashwords.com)
+And numerous entries in the Gokana section of Glosbe.com, a world multilingual dictionary.
Question: What are your future plans for administration, entrepreneurship, teaching, research and training programs in Linguistics?
Answer: I hope to be a professor someday, it doesn’t matter whether in Linguistics/African languages or Health Education, I’ll get there someday. This will include lots of research, teaching, and administrative tasks.
Question: Please introduce yourself and How do you want to be remembered / known in the world?
Answer: I am Dodoh Michael, and I want to be remembered as one of the greatest educators that have ever existed.
Question: What kind of businesses can be started in Linguistics? What minimum infrastructure would it need?
Answer: Linguists can start a freelance translation business, work for certain organizations or write good books.
Question: What are your recommendations to improve the standards of journals publishing research articles on Linguistics?
Answer: We'll have better quality articles if they can give more room for creativity and innovation.
Question: What are your recommendations to improve syllabus of Linguistics for more creativity, applications and opportunities?
Answer: More language-learning opportunities should be created, and language-learning reinforced. For example, we can have language summer camps in which students can learn various languages and there would be competitions for prizes including money and other things the particular level of students crave.
Question: What is Linguistics? What are the major branches in Linguistics?
Answer: Very simply, Linguistics is the study of language. Apart from studying the various kinds of language in the world, it can pick a particular language, dissect it and study its anatomy (morphology) and physiology just like Medicine and Biology does to organisms. Some of the “essential” and technical branches of Linguistics include Phonology and Phonetics (which both focus on studying sounds in a language), Semantics (which studies meaning of words), Morphology (which analyses word structure and formation), and Syntax (which studies grammar and sentence structure). There are also theoretical and disciplinary branches such as Cognitive linguistics, Historical linguistics, Comparative linguistics, Sociolinguistics, Forensic linguistics, Psycholinguistics, Computational linguistics, Anthropological linguistics, etc.
Question: What are your recommendations to frame guidelines on funding of research projects on Linguistics?
Answer: It may be a bit lengthy, but please read through. Some guidelines for funding research projects in the field of Linguistics include:
Eligibility Criteria
1. Principal Investigator (PI) must have a PhD in Linguistics or related field.
2. Project must focus on linguistic research, theory, or application.
3. Proposal must demonstrate originality, significance, and feasibility.
Evaluation Criteria
1. Scientific merit and relevance to linguistics.
2. Methodological soundness and rigor.
3. Potential impact on linguistic theory or practice.
4. Qualifications and expertise of PI and research team.
5. Budget justification and resource allocation.
Funding Priorities
1. Language documentation and preservation.
2. Theoretical linguistics (phonology, syntax, semantics).
3. Applied linguistics (language teaching, language acquisition).
4. Computational linguistics and natural language processing.
5. Multidisciplinary research (linguistics + cognitive science, anthropology, etc.).
Proposal Requirements
1. Abstract (max. 250 words).
2. Introduction (background, research questions, objectives).
3. Methodology (research design, data collection, analysis).
4. Expected outcomes and impact.
5. Budget and timeline.
6. CVs of PI and key personnel.
Review Process
1. Peer review by expert linguists.
2. Evaluation panel assessment.
3. Funding decision notification.
Funding Levels
1. Small grants (< $10,000): Exploratory, pilot studies.
2. Medium grants ($10,000-$50,000): Standard research projects.
3. Large grants (>$50,000): Collaborative, interdisciplinary projects.
Duration
1. Small grants: 6-12 months.
2. Medium grants: 1-2 years.
3. Large grants: 2-3 years.
Deliverables
1. Progress reports (bi-annual).
2. Final report (within 3 months of project completion).
3. Publications and presentations.
Intellectual Property
1. Grantee retains ownership of intellectual property.
2. Funding agency retains right to disseminate research findings.
Ethics
1. Compliance with institutional review board (IRB) regulations.
2. Informed consent from participants.
These guidelines provide a framework for funding research projects in Linguistics.
Question: How can universities produce revolutionary PhD and Post Doc thesis and dissertations on Linguistics? What are your recommendations to improve the academic standards?
Answer: Emphasis should be made on ethical conduct of academic work, creativity, research innovation, publication and continuous learning. Additionally, more investments should be made in training outstanding researchers, theorists, and teachers.
Question: How can students seek job and career opportunities in Linguistics?
Answer: Students can explore job opportunities by researching opportunities available via online career platforms, asking senior colleagues about possible opportunities, asking mentors and teachers, etc.
Question: What job titles are available in Linguistics?
Answer: Job titles available in Linguistics include professor, editor, translator, teacher, assistant teacher, researcher, etc.
Question: Which are Typical employers in Linguistics?
Answer: Schools, NGOs, Companies, etc.
Question: Which are the courses available in Linguistics?
Answer: Courses available in Linguistics include Introduction to Linguistics, Phonetics and Phonology, Morphology and Syntax, Semantics and Pragmatics, Language Acquisition, Linguistic Theories and Methodologies, etc.
Question: What are your recommendations to write a world class research article in Linguistics? What essential components and factors must be there?
Answer: The recommendations are as follows:
Research
1. Conduct original research: Collect and analyze data, test hypotheses.
2. Review existing literature: Synthesize relevant studies, identify gaps.
3. Formulate a clear research question: Focused, specific, and significant.
Organization
1. Introduction: Contextualize, state research question, outline methodology.
2. Literature Review: Critically discuss relevant studies.
3. Methodology: Describe data collection, analysis procedures.
4. Results: Present findings, include tables, figures.
5. Discussion: Interpret results, relate to literature.
6. Conclusion: Summarize, suggest future research.
Writing
1. Clarity: Use concise language, avoid jargon.
2. Coherence: Organize paragraphs logically.
3. Accuracy: Verify facts, citations.
4. Style: Follow established conventions (e.g., APA, MLA).
Linguistics-Specific Considerations
1. Data representation: Use standardized transcription systems (e.g., IPA).
2. Theoretical framework: Clearly articulate linguistic theory.
3. Analysis: Provide detailed linguistic analysis.
Submission
1. Choose a reputable journal: Consider impact factor, relevance.
2. Follow submission guidelines: Format, length, citations.
3. Peer review: Address reviewer comments.
Top Journals in Linguistics
1. Language
2. Linguistic Inquiry
3. Journal of Linguistics
4. Natural Language & Linguistic Theory
5. Linguistics and Philosophy
Additional Tips
1. Collaborate with peers: Receive feedback, improve quality.
2. Edit and proofread: Ensure error-free writing.
3. Use linguistic software: Aid analysis, visualization.
Question: What are your recommendations to establish a world class research institute for Linguistics?
Answer I think such a project would be more sustainable if funded by governments and rich individuals. So the UN should look into establishing a worldclass research institute for Linguistics.
Question: What are your recommendations to improve employment and scope in Linguistics?
Answer: Linguists should taught more transferrable skills, high tech companies like Facebook should hire more linguists/translators, more organizations (e.g. school) that employ linguists should be established, etc.
Question: What are your recommendations to authors, who are writing Books on Linguistics for more creativity and understanding of the subject?
Answer: Authors should concentrate on advancing the language like I did, in that way better ideas on how to advance it and make it easier to understand would come.
Question: What according to you are the Top 5 major challenges (research problems) which need to be resolved urgently by world’s scientists in the area of Linguistics?
Answer: They include:
1. Data Collection and Accessibility: Obtaining quality linguistic data, especially for endangered or low-resource languages.
2. Complexity of Human Language: Understanding linguistic structures, nuances, and variations.
3. Theoretical and Methodological Diversity: Integrating diverse theoretical frameworks and methodologies.
4. Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Bridging gaps between linguistics, cognitive science, anthropology, computer science, and psychology.
5. Language Variability and Change: Accounting for linguistic evolution, dialects, and sociolinguistic factors. This is one area that inspired me to propound a theory of language alteration.
Question: What are your recommendations to improve standards of Conferences in Linguistics? How can they be brainstorming and more creative?
Answer: There should be more funding for scholars to attend conferences. Furthermore, creative works should be rewarded at conferences, it will inspire other scholars to be creative.
Question: Which major challenges do you see to establish Nigeria as world leader in Linguistics?
Answer: The government should play a more responsible role in funding research, especially research on Indigenous languages.
Question: Any other thing, you would like to share with the World?
Answer: More scholarships and grants should be made available for Linguistics scholars.
Biography
Dodoh Michael is an erudite scholar who has devoted his life to promoting health and advancing knowledge in the spheres of Health and Education. He is also the first indigene of Gokana to (independently) write a dictionary of Gokana language, which is globally visible and meets best standards. He hails from Bodo City in Gokana local government area of Rivers State, Nigeria.
Although he is a teacher, he also creates time to write books and articles that will advance knowledge in his field and the Gokana language. He is currently the greatest contributor to literature in the area of Gokana language.
When he was a teenager, he asked his father “why have professors from Gokana not written a dictionary of Gokana language?” His father’s response implied that he (Michael) would be the one to write it. Although he was just an average student in secondary school then and never believed that he could ever write a book in his life, he never forgot the words of his dad. Several years later it became a reality as he became the first to independently write a comprehensive dictionary of Gokana language that is globally visible.
His motivation was to preserve the Gokana language, so that the language (or significant elements of it) would not go on extinction. He has contributed immensely to the knowledge base of Gokana language; on glosbe.com which is a site for almost all world languages, he has enriched the Gokana language section with numerous words. Beside these, he has propounded a theory of language alteration which clearly explains linguistic evolution and the factors responsible for language modification and creation of new languages. Some of his books include: Dodoh’s Dictionary of Gokana language (Bodo Dialect), Gokana Lexicon of Health and Education, Gokana Lexicon of Technology, Gokana Lexicon of Food, Nutrition and Agriculture, as well as Gokana Lexicon of Mathematics and Physical Science in which he did something revolutionary by advancing the counting system of Gokana to about the number 10 trillion. This is a great feat, and he also considers it to be one of his greatest achievements. He is never tired of contributing to knowledge and educating others.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES
Corper & Teacher at Oniong West Secondary School, Onna, Nigeria. 2023 - 2024
Teacher at Emmaville Academy, Agip Estate, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Subject: Social Studies 2022- 2023
Teacher at Bela Nolman Montessori School, Agip Estate, PH, Nigeria.
Subjects included: Health Education, Social studies & History. 2021-2022
Teacher at Faithfulness International School, Agip Estate, PH, Nigeria.
I taught History & Social Studies. 2020
FELLOWSHIPS, TRAININGS, INTERNSHIPS AND VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCES
Development Research Fellow, at Data Ville Research LLC. (The activities
included analysis of projects, lectures, discussions, individual research, etc). 2022
Virtual Intern at the West African Institute of Public Health, (The program
included intensive research training, lectures, advocacy, health education,
appraisals, individual and group research works). 2021
Volunteer Peer Reviewer at Publons/Web of Science. In my spare time,
I review academic articles in select international journals, through the 2021-2022
Web of Science under which I was trained as a peer reviewer.
Trainee Teacher on teaching practice internship at Crestone International Academy,
Aluu, Port Harcourt. 2018
Teaching Practice Moderation (for A-grade trainee teachers), at GAFED
International School, Ozuoba, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. 2018
Trainee Teacher on Teaching Practice at Community Junior Secondary School,
Omuihuechi, Aluu, Port Harcourt. 2017
AWARDS, CERTIFICATES AND COURSES
Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), teaching license. 2023
African American History: From Emancipation to the Present (online course)
by Open Yale Courses 2023
Awarded a sponsorship to attend the 18th Annual conference of the Health
Promotion Research Association of Nigeria (By Professor G.O. Ekenedo- 2021
former H.O.D. of the Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education,
University of Port Harcourt).
Certificate on “How to Teach Online”, by Queen’s University, Canada. 2021
Peer Review Certificate (on how to review academic articles), awarded by the
Web of Science Academy (Clarivate), USA; after completing their online training. 2021
Health Systems strengthening certificate, awarded by the University of
Melbourne, Australia, after completion of an online course. 2021
Certificate of Appreciation, awarded by Chezuba.com, for completion of the online
Research project titled: Research and Create Library of Articles. 2020
Named the best trainee teacher by Crestone International Academy, Aluu,
Port Harcourt, Nigeria. 2018
SKILLS
Ø Skilled at conducting basic qualitative and quantitative research.
Ø Excellent communication ability.
Ø Ability to work independently and in a team.
Ø Great at analyzing quantitative data.
Ø Excellent presentation skills.
Ø Strong analytical, synthetical and critical thinking skills.
Ø Great at developing ebooks, posters, book covers, audio-visuals, and various kinds of educational materials using Canva and other applications.
Ø Proficient at conducting online survey.
Ø Great at using advanced memory techniques and study skills.
Ø Good at GPS mapping, for research purpose.
Ø Good at using software packages like Power Point Presentation, MS Word, MS Excel, Kobo Toolbox, SPSS, Kindle Textbook creator, etc.
LEADERSHIP POSITIONS HELD AND PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATION
Member of the Society for Health Communication. 2021- Present
Founder and President of The Good Life Educational Network (NGO). 2020- Present
President of Students’ Health Promotion Club, University of Port Harcourt. 2019
Vice President of The Apostolic Church Students’ Fellowship of Nigeria,
University of Port Harcourt Chapter. 2017-2018
President of High Flyers Health Club at Government Comprehensive
Secondary School, Taabaa. 2010
How To Apply For Honorary DLitt
Honorary Doctorate in Linguistics and African Studies
Application Form for Award of Honorary Doctorate in Linguistics and African Studies
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2. Name of Applicant: ?
3. Photograph: ?
4. Autobiography / CV (Resume) including your contributions, achievements and experience: ?
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