THE ATTITUDE OF STUDENTS TOWARDS ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND THEIR ACTUAL PERFORMANCE IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE EXAMINATION IN SELECTED SCHOOLS IN UKWANI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF DELTA STATE
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THE
ATTITUDE OF STUDENTS TOWARDS ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND THEIR ACTUAL PERFORMANCE IN
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EXAMINATION IN SELECTED SCHOOLS IN UKWANI LOCAL GOVERNMENT
AREA OF DELTA STATE
ABSTRACT
This research is an attempt to find
out the attitude of students towards English Language and how it affects their
actual performance in English language examinations, using some selected
schools in Ukwani Local Government Area of Delta State. the schools include;
Obiaruku Grammar School, Amai College, Ezeonum Grammar School, Obiaruku Girls
College, Obietum Comprehensive High School. all in Ukwani Local Government Area
of Delta State. the researcher carried out an interview, questionnaire for the
teachers and students of the aforementioned schools. Although this meant going
from one school to the other, efforts was made to ensure that the findings will
be accurate. And solutions were given according to the findings in each school.
Finally, suggestions were given generally on how student can improve on their
performance in English Language Examination.
TABLE OF
CONTENT
CHAPTER ONE
Background to the Study
Statement of problem
Significant of the study
Scope of the study
Limitation
Assumption
Definitions of terms
CHAPTER
TWO
Literature Review
CHAPTER
THREE
Methodology
Population
Sample and samplings techniques
Instrumentation
Method of data collection
Method of data Analysis
CHAPTER
FOUR
Data analysis
Testing the hypothesis
Discussion and findings
CHAPTER FIVE
Summary
Conclusion
Recommendation
REFERENCES
QUESTIONNAIRES
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
English Language was introduced to Nigeria in 1842, by the batch of
missionaries who arrived Badagry to evangelize as well as educate the natives
(Tomori, 1981). The British Government became the colonial masters of Nigeria
from the cession of Lagos as a colony in 1861. The representatives of the queen
that was sent back to look after her majesty colony officialised English
language in the colony and informally introduced by the early missionaries. The
teachers of English Language became prominent at the turn of the nineteenth
century by the European missionaries and the freed African slaves who believed that
the adoption at European cultures and values would save Africa from barbarism,
ignorance, poverty and disease. English since then has occupied a central
position in Nigeria and its importance has been growing by leaps and bounds.
Though many people would agree that there is an observable fall in standard of
education in Nigeria. Nobody in his wildest imagination would have believed
that university education in Nigeria has fallen to an abysmally low level as a
world bank study has shown in a report that university education in Nigeria has
degenerated in the past fifteen to sixteen years.
The shocking news which was reported as are of the lead headlines in the
guardian, one of Nigerians major daily newspapers, was published on 19th
February, 2001. The screaming headline reads “World Bank Reports Scores
Nigerian Graduates Low”. The guardians newspaper quoted the World Bank
sponsored study that, Nigeria graduates are poorly trained and unproductive on
the job. Graduates skills have steadily deteriorated over the past decade (PI).
According to the report, the poor performance of Nigerian graduates is
particularly evident in two areas, poor mastery of English Language and lack of
requisite technical skills, it was ascertained in the report that the deficiencies
in both vital areas make Nigeria graduates of the past fifteen years unfit for
the labour market, and sometimes the larger society shortcomings were
particularly observed in oral and writing communication, and applied technical
skills.
The study also indicated that a serious disconnection exists between
universities trainings and the needs of the labour market and this has
been socially costly to the country. The report showed that in many cases employers
of labour compensate for deficiency in academic preparation by organizing
remedial courses for new employees at great expenses. This often increased the
companies operating cost and reduced profitability. Though the study may have
identified major areas of the decline in the university education, the actual
problem may have its root at the secondary school level. For it is at the
secondary school level that the potential undergraduates are given inadequate
foundation in the use of English. A mastery of written and spoken language is
highly desirable, yet its teaching and learning is beset by a myriad of
problems at the secondary school level (Kalawole, 1998).
STATEMENT OF
PROBLEM
Majority
of students who are admitted into the university have no apple opportunity to
study English Language anymore, except those who are admitted to study English
and related subjects. Such as linguistics and literature in English. Though all
students admitted into the universities in Nigeria are encouraged to talk few
courses in the English usage, the content of these English courses are grossly
inadequate for the students to acquire requisite skills in the effective use of
the language for communication and for the give and take of social experience.
In order to study English as a second language and be successful at it, the
students must be willing to have a grasp of the mastery of English language
usage and this in turn has to do with their attitude towards English language.
And the teachers must also help the students to acquire skills in fair language
art. Namely speaking, reading, listening and writing.
Language is the vehicle of social interaction and requires practical everyday
language use to function properly in the work place, social interaction,
mobilization and indeed for functional literacy. It must be emphasized that “a
person is functionally literate when he has acquired the knowledge and skills
in reading and writing which enable him to engage effectively in all those
activities in which literacy is normally assumed in the culture of his group.
(Gray, 1969:24) in an analysis of the senior secondary school certificate
result in English language between 1988 and 1996 Olapopoo (1`998) indicated
that the percentage of failure was between 53.36% and 72.31%. A rich and
stimulating language environment and during the early years and beyond is
essential to the development and improvement of verbal and intellectual skills
necessary for language learning Malinowsk (1991) asserted that composition
writing is a difficult skill to acquire, and recommended therefore, that
teachers must use a variety of meth0od for teaching English Language. Ellis and
Tomlison (1980) recommended some basic skills to be taught to learners so that
they can write easy proficiently, such skill includes spelling, punctuation,
linguistic skills and convention of style, Reyner et al (2001:57) ascertained
that “many good teachers are adaptive rather than rigid in their approach to
teaching children and only loosely base their instruction and a given method.
There are odds against the Nigerian students in learning English. Trifonovitch
(1981) indicated that a student is automatically placed at a disadvantage when
he is asked to learn another language. Majority of secondary school students in
Nigeria had already mastered their mother tongue before they are admitted into
school. Nigeria is reputed to have over 250 languages. With the poor
performances of students and graduates in English language in Nigeria,
educators, parents, employers, are worried and express great concern. The
problem therefore is how the student’s attitude towards English language has
affected their actual performance in English language examinations and every
day proficient use of it.
PURPOSE OF THE
STUDY
This
study examined the performance of students in English Language examinations,
daily efficient use and their attitude towards English language use which of
course tell on their actual performance in the language. The study is also
aimed at suggesting ways to improve on their performance at the secondary
school level. Such suggestion bear on methods of handling the students to help
in the swing of negative attitude pendulum to effect positively in same towards
the language.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The usefulness of the work cannot be over emphasized the major factors
affecting the performance of students in English language in general i.e. both
examinations and daily use. Students attitude towards learning and what should
be done to help them adopt positive mind set towards learning and mastery of
English language would be found invaluable to improve performance excellently.
Most especially the secondary school students who leave school convinced that
they are bad in English and certainly also not able to use their mother tongue
with confidence outside the limited purpose and situation of their immediate
social group. Furthermore the study will no doubt be immense use to language
teachers especially teachers of English language. Curriculum planners of
language. English and the ministry of education in making English language
teaching and learning more interesting and meaningful.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The
following research questions have been formulated to guide the direction of the
study.
i.
What is the relationship between students attitude towards English language and
their daily efficient use of it.
ii.
Do teachers of English language use appropriate methods in the teaching of it?
iii.
Does the learning environment affect the students attitude towards learning the
language?
iv.
What are those factors that influence prevalent students attitude towards their
language performance?
DEFINITION OF
TERMS
Barbarism: Old ways or system of
belief by a group of persons, or culture. It can also be called obsolete.
Colony: A country or an area that is
governed by people from another, more powerful country.
Language: The system of
communication in speech and writing that is used by people of a particular
country or area.
Leaps and Bounds: A figurative
expression which means “all round” to spread across many places.
Proficiency: The ability to do
something well because of training and practice. Ability to master English and
also it proficiently.
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