The Challenges Faced By Instructors and Learners While Adopting Task-Based Instruction in the Learning of the English Language (Published)
This paper explores the existing challenges that hamper instructors’ and learners’ efforts while adopting task-based instruction in their contexts of learning the English language. Teaching and learning English as a second language continues to draw attention regarding the appropriate approach that instructors should adopt particularly in the case of Sudan where Arabic is the first language. A mixed method was embraced to answer research objectives of this study. In the study, questionnaires and interviews were administered to the research subjects who were recruited from the University of Khartoum using convenience sampling technique. Data from the study was analyzed using the SPSS software where descriptive and inferential statistics to test research objectives of the study. Results of the study indicated a correlation between the need to adopt the task-based instruction with 18% of the students interviewed attributing that task-based instruction approach failed to foster students’ speaking skills.
Keywords: English Language, Language Fluency, Second Language Acquisition, Task-Based Instruction Approach
Wrong Usage as Threat to English Language in Nigeria (Published)
: English is a second language in Nigeria because it is non-indigenous, it was introduced by British Colonialists and Missionaries into the country. The roles and functions English language has assumed since its introduction into the country are outlined. Since Nigeria functions in virtually all spheres of life in English language, a variety known, internationally acceptable and intelligible exists as the Standard Nigerian English. What is really of concern is the increasing deviations noticeable in the speech and writings of Nigerians from the grammar of English. The error laden English spoken by many people in the country may well be replacing the Standard Nigerian English if the situation is not checked. The root causes of the problem are pointed out recommendations are made towards curbing the negative trend.
Keywords: English Language, Errors, Grammar, Mother tongue, Second Language, Standard Nigerian English, varieties of English
Developing The English Teacher’s Expertise to Implement the New Nigerian National Curriculum (Published)
This paper is written to assist the English Language teacher trainers in Nigeria universities and the Secondary school English teachers to come to term with the reality on ground with reference to the New Senior Secondary School English Language Curriculum. It is a position paper resulting from the experience of the writer as a resource person in the nation – wide curriculum sensitization workshop of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), the makers of the Curriculum. For five years (2011-2015) the writer handled the “Humanities” aspect of the teachers’ workshop in the Western Zone of the nation (Lagos, Oyo, Ondo, Ogun, Ekiti and Oshun). While this is not another workshop paper, nor a summary of the three years’ workshop, it certainly contains the major highlights of the new curriculum presented from the point of view of a researcher with clear emphasis on what the roles of the English teacher should be as against what it used to be.
Keywords: Curriculum Teachers, Development, English Language, professionalism
Domestication of the English Language in Nigeria: An Examination of Morpho-Syntactic Trends in Nigerian English (Nge) (Published)
This paper examines certain developmental patterns Nigerian English (NgE) demonstrates in recent times, particularly at the linguistic levels of morphology and syntax. While studying these current trends, a sociolinguistic approach, as enunciated and popularized by Labov (1966), is adopted. The first part of the work provides an overview of the place of NgE as one of the World Englishes, today, while the second part which is the core of the work is an examination of the nature of foray the typology has made on the construction and use of English by Nigerians of a broad social spectrum. The study reveals that the uniqueness of NgE is considerably realized in such linguistic features as conversion, acronym, composition, redundancy, coinage and reduplication. It is, as well, observed that some NgE forms exhibit the same morphological and syntactic patterns as those of Standard English (SE) while some exhibit significant variations.
Keywords: Domestication, English Language, Examination NgE, Nigeria
INVESTIGATING ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE EFFICIENCY OF THE “CONVERSATION” COURSE (Published)
In the scope of teaching English as a foreign language, and more specifically teaching speaking, this study reflects the attitudes and anticipations English language teachers-to-be have towards the “Conversation Course” provided by the College of Basic Education in Kuwait. The study is based on the analysis of 106 questionnaires distributed to first year college students registered in the conversation class at the time of the study. In addition, 28 students were interviewed to observe vividly their expectations from the conversation course. Both, the questionnaire and the interviews, aimed at knowing how the students perceived the conversation class at the end of the semester. The study shows that the majority of students feel that they have benefited from the conversation class in different domains; yet, many required a clearer outline of the course. Between their fondness for the conversation course and confusion of its aims, English language students understand their need for the course, and perhaps an extra advanced one too.
Keywords: EFL, English Language, Four Skills, Speaking, Teaching Methods
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND EFFECTIVE CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION IN EBONYI STATE, NIGERIA (Published)
This paper is on human resource management and effective curriculum implementation in senior secondary schools in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. It is a survey research which employed a descriptive design. The study sampled 113 teachers drawn from 1045 English language teachers using stratified random sampling which include the principals, vice principals and deans of studies in Ebonyi State. Questionnaire was used as the instrument. A trial test was carried out and ascertained the validity and reliability of the instrument and a value of 0.89 was obtained from the test. Responses from all the questionnaire indicated that adequate human resources such as teachers language laboratory operators and school administers, motivation of teachers and school location can improve English language curriculum implementation in senior secondary schools in Ebonyi State. The hypothesis indicated that there is no significant difference in the opinion of teachers in the urban and rural areas. Some of the recommendations given were that the government should embark on recruitment of qualified English language teachers, workshops be organized for teachers and allow them attend other workshops organized outside their schools. Wages of secondary school teachers should be reviewed and that teachers should show more commitment in discharging their duties.
Keywords: Curriculum, English Language, Human Resource Management, Implementation, Motivation, Teacher