FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR EFFECTIVE USE OF SPEAKING SKILLS IN PRIMARY SCHOOL (A CASE STUDY IN SOME SELECTED PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN TORO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BAUCHI STATE)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Language is the principal means by which human beings communicate, and within the school setting, the English language occupies a particularly central place in the Nigerian curriculum, serving both as a subject in its own right and as the medium of instruction for nearly every other subject from the primary level upward. Of the four core language skills, listening, speaking, reading and writing, speaking is often regarded as the most immediately visible measure of a learner's command of the language, since it is through speech that a pupil's fluency, confidence and command of vocabulary are most readily judged by teachers, parents and, eventually, employers. Yet it is widely observed that many Nigerian primary school pupils, despite years of formal English instruction, continue to struggle to express themselves confidently and correctly in spoken English.

Stephen Krashen's influential theory of second language acquisition offers one useful lens for understanding why this gap between instruction and spoken competence persists. Krashen (1985) argued that language is acquired most effectively not through the explicit study of grammatical rules but through exposure to comprehensible input, language that learners can understand slightly beyond their current level of competence, delivered in a low-anxiety environment. Applied to the primary school classroom, this theory suggests that a pupil's ability to acquire speaking proficiency in English depends heavily on the quality and variety of instructional resources and teaching methods to which they are exposed, and on the extent to which the classroom environment encourages, rather than inhibits, spontaneous spoken practice.

A number of Nigerian studies lend empirical support to this view. Alufohai (2016), examining school-based factors affecting senior secondary school students' achievement in English language in Edo State, found that the availability of instructional materials and the teaching methods employed by teachers were significant determinants of students' language performance. Aina, Ogundele and Olanipekun (2013), studying the relationship between English language proficiency and academic performance among science and technical education students, similarly found that stronger English proficiency, including spoken proficiency, was closely associated with better overall academic outcomes, underscoring the practical stakes involved in ensuring that pupils acquire strong speaking skills from an early stage. It is against this background that the present study examines the factors responsible for effective use of speaking skills among pupils in selected primary schools in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State, with particular attention to the instructional resources and teaching methods used, the common errors pupils make when speaking, and other factors that may affect their acquisition of spoken English.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Despite the central place of English in the Nigerian primary school curriculum, concern persists over the standard of spoken English among primary school pupils, many of whom find it difficult to express themselves fluently and correctly in Standard English even after years of classroom instruction delivered in that language. Where pupils enter secondary school with weak spoken English skills, the effects can ripple across their entire academic career, since English proficiency underlies performance in most other subjects on the curriculum. While the general problem of weak spoken English among Nigerian learners has been documented in various parts of the country, there remains limited locally grounded evidence on the specific instructional resources available, the teaching methods actually employed, the particular errors pupils make, and the other contextual factors that shape the acquisition of speaking skills among primary school pupils in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State specifically. It is this gap that the present study seeks to address.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The specific objectives that guided the study were to:

• Investigate which instructional resources are used in the teaching of speaking skills in English.

• Establish the teaching methods used in teaching speaking skills in English.

• Establish the common errors that students make when speaking in English.

• Identify other factors affecting students' acquisition of speaking skills in English.

1.4 Research Questions

In line with the objectives above, this study seeks to answer the following research questions:

• Which instructional resources are used in the teaching of speaking skills in English in selected primary schools in Toro LGA?

• Which teaching methods do teachers of English use when teaching speaking skills in these schools?

• What common errors do pupils make when speaking in English?

• What other factors affect pupils' acquisition of speaking skills in English in Toro LGA?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study is significant to teachers of English in Toro Local Government Area, as its findings will draw attention to the specific instructional resources and teaching methods that support, or hinder, pupils' acquisition of spoken English, offering a basis for reviewing classroom practice. To school administrators and heads of department, the study offers evidence that can inform decisions about the provision of instructional materials and the professional development priorities of English language teachers.

For curriculum planners and officials of the Ministry of Education, the study contributes locally grounded evidence to the wider effort of improving English language outcomes in Nigerian primary schools, complementing existing studies such as Alufohai (2016) and Aina et al. (2013). Finally, the study will serve as a useful reference for future researchers, students and educators interested in the acquisition of spoken English among Nigerian primary school pupils.

1.6 Scope of the Study

This study is confined to selected public primary schools in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State. The scope covers an examination of the instructional resources and teaching methods used in the teaching of speaking skills in English, the common errors pupils make when speaking, and other factors that affect pupils' acquisition of speaking skills. The study is limited to the acquisition of speaking skills in English specifically, and does not extend to the other three core language skills of listening, reading and writing, except where they bear directly on the development of spoken proficiency.

1.7 Limitations of the Study

This study is subject to a number of limitations typical of classroom-based educational research. Because data on teaching methods and pupil errors are gathered partly through questionnaires and partly through classroom observation, there is a possibility of discrepancy between what teachers report they do and what is actually observed in practice. The study is also confined to a limited number of selected schools within Toro Local Government Area, which may limit the extent to which its findings can be generalized to other parts of Bauchi State or to Nigeria more broadly. Time and resource constraints associated with the research further limited the number of schools and pupils that could be sampled. Notwithstanding these limitations, the study was designed to yield as reliable and representative a picture as possible within the given constraints.

1.8 Definition of Terms

Speaking Skills: The productive language ability to convey meaning orally, involving pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar and fluency in spoken communication.

Acquisition: The process, often largely subconscious, by which a person develops the ability to use a language for real communication, as distinguished from the conscious, rule-based process of formal language learning.

Instructional Resources: The materials and tools, such as textbooks, literary texts, audio-visual aids and language laboratories, used by teachers to support the teaching and learning process.

Teaching Method: The systematic approach or set of techniques a teacher uses to facilitate learning, such as group discussion, role play, dialogue or the lecture method.

Comprehensible Input: Language input that a learner can understand despite not knowing every word or structure it contains, held by Krashen's theory to be central to language acquisition.

Standard English: The variety of English regarded as the model or norm for formal instruction and communication, generally based on established British or similar conventions.

Mother Tongue Interference: The influence of a learner's first language on their production of a second language, often resulting in characteristic pronunciation, grammar or vocabulary errors.

REFERENCES

Aina, J. K., Ogundele, A. G., & Olanipekun, S. S. (2013). Students' proficiency in English language relationship with academic performance in science and technical education. American Journal of Educational Research, 1(9), 355–358.

Alufohai, P. J. (2016). School-based factors affecting senior secondary school students' achievement in English language in Edo State. European Journal of Research and Reflection in Educational Sciences, 4(9), 1–10.

Krashen, S. D. (1985). The input hypothesis: Issues and implications. Longman.