The Impact of Environment on the Performance of Secondary School Students in English Language
CHAPTER ONE
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The importance of the relationship between the English language and society cannot be over emphasized in education of the student and indeed in the growth and development of any community.
The English language plays a vital role to the government as it is being used for the purpose of government and administration, as documentation of government records; administrative instruction and minutes, legislation; court records and proceedings.
Again English is most noticeable in the field of education as it is being introduced as a subject in the first years of primary school and from the third year of the primary school up to university level as a medium of instruction. This in effect, means that the Nigerian child’s access to the cultural and scientific knowledge of the world is largely through English since the products of the schools will be absorbed into types of employment where English is the official medium of communication and where congruently, proficiency in English to a necessary qualification, the pre-eminent position of English in the educational system is likely to remain for long time.
Furthermore, in the mass media, English is in a predominant position. All the national newspapers are published in English, Radio, non-musical programmes, newscasters. Television are almost entirely in English.
Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to look at how some environmental factors affect students’ performance in English, its prospects and problems faced by students. In addition, the study is geared towards making some recommendations.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter will examine related literature in the following headings:
- The prospect of English language as instrument of communication.
- Schools environment as a determinant for the success of English language usage.
- Community Environment as a determinant for the success of English language
- Home Background (socio-economic status)
- Facilities for Analyzing language teaching and learning.
- Language teaching professional background, teaching skill and communication
THE PROSPECT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AS INSTRUMENT OF COMMUNICATION
The arguments that have been advanced so far do not imply that children should not learn English as a world language. In fact, as the language of science and technology and a passport to educational advancement and prestigious employment, as the language of commerce, trade and administration, a means of national/international communication, it is most important that English should be taught and learnt in schools. English appears indispensable to modern living and children must be given maximum encouragement and opportunity to learn it effectively in schools.
As a matter of necessity, instead of pursuing the sound linguistic and educational policy, (language policy) in our schools, the tendency is to go straight for English. The reason for this according to Olagoke (1977) is the enormous prestige of English success in the language as the key to decent employment.
Admission to post primary institutions (secondary schools) including the universities depend on one’s performance in English language which is the medium of instruction from elementary school to the university.
Another reason is that parents are naturally anxious that their children should become medical doctors, lawyers, engineers, architects, graduate teachers, etc, like the others and they feel that the earlier their children start to learn English, the greater their chances of getting on in life. Hence many parents in urban areas sacrifice a large part of their income at sending their children to nursery and other fee-paying schools especially good private school where they are taught by qualified and well-paid teachers of English at the detriment of their own native language.
According to Olagoke (1979:25) “children come back home after a term or two speaking English of a sort, and many parents, because they do not speak or read English are always impressed and want their children to be the same”. He continued by saying that the parents easily conclude, when their children come home day in day out without being able to speak a word of English, that the children are not taught anything in school.
Olagoke equally drew attention to the fact that common examination influence the urgency to teach English in primary schools. Adding that because at the end of their primary school course, children must take the same entrance examination to secondary schools. At the end, children from private schools tend to perform better than those from the state schools. It is therefore natural for parents and even teachers to conclude that the best thing is that children in state schools should also be taught in English as early as possible.
A third reason why English is preferred to our indigenous language in Nigeria is that according to The Punch (2000) “that colonization of the mind was total as the ways of life of our people were made to look inferior as the belief systems and spiritual essence of our people were divided, relegated or abandoned, and the only way to look and be a man was to look and be like the Englishman”. The colonial masters came and presented to Africans in general and Nigerians in particular, that everything about them was inferior. This feeling is in built in the blacks that the whites were “god” (Oyibo bu muo) and everything about them seem as superior including their language they brought us.
In addition to the above reason, the status of the English language in Nigeria makes the language to be embraced by the society. What happens in practice is that English language is used for the business of the National Assembly. The same is applicable to State Houses of Assembly although section 91 of the 1989 constitution explicitly made it clear that one or more languages spoken in a particular state may be used in addition to English. The business of a House of Assembly shall be conducted in English but the house may in addition to English, conduct the business of the House in one or more other languages spoken in the state””
Lewis (1972) believed that the present state of things where English is widely used is the best because of lack of any one language that is naturally understood in the country. According to him, the people of Nigeria are a people of many tongues hence it is highly desirable that there be a common language. He said that the present policy which accepts English as the national medium of communication and as the medium of instruction in the higher levels in education is probably the most satisfactory in this present situation in Nigeria.
It therefore follows that because English is the only language that is mutually intelligible to all the people of Nigeria, it is recommended as a medium of instruction at all levels.
CHAPTER THREE
METHOD OF STUDY
This chapter focuses on the research methodology and procedure which the researcher employed in the study. The procedures include the following sub-headings:
- Research Design
- Area of Study
- Population of Study
- Sample and Sampling Technique
- Research Instrument
- Validity and Reliability of the instrument.
- Method of data collection
- Administration of instrument
- Method of Data Analysis
RESEARCH DESIGN
This is a survey research. A survey research design is appropriate for this study to evaluate the effect of environment on the performance of students in English language in secondary schools in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.
AREA OF STUDY
The study was carried out within the Nsukka Local Government Area Council. There are twenty-one government owned secondary schools and ten private-government approved secondary schools in Nsukka Local Government Area. Out of the government owned schools, twelve are located in the urban area while nine are located in the rural areas. As for the private ones, six are located in the urban area while the remaining four are located in the rural areas.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
This chapter specifically discusses the analysis of data collected in the course of the study. It deals with the finding out of answer to some questions raised in chapter one.
The analysis will be carried out with the following objectives in mind. After which are the tables showing the analysis of the study and their interpretations.
- To find out if the school has enough English language teachers.
- To find out if the class size affects teachers’ willingness to give written assignment to students.
- To find out if parents motivate and support their children to study English language.
- To find out whether parents’ socio-economic status or background affect/influence students study of English.
- To find out if pidgin English is allowed to be used as a means of communication within the school premises by the students.
- To find out if mother tongue interference pose any difficulty in the students’ learning of English.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
SUMMARY
This study is concerned with the influence of environment on the performance of students in English language in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State. The work is divided into five chapters.
The first chapter was the introductory chapter. It dealt with one of the legacies bequeathed to us – Nigerians by the British which will be difficult to do away with. That is the coming of the Western Education in Nigeria as well as the emphasis laid on the teaching of the English culture and language. This is because English is the medium of instruction in our schools, of business transactions, of communication both national and international, the language of industry since science and technology are necessary for development. English is again the official language and therefore imperative that every Nigerian should be able to read, write and communicate in good simple English.
The chapter also entailed the purpose of the study which was to look into some vital issues in the use of English language as medium of instruction. In order to achieve the purpose of the study therefore, a number of questions were raised and answered. Some of the questions formulated include:
- Impact of class-size on students achievement in English.
- Lack of enough qualified English language teachers for the study of English language.
- Influence of mother tongue interference in the students understanding of English.
CONCLUSION
This study gave an insight into some issues as they influence the implementation of the policy of English language as a medium of instruction in schools, of business transactions, of communication etc in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The English language medium of instruction policy is implemented in all the schools the researcher visited as stipulated by the National Policy on Education. In addition to the above, the Federal Government states in section 51 of the Nigerian constitution of 1979, 1989 thus: “The business of the House of Assembly shall be conducted in English but the House may in addition to English, conduct the business of the House in one or more languages in the state as the House by resolution approve”.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The findings of the study have shown that the research effort in extension, have been concentrated in one Local Government Area.
Based on the above findings of this study, the researcher wishes to make the following recommendations:
- The government should employ more qualified secondary school teachers and equally expand number of secondary schools to reduce the number of students per teacher to the rather of 1:35 students as stipulated in the NPE or even to 1:30.
- The government should provide secondary schools with well-equipped libraries and instructional materials for effective teaching and learning of English language.
- The time allotted for English in the Time-table should be observed to enable the teacher teach his or her lessons fully, involving the students and giving them assignments.
- Principals should be encouraged to take part in the part-time programmes organized by many tertiary institutions by their principals in order to be more competent in their teaching career.
- The media should be used to enlighten parents on the need to provide a conducive home in the need to provide a conducive home environment for their children and encourage them to develop interest in English language and other subjects.
REFERENCES
- Awobuluyi, O. (1979) The New National language on Education: The Linguistic perspective. Ilorin, Nigeria. The University of Ilorin Press.
- Awobuluyi, O. (1991) The National Language Question. A public Lecture series, University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.
- Bamgbose (1976) Language and National Integration. Nigeria as a case study; read at the 12th West African language congress, University of Ife, Nigeria.
- David Jowith (1991) Nigerian English Usage: An Introduction. Longman Nigeria.
- Federal Republic of Nigeria (1989) The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria: Ilorin, Nigeria. Woye Printers and Publishers.
- Femi Akindele and Wale Adegbite (1999) The Sociology and Politics of English in Nigeria: An introduction. O.A.U. Press.
- Michael S Onwueme and Okezie Ugbor (1994) Education and security; the society; The sociology of Education. Nera Publication, Benin City.
- Ogunu, M. (2001) Introduction to Educational Management Educational Research Association. University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.
