CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
French being a foreign language in Nigeria encounters a lot of problems among which is inadequate teaching aids. The success of a foreign language teaching depends not only on the quality of the programme but also on the flexibility with which the teacher implements and supplements existing teaching materials of that programme.
The present age, which is the age of science and technology has also influenced the teaching and learning programmes. The process of teaching and learning depends upon the different types of equipment available in the classroom. Imparting knowledge does not only need intellectual skills, but ensuring that the content is imparted in the learners through different methods. Language teachers are making effort to introduce innovations in their teaching in order to make their language teaching interesting and effective. For this reason, language teachers tend to adopt different techniques to teach in order to achieve effectiveness.
With the rapid growth and availability of technology, language teachers are incorporating different additional aids along with textbooks to teach language. Different electronic boards, overhead transparency, multimedia, projector, computer, audio and video equipment are making the language teachers task easier and dynamic. We may classify this aids as follows:
1. Audio aids
2. Visual aids
3. Audio-visual aids
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
There are a number of challenges associated with the teaching and learning of French language at the secondary school level. These includes among others wrong pronunciation of French words, lack of interest on the part of students caused by inadequate motivation by teachers. Teaching aid which is beneficial to language learning and teaching is not used in most secondary schools as a result of non-availability of the materials.
In schools where the materials are available, they are inadequate. This project examines the importance of teaching and in the teaching and learning of French language in a multilingual society.
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following questions pertinent to this research are as follows:
1. Are teaching aid necessary in the teaching and learning of French as a foreign language?
2. Do teaching aid help improve students’ performance in French?
3. Do French male use of teaching aids when teaching their students?
4. Are the teaching aids used relevant and adequate?
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study is significant in the sense that it helps enhance teacher’s effectiveness and productivity. This is in line with the assertion of Ekwueme and Igwe (2001) who noted that “it is only the teachers who will guarantee effective and adequate usage of teaching aids and thereby facilitate success”.
The study is also important to the educational system and the society in general. For the former, it will help create awareness of the effectiveness of teaching aid in learning the French language, beneficiaries of the teaching will be ,useful in the society which is tending towards bilingualism.
1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study would be carried out in selected secondary school in Odeda Local Government of Ogun State, the selected school are as follows:
a. FCE Model Secondary School
b. Faith Heritage International
c. Salawu Abiola Comprehensive High School,
d. Stephen Centre International
e. Paragon International College
1.6 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Teaching aids: a teaching aid is a tool used by the teacher as a facilitator to the process of teaching and learning inside the classroom.
Teaching: Teaching is a form of interpersonal influence aiming at changing the behavior potential of another person. It is seen as an interactive process, primarily involving classroom talk which take place between teacher and pupil ad occur during certain definable activity.
Learning: learning is an act of acquiring new, or modifying and reinforcing existing knowledge behaviors, skill, values, or preferences which may lead to potential change in synthesizing information. Depth of the knowledge, attitude, or behavior relative to the type and range of experience.
Multilingual: it is the use of two or more languages, either by an individual speaker or community of speakers.