EFFECTS OF COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING METHOD ON SENIOR SECONDARY HAUSA LANGUAGE STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1         Background to the Study

The success of all school programmes depend on many factors. One of which is teaching method in other words, the strategy of imparting knowledge to the learners determine in no small measures to the success of teaching activity. Thus teaching methods remains an integral part of school curriculum. Teaching method comprises the principle and methods used for instructions, the most commonly used teaching method may include grammar translation method, audio-lingual method, oral method, direct method, recitation memorization or combination of these.

The choice of teaching method or method to be used depends largely on the information or skills that are being taught, and it may also be influenced by the aptitude and enthusiasm of the students. Method is what the professional teachers utilize to maximize student learning. Effective methods of teaching stimulates students‟ interest in a topic, which is the basis for achieving the desired objectives, it may discourage their initiatives and curiosity (Yerima, 2007). There are techniques that encourage the development of creativity, ability, competence provide experience not easily secured in any other way. There is variety of teaching methods and approaches for teachers to choose according to the situation, especially in language teaching method which includes audio-lingual method, oral method, functional notional method, situational language teaching, direct method, and communicative language method. Some of these method are more appropriate for a particular group than others, for instance, some are good for younger learners and some for older students.
The development of communicative language method was also prevailed by new academic ideas. In Britain, applied linguistics began to doubt the efficiency of situational language teaching, this was partly in response to Chomsky‟s insights into the nature of language. Chomsky had shown that the structural theories of language could not explain the creativity and variety evident in real communication. In addition, British applied linguist such as Christopher candling and Henry widowson to see that a focus on structure was also helping language students, they saw a need for students to develop communicative skill and functional competence in addition to mastering language structure, they saw the need to focus in language teaching on communicative proficiency rather than on mere mastery of structures.

EFFECTS OF COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING METHOD ON SENIOR SECONDARY HAUSA LANGUAGE STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA