Abstract
A case study of Obudu local government area in the state of Cross River is being conducted on the use of language laboratories in junior secondary schools for the successful teaching and learning of oral English. This survey is descriptive. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of the language laboratory on the efficient teaching and learning of oral English in the study area. The target population was 16 junior secondary students. Out of the 213 teachers in the research region, 170 teachers were used. Questionnaires are the main tool used to collect data. The author displays the responses of the respondents to a specific research question using frequency tables and means percentages in the data presentation. Their responses provided information that was utilized to analyze the study. Data collected indicated that teaching in a language laboratory would have enhanced the teaching and learning of oral English in junior secondary schools, but no such facility exists. Additionally, neither teachers nor students had any training in using language laboratories. The research's findings showed that the lack of a language lab in schools makes oral English instruction and learning inefficient there. Based on the findings, it is advised that language laboratories be made available in schools in order to promote successful spoken English teaching and learning, and that stakeholders in education implement language laboratories in curriculum planning. The government and the general public should help in the provision of language laboratory equipments to increase teaching and learning of oral English. Proper training should be provided to teachers/instructors and students on how to use language laboratory equipment.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
For people from other linguistic groups in Nigeria, Adeoya, English has remained the language of: politics, law, administration, the media, business, and all other forms of social interaction (2012). It is the language of instruction for all topics and the language of education. The English language learners are expected to have a sufficient level of proficiency. English has shown to be a more effective medium than any native language in Nigeria's diverse industries.
English is a language of communication, much like every other language in the world, claims Aremu (2012). He continued by saying that several regions of the western hemisphere, including some areas of America (U.S.A.) and Great Britain (United Kingdom), speak English as their native tongue. He continues by saying that English is one of the world's most widely spoken languages. As a result of British colonization, English is now Nigeria's official language and lingua franca. Additionally, Abdullahi (2012) asserted that it is the language that was brought to some nations by their invaders. More than 97% of the world's nations utilize English as their primary medium of communication, he continued, making it a worldwide language. However, Salihu (2012) also believes that in some places, primarily those where it is widely recognized as their lingua franca, the English language functions as a generic means of communication. In addition, Aliyu (2010) noted that Americans, with the exception of South Americans, recognize English as the language that originated in Britain as their original tongue.
The school curriculum is taken into account in order for the educational process to run smoothly. As a result, the term "curriculum" refers to a collection of disciplines or fields of study that are organized in a specific order. Puckett (2009) defines curriculum as the selection, arrangement, and management of a corpus of subject content intended to guide students toward a single, clearly defined life purpose.
At least one modern language still has a claim to a spot in the secondary school curriculum, despite the fact that so many facets of human knowledge currently fight for inclusion as courses in the school curriculum. All those who think learning a current language other than one's own plays a significant role in the development of the adolescent, a role that may be even more vital today than it was in the past, are happy that this should be the case. When circumstances permit, it has been noted that the advantages inherent in such a study are advantageous to secondary school-aged students both in theory and in practice.
Language is defined as "the system of use common to individuals who are of the same community or nation, from the same geographical area, or who are of the same cultural tradition" by Webster's Encyclopedia Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language. Human speech can be expressed orally or in writing. Language exists whenever there is a human community. The majority of human activity depends on two or more people working together. People can cooperate in an unlimited number of ways thanks to a shared language. According to Lieberman (2004), both humans and animals have innate brain systems that are linked to their respective sound-producing mechanisms, supporting the claim that human language is biologically grounded like that of other primates. However, the majority of linguists readily concur that only humans have appropriate language, and that having language gave humans a significant evolutionary advantage over other animals. Anibueze (2007) asserts that English is a world language. It serves as the unifying language or lingua franca. It has a strong foundation so that individuals who speak different languages can relate to one another and collaborate. A Yoruba or Igbo guy and a Hausa man can converse and keep at ease with one another.
Therefore, learning this crucial language is worthwhile since those who do not have access to the most innovative ideas and cutting-edge technologies.
English continues to be the medium of instruction in Nigeria today. Without a sufficient command of the language, the majority of courses in elementary, secondary, and tertiary institutions are taught and assessed, students would find it difficult to make good academic progress. This necessitates the creation of a system that is both simple and effective.
This is crucial because, according to Umaru (2005), when a student first learns a new language, he frequently struggles to find the right words to convey his thoughts.
Since the learner uses a foreign language to communicate, he must begin from scratch in order to learn the language's foundational skills. So it only makes sense that this is the function where the numerous issues related to the correct teaching and learning of the Language meet. Oluikpe (2005) asserts that basic grammatical categories like punctuation, tense, number, gender, and so forth should be used as the primary criteria for evaluating pupils' writing and speaking abilities. There are numerous issues with Nigerian language instruction. Our English teachers, who are non-professionals in addition to lacking the necessary technical skills, are the main cause of these shortcomings. When a language instructor lacks command of the language's grammatical categories, as is the case right now, the system is not served properly. According to Regner (2001), who wrote a piece on similar issues in language education, "many outstanding teachers are flexible rather than rigid in their approach to educating children and only loosely base on their instruction on a certain method.
Language, as defined by Ozohili (2007), is literally the "tongue," a human organ utilized for speech. Language is typically understood to be a system of arbitrary verbal symbols used to transmit thoughts from one entity to another.
The language laboratory is the "heart of language education," and the instructor supports its operational activities by providing appropriate resources and learning settings, according to Robert (2000). The world in which we live is modern. A entire prose or poetry lesson can be transmitted via language laboratory. The number of language laboratories has recently grown, and this has affected the educational area. It is a two-way teaching and learning procedure that reduces student errors. It also helps students learn English more effectively, thus the researcher is curious to know how well language laboratories work for teaching English to students.
English is the language used in the education sector, according to Bamisaye (2006). It is introduced as a subject in the first year of primary school up through secondary school and includes the university level; it is a medium of instruction. Because of the greater importance assigned to it, it is imperative that students comprehend it. Due to widespread failures in the subject and a lack of qualified instructors, most secondary schools lack proper or even any language labs, which makes it a subject that most students detest.
According to Hindu (2006), a language lab is a space inside a school, college, training facility, university, or academy that is equipped with specialized tools to aid students in learning foreign languages by hearing tapes or CDs, seeing movies, recording themselves, etc. The Language Laboratory is an audio-visual setup designed to support the teaching of contemporary languages. Additionally, known as the Speech and Writing Laboratory. The importance of all four language acquisition skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—is emphasized, and students are given plenty of opportunities to practice through watching video clips and listening to audio programs. To put it another way, a language lab is a space equipped with instructional technology tools source units that can distribute written, audio, and/or video materials to any number of students at individual desks or carrels, with a variety of potential feedback mechanisms to the student, teacher, or other students.
One of the most recent forms of media that is having a significant impact on our educational system is modern language laboratory. Each student can play back one track of a tape while simultaneously recording his reaction on another track using the language laboratory, an audio or audio-visual installation used as a lab aid. Rewinding the tape allows him to compare the two recordings by listening to both the master track and the recording of his own answer.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The goal of this study is to determine whether or not the language lab plays a crucial role in the efficient instruction and acquisition of oral English in junior secondary schools. The lack of widespread usage of the language in the learner's immediate surroundings is the most significant issue they face. Teachers of second languages are typically not native speakers themselves. As a result, individuals are unable to communicate clearly or smoothly. However, they cannot be held responsible for the mother tongue's influence. Therefore, the researcher thought it was important to discover how language laboratories are used in the instruction and acquisition of oral English.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The aim of this research is to highlight the usage of language laboratory on effective teaching and learning of oral English in junior secondary schools.
1. To find out if there are language laboratories available for effective teaching and learning of oral English in junior secondary schools. (Availability)
2. To find out whether there is adequate motive for the use of language laboratory for both teachers and students during oral English class. (Utilization)
3. To find out the benefits of the language laboratories on the effective teaching and learning of oral English in junior secondary schools.
4. To find out the extent to which teachers’ incompetency has influence the proper use of language laboratory.
1.4 Research Questions
1. Are there enough language laboratories for the effective teaching and learning of oral English in junior secondary schools in Obudu Local Government Area, have language laboratories?
2. Are there adequate motives for the effective use of language laboratory for both teachers and students during oral English class?
3. How does the use of language laboratory improve the auditory performance of the students in the area?
4. To what extent does teachers’ incompetency influence the proper use of language laboratory?
1.5 Significance of The Study
As a result of this research, awareness will be raised for the building of language laboratories, which will benefit the government, the Nigeria Educational Research Centre, and curriculum developers. This research is intended to help English language teachers recognize issues, understand what hinders the teaching of oral English, and learn how to cope with them. Additionally, students will be able to identify their main speaking "road blocks" and learn how to get around them. Finally, people interested in English language instruction in Obudu and the nation at large will benefit from the study's conclusions.
1.6 Scope of the Study
Only the effective teaching and learning of oral English in a few chosen junior secondary schools in the Obudu Local Government Area of the state of Cross River is the focus of this study. The study is restricted to the presence of language laboratories, the training of English teachers, the methods of instruction, the impact of language laboratories on student performance, and ultimately, the interference of the mother tongue.
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