CHALLENGES OF TEACHING ENGLISH IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

CHALLENGES OF TEACHING ENGLISH IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Background of the study

According to studies done on the history of the English language, its roots may be traced back to northern and western Europe. The Germanic subfamily of the Indo-European language family is consequently thought to have had a role in its development (Hammond, 2021). The Indo-European language family not only has the largest geographical distribution, but it also has the largest number of people who speak one of its languages. Initially, people from a number of different tribes in Denmark and Northern Germany used to communicate using this language. According to Uchechukwu (2008), the word "English" is employed to describe the name of persons. At the time of the Northern Conquest in 1066, the name English had become the common name for all of the people who lived in England.

When the British colonial rule in Nigeria came to an end, they left behind many cultural artefacts, but the English language is possibly the most significant of all of them (Jackson, 2021). The English language is currently the official language of the government, as well as the business and commerce sectors, education, and the media. ENEH (2008) made the observation that the name "English" was used for all of the people who lived in England. He also made the observation that the name of every topic in Nigeria is given in English, with the exception of Igbo language. This comment is a fact due to the fact that ever since we won our independence from the British people, the English language has been accorded a prestigious position inside the Nigerian society (Jibowo, & Olayemi, 2022). The English language not only has realms of usage in Nigeria, but it also has domains of usage on a worldwide level. According to Paul (2005), the English language is adaptable enough to be utilised for even the most complex conversations as well as for doing the most crucial business of the day. Therefore, the ability to communicate in English is what makes it possible for Nigeria to participate in the deliberations and decisions made by international organisations such as the United Nations Organization, the Common Wealth of Nations, and the World Health Organization (Hammond, 2021). In Nigeria, the English language fulfils a number of functions that are extremely crucial to the country's continued survival. As a result of the presence of several ethnic groups, each of which uses a separate language, it has become the lingua franca of the nation and the official language of the society. In order to accommodate such a diverse range of languages, Nigeria need a single language that can break through the linguistic barriers that exist between its several states (Jackson, 2021). The British colonial authorities selected English as the official language of Nigeria; according to Uchechukwu (2008), more than a quarter of a billion individuals throughout the world are fluent in English. It is gaining more and more attention as a second language option among those who don't speak English in different parts of the world. As a result, people often speak of English as if it were a second language. The Nigerian government and its institutions, including the military forces, public and judicial systems, and the civil service Communication between the many distinct ethnic groups, each of which comes from a different language background, is required to take place in English (Jibowo, & Olayemi, 2022). English is the language of choice for individuals to utilise while interacting with one another in social settings.

Uchechukwu (2008) made the observation that not only does the English language have the broadest geographical distribution, but it is also the language that is spoken by the most people overall. It is gaining more and more attention as a second language option for those who don't know English in different parts of the world. It is a kind of communication that makes use of more than a million different symbols. It is versatile enough to be utilised for anything from the most insignificant discussion to actual business. It may be used for collecting scientific facts with accuracy and precision, or it can be used for crafting a poetry that expresses a beautiful notion in words that are attractive to the ear. The most significant affairs of the day, it can be used for any of these purposes (Hammond, 2021).

 

The works of Nigerian literature that have been published to this day are written in English. Works by authors like as Wole Soyinka, Mrs. Edith Eze, Chinua Achebe, Christopher Okigbo, and others are included in this category. They have a very strong reputation all throughout the world.

In the field of education, it is implemented as a mode of instruction in primary and secondary schools and is afterwards presented as a curricular focus in higher education. Subjects studied beginning in the first grade of elementary school and continuing until the final year of college. In schools, the language of instruction for subjects like as biology, history, government, mathematics, and so on is English (Jackson, 2021). This indicates that the only way for him to acquire scientific information is through the English language, which is taught to him in school. As a result, the English language plays a part in the society that we live in. When imparting information to younger generations, the language of instruction most often employed in educational homes is English. The younger ones will, with time and help from their parents, eventually develop English language skills that are proficient (Jibowo, & Olayemi, 2022).

It is true that English is a lingua franca, the primary official language, and the second language (L2) for children in Nigeria; nonetheless, only a tiny fraction of the Nigerian populace has access to and makes use of English in communication (Jibowo, & Olayemi, 2022). And only a minimal number of the individuals who use English in Nigeria can be called to speak and write Standard English in the same way as educated native speakers of the language do. The percentage of people who use English in Nigeria is quite low. According to what Anibueze (2000) found, native English speakers often have unconsciously mastered the fundamental sentence structure of the English language by the time they are in pre-school. It is a language in which the youngster is quite skilled, even though it is not necessarily the mainstream language (Hammond, 2021). The low standard of the English used by a large portion of the Nigerian population can be attributed to their education, particularly their time spent in secondary school, according to teachers and students who took the general certificate of education examination (G.C.E) at community High School Ekwegbe (C.H.S.) in October 2009. The data collected confirmed that ninety-five percent of the students book the examination because of failur, which is an abbreviation for "failure" (Jackson, 2021). because of the inadequate teaching and learning methodologies utilised at the institution of higher education. According to Onyejeli (2008), there are five fundamental concepts involved in the process of learning and teaching the English language. Because it is a common practise, the first thing that the instructor has to do is make sure that the pupils completely understand what it is that they are being taught. Second, the instructor of English should begin instruction with hearing and speaking rather than reading and writing right away. Reading and writing should come later (Jibowo, & Olayemi, 2022). Thirdly, because students are studying it as a second language, the instructor needs to make sure that they understand the significance of things. In the fourth step, the instructor has to emphasise the significance of reviewing previously acquired knowledge in order to spot errors. Fifthly, because the instructor is instructing a student who is learning English as a second language, he or she has to have a great deal of time and patience available when teaching.

In point of fact, the state of the English language in Nigeria as well as in secondary schools is what initially drew the attention of academics who wanted to explore the difficulties associated with teaching and learning English (Hammond, 2021). The method of language teaching and learning strategies, the method and strategies used by some teachers of English pose problems to the learners of the language by the students teachers of English should understand the meaning of the word "teach," which can mean either to acquire knowledge or to carry out an action. The goal of any approach that the educator takes should be to provide the student the ability to gain knowledge about how to perform something. There are eight various methods that a teacher may use to help his pupil learn new information. Although each method is unique from the others, they all have a tendency to achieve the same effects, albeit to differing degrees. He can teach him, inform him, instruct him, train him, educate him, or lecture him on the subject. He can also educate him. Each method has a certain meaning that it imparts, as well as an impact that it has on the dynamic between the instructor and the students (Jackson, 2021). The ways in which the student can learn it require the learner to put up effort, which in turn makes the achievement more sustainable and powerful. The other strategies, in particular "educate," place the onus of duty on the instructor. Because of this, it is essential for teachers to have the skills necessary to teach using a variety of materials in the classroom. For optimal retention of information, practise in the English language is essential (Jibowo, & Olayemi, 2022).

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