AN EVALUATION OF THE SYLLABUS IN TEACHING AND LEARNING OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN CHADIAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Gilbert Tagne Safotso, Célestin Tao

Abstract


Chad has over 200 local languages plus French and Arabic as its two official languages. All the other languages taught/learnt in the country are seen as foreign ones. Since the early 21st century, of those languages, Chadian learners have been having a strong interest in English, which they see as a developmental tool. However, given the embryonic state of that language in the country, very little research has been carried out to see how Chadian learners acquire it, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the policy put in place to foster it. This paper critically looks at the current syllabus used in the teaching/ learning of the English language in Chadian secondary schools. The informants came from various secondary schools in N’Djamena, and the data were gathered through interviews and questionnaires administered to both teachers (N50) and learners (N100). The findings show that the current syllabus mostly dwells on grammar and vocabulary, leaving out other key components of the language such as socialisation, fluency or the various types of writing which make efficient users/speakers of any foreign language. The teaching approaches proposed/used, and the textbooks in use have not been adapted. The vast majority of teachers recruited to teach that subject are not trained /qualified. All these factors combine to make the teaching of the English language inefficient in Chadian secondary schools. This study ends with some proposals on how to ameliorate the syllabus to make it more adequate.

 

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Keywords


syllabus, skills, learners, teachers, components, fluent, competent

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejel.v9i5.5680

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