ABSTRACT

This study examined the relationship between instructional strategies and French students’ proficiency in oral expression in secondary school in Uyo local government area of Akwa Ibom state. To guide the study, four research purpose, four research questions, and four research hypotheses were formulated. The design adopted for this study was survey design. The sample size of 100 respondents was used. The study used simple random sampling to select the schools. The instrument used was Instructional Strategies and French Students Proficiency in Oral expression Questionnaire (ISFSPOEQ). The data were gathered using one instrument after ascertaining their face and content validity and reliability co-efficient of 0.82 by experts. The hypotheses were tested in the study using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation at .05 level of significance. The result of the analysis showed that there is significant relationship between teachers’ error correction strategies, teachers’ competence, teacher’s communication strategies and students’ proficiency in oral expression in French. Students’ proficiency in Oral expression does not differ based on gender. Some useful recommendations were made one of which was that Teachers as continuous learners should be trained and retained in teaching methods, because teacher’s competence is one of the strategies to a successful career in teaching. Also, teachers should posse good instructional strategies as to achieve academic excellence.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1  Background of the Study

Education is an instrument for national development and an asset to any nation. It is a vehicle for developing skills and competencies, impacting knowledge and learning. Without education various socio-economic activities in the societies will remain stagnant and human society will continue to wallow in ignorance. It is in the light of the importance of education that Fafunwa (2003) said that education as a human right should as much as possible be accessible to all.

Languages are part of the cultural richness of any society and the world in which we live and work. Learning languages contributes to mutual understanding, a sense of global citizenship and personal fulfillment (Evans, 2012). While learning languages, students learn to appreciate different cultures, become aware of interconnectedness of all people and at the same time gain access to world’s markets places. As Nigeria grows in its importance in the global economy, so does the importance of its students becoming proficient in another language other than English language. In recent years, the Nigerian Government placed more emphasis on the study of French language (Agbor, 2012).

Teaching is an essential profession (Emeh and Agbor, 2007), as such every student deserves to be able to take advantage of this opportunity and study French language, more so as it has been made the second official language in the country. This pronouncement which was approved and later incorporated in the National Policy on Education (FRN, 2013) caused it to be made a compulsory, core subject in Junior Secondary Schools in the country. Clearly, making French compulsory in the curriculum at this level, in addition to English helps prepare students for life and for success in the twenty-first century. As such, every student deserves to be able to take advantage of this opportunity and study French language, more so as it has been made the second official language in the country.

The primary and ultimate goal of teaching and learning involves transfer and the acquisition for the individual learner, the ability to function within the world of work or in the society in general. This implies that the learners already have some information, knowledge or ideas stored in their brains. The presentation of new skill, facts knowledge or content must have for learning to occur. The role teacher in teaching learning situation is therefore the direction of learners to such situation that have similarities of differences with the new event being presented so as to make some comparison. This results in the formulation of a new concept or a modification of an already held one (Offorma, 2013).

No single teaching strategy is ideal, each has advantages and draw backs. The optimal teaching strategy depends on the interaction of the students