ABSTRACT
The objective of this research work was to find out the problems and prospects of teaching English Language in Secondary Schools in Enugu South Local Government Area of Enugu State. This research work as an investigation to find data for this study, a total of two hundred (200) respondents were selected from a population of one thousand people. After carrying out the research, the research found that the teaching and learning of English Language in Secondary Schools in Enugu South has a lot of problems which include:
(a) Lack of qualified English teachers in those schools.
(b) Lack of language laboratories in the schools
(c) Inadequate use of teaching materials and
(d) Lack of conducive environment for learning
(e) Lack of incentive and lack instructional material or teaching resources etc.
These entire problems affect the teaching and learning of English Language in Secondary Schools sin those schools in Enugu South.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
English is one of the major languages out of about 5000 estimated languages spoken in the world. About 200 years ago, English was simply the language of less than 15million peoples.
Today, however, English is used by more than 300million people and second only to Chinese as regards the number of people using a particular language. Oga R.O (2007), ascertained that English Language is one of the most influential and fast growing languages spoken across the globe.
One fifth of the earth’s land surface use English either as native tongue or official language.
Of the entire World’s Languages English is the most widely studies language, especially in areas where it is not native. Today, English is used in several countries in the American continent including the United States of America and Canada, New Zealand, Republic of South Africa, Australia, Nigeria and Ghana, including other countries in the West African, Sub continent. Though English was actually the language of colonization in these countries like India they have since remained the official languages in most of the colonized territories.
In other countries including Japan and China according to Udemba S.C (2007), English Language is usually taught as the chief foreign language.
Equally, about half of the world’s scientific and technical journals, as well as newspapers, are printed in English. During the cold war the former Soviet Union used English in their propaganda broadcasts across the developing countries in Africa and Asia. The spread of English is further enhanced through the establishment of British Council and United States information service by the British and U.S governments respectively with centers and libraries in various countries including Nigeria.
All these factors have therefore made it easy for anyone who understands and speaks English, and moves around major cities in the world to communicate effectively with one another.
According to Anibueze (2007), English Language is a lingua franca. As a lingua franca, it is the language for unification. It is highly established so that the people of varied language will have purposes to relate together maturely and work in union. For example, Hausa man may comfortably stay and effectively speak with a Yoruba man or an Igbo man, advice versa.