The writings kw and gw (and ŋw, which you will meet later) also represent single consonants as far as Igbo structure is concerned. kw and gw are not particularly hard to recognize or reproduce, but again remember that the syllable division precedes them, never splits them.
The letter c represents a consonant much like that which is written ch in English (and in most written Igbo); c always represents this sound in our writing of Igbo, so that there is no need to add another letter to show what the sound is.
The letters m and n (and ŋ, which you will meet later) sometimes appear before vowels; in-such cases, they are consonants just like k or b. However, they may also appear before consonants; in such cases, they are syllables by themselves, with their own tone. Be sure you don't use a vowel either before or after such a syllabic nasal; just hum-m-m it and then go on-n-n to the next consonant. As you will soon learn, m is also frequently written as a word by itself; in such cases also, it is syllabic and has its own tone. Syllabic m also appears occasionally at the end of an Igbo word; apart from a few cases of this type, all Igbo words end with vowels.
Review of Lesson 1:
Twenty-five nouns have been introduced in this lesson, and at first it won't be easy to remember which is which. For further practice on pronunciation, and to help learn the vocabulary, use the following procedures:
1. Have the model pick a sentence at random from this lesson, say it clearly, and call on a student first to repeat the Igbo sentence and then, if he can, to give the meaning. If the student gives the wrong translation, or cannot remember the meaning, the correct English should be given immediately. Continue with Igbo sentences selected at random, calling on students in random order.
2. Call on students at random to say any Igbo sentence in this lesson that they happen to remember hearing, and to give the meaning if they can. Correction of pronunciation, especially tone, should be strict. If the English equivalent is not given immediately, call on another student to give it, or supply it without permitting long intervals of silence.
3. Call on students at random, supply any of the English equivalents from this lesson, and ask for the Igbo sentence. If the reply is not reasonably prompt, supply the correct Igbo. After some drilling of this sort, much of the vocabulary will be learned.
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