CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Socialization is the process of imparting knowledge mostly from the old to the young. It is the transference of values to the young so as to perpetuate the society in question in Ojobo Charles (1992)
Language is a significant aspect of the culture of the people and all over the countries, mankind has transmitted language from one generation to another, through the process of socialization. A child through association with the adults in the society learns language. The adults on their part, have relied on manipulation of symbols as a form of teaching the young language. In that case, many have adopted varieties of aids to assist them to imparting knowledge from the adult to the offspring.
The mass media like radio and television have been utilized in the teaching and learning of English language. According to Schramm (1962), radio is an audio medium. As a mass medium, it has the capacities to cut through the Barriers of illiteracy and poor infrastructures in English language. Sometimes, the teaching is done in local or enhancing learning. In addition, radio has other peculiarities, which makes it the true mass medium in terms of teaching a mass audience in the developing world. Radio is relatively cheap and can be operated without electricity. It is television, which can also transcend such barriers as illiteracy and infrastructural facilities. Widely owned all over the third world even in remote areas.
Therefore, radio has been in use as a teaching aid in the learning of English Language because of its reachability and its transistorized nature. Teachers who replay to the students mostly use tape recorders to record instructions at convenient times. This has enhanced the teaching and learning of English Language over the years in the Nigerian education system. More over, television is another visual material like home video and cinemas it has been utilized in teaching and learning of English Language. Literacy works like Julius Ceaser by William Shakespeare and Things Fall Apart by Chinue Achebe are better illustrated through the use of television and the other visual devices. This has increased the speed of learning and teaching of English Language. Ojobo (1998) also writes as follows:
Teaching aids are important in the teaching of
language. This is more so in the teaching of
English Language because of its second status
in Nigeria. Teachers should evolve more efforts
in applying audio – visual aids and their teaching
and also evolve more practical means of teaching
aids and the enhancement of learning to make
it less stressful
Teaching aids are imperative in the teaching and learning of English Language. This is more important because English Language is not an indigenous language and there involves complicated concepts. The use of teaching aids simplifies these concepts and therefore, teaching and learning become pleasant and a worth – while venture.
However, visual aids are those materials that appeal only to the sense of sight. Visual aids are different from audio – aids because, audio – aids are those ones that appeal only to the sense of hearing. Audio – visual aids are those materials that appeal to the sense of hearing and sight at the same time. They are used to complement and supplement teachers’ verbal effort in teaching and learning. Some of these audio – visual aids include radio – cassette, tape – recorders, televisions, slides, transparent films, film – strips, opaque projectors, microscopes, globes, attass and so on. They make important contributions in teaching and learning process.