THE INFLUENCE OF MOTHER TONGUE L1 ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Cover
Page
Title
page
Approval
Page
Certification
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Table
of contents
Abstract
CHAPTER
ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background to the study
Statement of the
Problem
Purpose of the study
Significance of the Study
Scope of the Study
Research hypothesis
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE
REVIEW
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research
Design
Population of
the study
Administration
of questionnaires
Data analysis
CHAPTER
FOUR
Results and
Discussion
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Summary
Conclusion
Recommendation
REFERENCES
APPENDIX
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ABSTRACT
This
focus of this study is to examine the effect of mother tongue on the learning
of English language in secondary schools.
Data and information concerning this study was
elicited through the use of questionnaire which was administered to teachers
and students before and after the research through which inadequate teaching
materials, inadequate qualified teachers of English, unavailability of text
books, absence of well stocked libraries, environmental factors and others were
found to be the major problems responsible for the ‘effect of mother tongue on
the learning of English language’. However, recommendations were made for learning
of English language to devoid mother tongue influence, that government should
strive to provide adequate language teaching materials and teachers of English
language should be encouraged to attend seminars and conferences on language
teaching.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the study
English
plays an important role in the development of Nigeria that is why the entire
heritage left behind in Nigeria by the British, at the end of the Colonial
administration, none is more important than the English language. It is now the
core subject in the curriculum. Also, students are expected to attain a certain
level of proficiency in it to enable them perform well in the society.
Crystal
(1990) asserts that “language is the most frequently used and most highly
developed form of human communication among the people in the world. English language is used as a medium of
instruction right from the primary school level up to the university level. It
is also introduced as a core subject right from the primary school to the
university level.
The
role of English language as a second language cannot be over emphasized. It is
the language of government and administration. Thus, it serves as the official
language in Nigeria. It is used during national occasions and celebration such
as children’s day, independence and so on. It also cuts across all ethnic
groups, social and regional boundaries. It is therefore the language of
inter-ethnic communication.
The
position of English in Nigeria as a second language and as a language used in
all fact of life, politics, social, religion, education, commerce-calls for
joint efforts making students competence its spoken and written from a view of
making them intelligible to their hearers and readers.
Seweje
(2006) defines the term, ‘mother tongue’ as the first language that child
acquires and with which he first makes contact with himself, with others and
with his environment.
Mother
tongue is not regarded as a garment the child puts off when he wears his school
uniform but rather as a part of the staff of which his mind is built. It is
therefore the language through which the
child thinks, dream, cherished, loves, scolds and learns.
The
learner of English as a second language already has mastered the rules of one
language (that is the first language). Therefore, the learning of a second
language means the learning of a different set of rules and there is bound to
be confusion which causes the effect of mother tongue in the learning of the
English language as a second language.
A
visit to many of the primary schools in Ondo State listening to the students
spoken English when responding to questions during English lesson will show to
a large extent the effect of their mother tongue on their rendition of English.
It becomes imperative for the home, and the school to look for ways of getting
rid of the problem militating against the effective learning of English.
The
researcher has personally observed the mother tongue influence on the learning
of English language in some selected primary schools in Ondo State which are of
phonology, grammar and lexis for instance students in Ondo State find it
difficult to pronounce “b” correctly it is aspirated in all cases whether it
occurs in the word initial medial of final position.
Statement of the problem
Apart from the fact those
students are more proficient in their mother tongue which interferes in their
spoken and written English. It has been observed that English language is not
well taught by teachers because of insufficient periods for its teaching on the
school’s time table.
There
are not enough teaching materials and equipment like radio tape recorder and
language laboratories with which these students can be taught the practical
aspect of the language. It has also been observed that teachers contribute to
the problem of the primary school learner of English in that there are some
teachers who themselves cannot pronounce English words correctly without
allowing their first language to reflect in their spoken and written sentences.
It
should also be noted that lack of qualified English teachers in our primary
schools contributes to the poor teaching of the subject for instance in most of
our primary schools teacher of Agricultural science, science, Health Education,
Fine Arts and so on are made to teach English. This is in small measure that
contribute to the students failure in the subject in common entrance
examination.
Teachers of English
language are not given the opportunity to attend seminar and conferences
regularly where they can be expose to various change in the rules governing
English language which keep on changing every tune. The problem of putting the students
on what one does not understand eventually leads to their lack of euthusiasm.
What students achieve in school, how they view themselves to remarkable degree,
function of teachers’ personality. It is the enormity of the various problems
stated above that makes for the inevitability of the study.
Purpose of the study
This
study is intended to carry out an investigation into the effect of mother
tongue on the learning of English language in the selected secondary school. Students
spoken and written English are not easily understood due to the transfer of the
speech element of their first language into the English language.
The
purpose of this research therefore is to look into how English can be learnt
effectively in our secondary schools and also make suggestions and
recommendations for the improvement of learning English so the effect of the
mother tongue on the language be reduced if not totally removed.
Significance of the study
As
stated in background to the study that English language plays many important
roles in Nigeria as country’s medium of wider communication used for
commercial, legislative, and instructional purposes. English is expected to be
taught in our secondary schools so that students will acquire high proficiency
in the language.
Through
observation, it appears that despite the fact that the English language is
taught everyday, students still find it very hard to speak or write in English
language without the refection of the elements of their first language.
It
is hoped that this study will offer suggestions and recommendations towards the
improvement of the learners of English language in primary schools in Ondo
State with a view of erasing the effect of mother tongue on their learning of
the language.
The
study will also suggest ways to improve teachers of English language so that
will be acquired with new changes in the structure of the language. Apart from
the above, it can help in enhancing the students self confidence so that they
will be able to express their filling and ideas in correct and intelligible
form in English language because, “ once
a child can express himself easily in speech and in writing, his self confidence
in the foundation of all successful learning”.
Scope of the study
The
study will in scope look at the effect or influence of interference on the
learning of English in primary schools in Ondo State as it affects the
phonological, grammatical and lexical aspects of the language and suggest ways
of solving the problem.
Research hypothesis
In
order to give direction to this study and based n the personal experience of
the researcher the following hypothesis are formulated:
1. There
is no significant relationship between influence of mother tongue on the
learning of English and the intelligibility of the students’ learners of
English language while speaking.
2. There
is no significant relationship between students learning environment and the
learning of English language.
3. There
is no significant relationship between teachers’ poor model and its impact on
the learning of English language.
4. There
is no significant relationship between English as Nigeria’s official language
and mother tongue.