ABSTRACT
This work dealt with the identification and analysis of difficulties in reading French language in Senior Secondary Schools in Nsukka Education Zone. The introductory aspect looked at some definitions of language and the need for the study of French language in Nigeria, including some of the problems militating against the implementation of French language policies. Such variables as phonological awareness, reading fluency, multilingualism, gender and location of students were speculated as possible causes of students’ difficulties in reading French Language. The study was delimited to identifying and analyzing the difficulties of Senior Secondary School French language students’ reading in relation to pronunciation, lexis, syntax, and fluency. Four research questions and two null hypotheses guided the work. Descriptive survey research design was adopted in this research. One hundred and twenty (120) senior secondary school students of French language were randomly composed from thirteen (13) secondary schools that offer French language in the zone. A French Language Reading Achievement Test (FLRAT) was used to collate the necessary data. The study revealed that the major areas of difficulty in pronunciation were in articulation of syllable and nasalization, while recognition of suffixes and gender issue in French language grammar constituted difficulties in reading syntax, with distinction of homophones difficulties in reading lexis.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page – – – – – – – – i
Certification – – – – – – – – – ii
Approval Page – – – – – – – – – – – – – iii
Dedication – – – – – – – – – – – – – iv
Acknowledgement – – – – – – – – – – – – v –
Abstract – – – – – – – – – – – – – – vi
Table of Contents – – – – – – – – – – – – – – vii
List of tale – – – – – – – – – – – – – ix
List of Appendices – – – – – – – – – – x
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the study – – – – – – – – 1
Statement of the Problem – – – – – – – – – 15
Purpose of the Study – – – – – – – – 16
Significance of the Study – – – – – – – – 17
Scope of the Study – – – – – – – – – 19 Research Questions – – – – – – – – 19
Hypotheses – – – – – – – – – – 19
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Conceptual Framework – – – – – – – – – – 20
Concept of Reading – – – – – – – – – 21
Importance of Reading – – – – – – – – 23
Types of Reading – – – – – – – – 25
French language lexis – – – – – – – – 29
Reading Difficulties in French Language – – – – – 32
Theoretical Framework – – – – – – – – 33
The Gestalt Cognitive Theory – – – – – – – – 33
The Schema Theory of Language Learning – – – – – – 36
The Generative Learning Model – – – – – – – – – 38
Inter-Language Theories – – – – – – – – – – 39
Review of Related Empirical Studies – – – – – – – – 46
Summary of Literature Review – – – – – – – – – 49
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODS
Design of the Study – – – – – – – – – – – – 51
Area of the Study – – – – – – – – – – – 51 Population of the Study – – – – – – – – – – 52
Sample and Sampling Technique – – – – – – – – 52
Instrument for Data Collection – – – – – – – – 53
Validation of the Instrument – – – – – – – – – 53
Reliability of the Instrument – – – – – – – – – 54
Method of Data Collection – – – – – – – – – – 54
Method of Data Analysis – – – – – – – – – – 55
CHAPTER FOUR : RESULTS – – – – – – – – – 56
Research Question 1 – – – – – – – – – – 56
Research Question 2 – – – – – – – – – – 57
Research Question 3 – – – – – – – – 58
Research Question 4 – – – – – – – – 59
Summary of Findings – – – – – – – – 61
CHAPTER FIVE : DISCUSSION OF RESULTS, CONCLUSIONS,
IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS’ 64 Findings – – – – – – – 64
Educational Implications – – – – – 72 Recommendations’ – – – – – – 73
Conclusion – – – – – – 76
Limitations – – – – – 77
Suggestions for further research – – – – 77
Summary of the Study – – – – – 78
References – – – – – 82
APPENDICES
A Letter of Request for Validation of Instrument- – – – – – 88
B French Language Reading Achievement Test (FLRAT) – – – – 89
C List of secondary schools in Nsukka Education Zone – – – 91
D List of Secondary Schools that offer French Language in Nsukka
Education Zone – – – – – – – – 95 E Population of SSS 2 Students to be used for the study – – – – – – – 96
F Sample of the study – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 97
G Results of trial tests – – – – – – – – – – – – – 98
H Reliability Analysis – – – – – – – – – – – – – 99
I T-test of mean achievement scores of male and female students – 100
J T-test of mean achievement scores by location – – – – 101
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Types and percentage of pronunciation errors
Table 2: Types and percentage of syntactic errors
Table 3: Types and percentage of lexical errors
Table 4: Types and percentage of impediments to students’ fluency
Table 5: T-test and mean achievement score of male and female students
Table 6: T-test of mean achievement scores by location.
LIST OF APPENDICES
A Letter of request for validation of instrument.
B French Language Reading and Achievement Test (FLRAT).
C List of secondary schools in Nsukka Education Zone.
D List of secondary schools that offer French in Nsukka Education Zone.
E Population of senior secondary school students for the study.
F Sample of the Study.
G Reliability analysis of the sample.
H T-test of the main achievement scores of male and female students.
I T-test of mean achievement scores by location.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Human beings have the gift of language which distinguishes them from the rest of the animal world. They are said to be homo sapiens by reason of language. Man alone has the power to articulate speech and it is largely by virtue of this power that human beings can reason. It is difficult to think of what the world of man would look like without language. Of course, one would find it difficult to imagine the implications of such a situation, since the very thought itself would be in language.
Language has been variously defined. According to Safra (2002) language consists of vocal sounds to which meanings have been assigned by cultural conventions and which is often supplemented by various gestures. Language is the medium man uses to shape and express his thought. Language consists of a number of verbal and non-verbal presentations of ideas, concepts and these are represented through symbols and signs in the written form, by means of which our thoughts are logically and intelligibly proved to be truth. Language gives human existence its central meaning and focus. According to Palmer (2005), Otagburuagu and Okorji (2003), man is unlike other animals because he is homo loquens – man the speaking animal.
From the definitions of language, one could infer that there are certain features peculiar to human language. For instance, the use of vocal symbols (speech sounds), use of gestures; nods, smiles, and of course, verbalization. Animals and birds can vocalize but not verbalize. Other lower animals can communicate but not with a meaningful language like human beings. A bird like parrot can repeat or imitate human sounds but cannot say the meanings. This is why, in considering further the features of human language, Otagburuagu and Okorji (2003) assert that all languages are dynamic, productive and communicably dependable through speech and exist in human nature as part of culture. Human language is used for specific purposes such as medium of expression of feelings, medium of creativity, evaluation, indoctrination, social interaction, articulation and classification of thought. All these boil down to the general purpose of language, which is a means of communication. By implication, language is the unique property of human beings and all the developments of man, be it intellectual, ethical, political, social or economic revolve entirely on the instrumentality of language. It stimulates all forms of mobility among human beings.
This informs the fact that Nigeria, an English speaking country, as a result of colonization by the British apart from her Anglophone inclination, maintains a bilateral relationship with the neighboring French-speaking countries around her in areas of economic, political, and socio-cultural dealings. Countries like Cameroon, Chad Republic, Benin Republic, Togo, Niger and a host of others are in constant touch with Nigeria under the aegis of the Economic Community of West African States since its inception in May, 1975. French and English languages are the two major languages used for communication during deliberations in the meeting sessions of the union. This informs the necessity of the language for every Nigerian.
The turn of events in the development of French in Nigeria has culminated in the New French/English bilingual policy of French as a second language. The policy of French becoming a second official language confers on it a status similar to that of English in Nigeria. French, therefore, becomes a core subject at the senior primary and junior parts of the 9-year Basic Education.
The new language policy is consequent upon government’s awareness and appreciation of the role of the French language as a unifying force in the inter-regional scene among African states, viz.: “For the smooth interaction with her neighbors, it is desirable for every Nigerian to speak French. Accordingly, French shall be the second official language in Nigeria and it shall be compulsory in schools” (FRN, 1998, 2004). Again government has realized that operating a monolingual policy of English as the only official language on the international scene in this millennium and probably beyond may be detrimental to her democratic and developmental process (Opara, 2000).
With this change in status, French is no longer studied as an optional language in the school but as a second language and compulsory subject. According to th National Policy on Education,
It has therefore become part of the educational process of the average Nigerian child. As such, it becomes part of the means for realizing the educational objectives of helping the child to acquire permanent literacy, self reliance and other life-long learning skills through the inculcation of appropriate learning-to-learn, self awareness, citizenship and life skills ( FRN, 2004 )
To prove its commitment to this policy, the Federal Government has already adopted the three-phased implementation schedule recommended by the Ministerial Task Force for the implementation of the policy from 1998 to 2008. The policy has conferred on the French language a privileged position of a core subject vis-à-vis its former position of an elective course on the school curriculum. A closer look at the implementation period, suggests a serious and committed effort on the part of the Federal Government for its implementation. One would believe that logistics put in place at the first phase under implementation is not yet completed (Okwudili, 2006). It is rather the case that the first phase has already become a myth, as nothing seems to be happening in that regard. According to Ugwu (2008) the French language policy has gradually been going underground due to some obvious problems which range from human capital to material resources. As a matter of fact, most of the teachers who are to implement the policy are not yet aware of the policy, or the proposed phases of the implementation procedure. Logistics and resources for proper implementation are not yet adequately in place.
