Article abstract

Journal of Educational Research and Review

Research Article | Published July 2017 | Volume 5, Issue 4, pp. 55-65

Fostering Oral Communication in English as a Foreign Language in Beninese Secondary Schools: The Case of Some Couffo Schools

 

 

 

Akayaou Meterwa OURSO1
Sylvestre D. TCHAGNONHOU2*
Claude HOUNYETIN2

 Email Author

 

 1.    UL, Togo.

 2.    FLAAC-UAC, Benin.

 

 

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 Citation: Ourso AM, Tchagnonhou SD, Hounyetin C (2017). Fostering Oral Communication in English as a Foreign Language in Beninese Secondary Schools: The Case of Some Couffo Schools. J. Edu. Res. Rev. 5(4): 55-65.
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 Abstract 

 

This study aims at drawing up an inventory of factors that prevent students from speaking English fluently, proposing adequate solutions to these problems, and revealing the impacts that English speaking mastery can have on learners’ future professional, economic and social lives. As such, it intends to verify the problems that English speaking can have despite its importance and propose solutions to create more interaction through communicative language teaching and some teaching strategies. To reach our objective, we have used a mixed research methodology made of questionnaires and interviews. Questionnaires of six questions were addressed to twenty (20) EFL teachers whereas two hundred and fifty (250) questionnaires of seven questions were addressed to EFL students. These two types of respondents were selected from six JHS of Couffo Regions. As for interviewees, they were ten, selected from the same schools. The data collected through the main instruments were discussed based on the research questions. The results, from answers to question N°1 (why foster oral communication), show that 68% of the respondent teachers say that English offers job opportunities and 30% declare that it helps to communicate with the rest of the world. Next, from answers to research question N° 2 (what prevents EFL students from being fluent), it can be retained that 85% of the students addressed anxiety as their main threat (question N°5); 62% say that they feel at ease to speak English only in small groups (question N°3). From teachers, many other reasons were also evoked. 90% of the interviewees declare that students ignore the importance of English in the world and 85% think that negligence and laziness reduce learners’ interest in English. About the last research question, interviewees proposed six solutions. Here, teachers in their answers to questions N°5 reveal that they based the teaching in their interest (55%) and in N°6, 55% say they use Jigsaw to create interaction. In the end, the study draws the conclusion that knowing the “how” is not enough, but both teachers and learners should apply what is required for sound results.

 

Keywords   Fostering    Oral communication     interaction      EFL  

 



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