Application of Audio-Visual Aids in Teaching English Language in Senior Secondary Schools

Application of Audio-Visual Aids in Teaching English Language in Senior Secondary Schools

ABSTRACT

The title of this project is the Application of Audio-Visual Aids in Teaching in Schools in Igbo – Eze North Local Government Area.

The purpose of this study is to apply for audiovisual aids in schools in Igbo – Eze North local government area in Enugu State, this research work is descriptive survey research and the researchers selected two hundred (200) subjects from the population of two thousand (2000) people through simple random sampling.

After the research, the researchers found that audiovisual aids have a lot of advantages in the teaching of the English language in schools in Igbo– Eze North local government area.

These advantages are:

Audiovisual aids like television and radio make the lessons to be simple, clear and more understandable.

Audiovisual enables the students to perform well in examinations.

Audiovisual aids reduce the complex nature of teaching the English language.

It helps the students to recall lessons in the English language.

Audiovisual enables the students to gain proficiency in the English language.

The following are the recommendations from the researchers

The use of radio as a teaching aids in the teaching of mathematics in the secondary school system.

The use of television as a teaching aids in the teaching of science subjects in the secondary school system.

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 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 in imparting knowledge from the adult to the offspring.

The mass media like radio and television have been utilized in the teaching and learning of the English language. According to Schramm (1962), radio is an audio medium. As a mass medium, it can cut through the Barriers of illiteracy and poor infrastructures in the English language. Sometimes, the teaching is done local or enhances learning. In addition, radio has other peculiarities, which makes it the true mass medium in terms of reaching 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 the 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 the English Language over the years in the Nigerian education system. Moreover, 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 Chinua Achebe are better illustrated through the use of television and other visual devices. This has increased the speed of learning and teaching the 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 the 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 the English Language. This is more important because the English Language is not an indigenous language and there involve complicated concepts. The use of teaching aids simplifies these concepts and therefore, teaching and learning become pleasant and a worthwhile 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 that appeal only to the sense of hearing. Audiovisual 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 audiovisual aids include radio – cassette, tape–recorders, televisions, slides, transparent films, film – strips, opaque projectors, microscopes, globes, attacks and so on. They make important contributions to the teaching and learning process.

The use of audiovisual aid in teaching and learning comes into the branch of knowledge known as Educational Technology. They aid learning and help in the realization of educational objectives. The application of audiovisual aids in the field of education started in the past (1973) in Vienna. During the time, an exhibit from an American school with maps, charts, textbooks and other equipment won the admiration of the people. Subsequent exhibitions at Paris in (1878) and Melbourne in 1880 marked the initiation. Education technology today tends to be a system rather than simply a package of instructional materials. Teachers of today use a variety of visual – aids such as overhead, films, film loops. They also use audio – aids like tape recorders, radio and language laboratories. Amuah (1986) observed that “teachers now use instructional materials more scientifically”. Teachers use them to structure and evaluate their teaching.

Given this, psychologists said that “human beings learn audiovisual in their senses” because of the audiovisual aids in education. John Lock, an empiric, talked about the “sensitivity of human wants from the external world through the sense of audiovisual.” Pestalozzi also mentioned that “sense-impression is the one condition of human learning”. In this case, children learn better when teachers appeal to more than one of their senses during instructions, that is they understand better when they hear and see what the teacher talks about. John lock (1997)

The federal government of Nigeria recommended the use of establishment of audiovisual aids centres because of their importance in education. The national policy on education also recommended the use of radio and television to develop and improve education as well as to expand the instruction techniques. According to (Bell – Gam, 1992), the use of audiovisual materials like film strips, slides, opaque projectors was recognized in the country in the 1950s. According to him, in 1955, “a commission was set up to look at the possible way of using or applying for radio and television for teaching and learning”. His idea was accepted and this brought about the use of radio in 1957 and television in 1959. Although the use of audiovisual aids in Nigeria started during the colonial days their application to teaching and learning did not gain prominence until 1970. The curriculum conference of 1969 was forced to establish various audiovisual centres in different states of the federation. These centres went into the development and popularization of audiovisual media in many education institutions in the country. The aims for setting up audiovisual centres is to reduce teaching deficiencies in certain syllabus courses such as sciences, to provide examples of good teaching which can help upgrade the general ability of classroom instruction, to provide ideal materials that are not generally available in the classroom (UNESCO, 1969: 116)

The government made efforts to establish various audio-visual aids centres in different states because of the aims mentioned above. Despite the government efforts, several factors are seen as problems to achieving the audiovisual programme in Nigeria. Some of these factors include, “lack of fund appropriate manpower, technical know-how” (UNESCO, 1969). According to Okwor (1993);

Audiovisual equipment is lying unused in shelves and cupboards in many schools due to not having technical or knowing knowledge applying the operations. The problem is, therefore, even when government and schools can obtain the expensive audio-visual aids, the ability required for effective usage is lacking.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The study of languages involved a wide range of concepts. Language is a significant culture of a people and because of its human quality, it is dynamic and gives problems and difficulties to learners.

English language is a second language to Nigerians and thus learning it becomes problematic. The use of teaching aids becomes imperative in this regard. For instance, spelling, punctuation and others need a wide range of teaching aids in form of radio, television, dramatized lessons and the likes. The essence of these teachings aids is to facilitate learning and ensure remembrance (Bittner, Mark, 1989)

The development of the human brain makes it imperative that teaching aids should be necessary for the teaching of languages. Languages are abstract to enhance assimilation. For example, teaching aids enable a student to consciously apply grammatical rules and to identify errors in usage immediately it occurs.

Unfortunately, teachers do not make use of aids in the teaching and learning of the English language. The teaching aid to be used depends on the academic ability of the students. However, the use of audio materials has assisted in the teaching of the English language. Radio enables students to listen to pre-recorded lessons at their convenient times and the teacher can adjust lessons to qualities and visual qualities students can appreciate harder concepts through the use of the television than the radio. Furthermore, teachers should apply audiovisual materials in terms of helping themselves and their students. On the other hand, the government should know the importance of audiovisual aids and put their efforts into providing audio-visual aids more especially for schools in Igbo – Eze North Local Government Area, where it is not adequately provided.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to apply or find out the uses of audiovisual aids in teaching senior secondary schools in Igbo – Eze North Local Government Area.

1.4 Significance of the Study

The English language is a very important subject in the national educational system. This is why it is made compulsory in our educational system. This present study serves to focus attention on this vital subject.

Moreover, the findings of the study would add new knowledge in this area of study. Again, through this study, the importance of teaching aids will be emphasized and teachers will make use of teaching aids while teaching. Teachers should also apply for more teaching aids materials.

1.5 Research Questions

1. Does the use of teaching aids have effects on the teaching of the English language.

2. Do you believe that radio is an effective teaching aid of the English language.?

3. Has the use of teaching aids reduced the complex nature of teaching the English language?

4. Does the use of audiovisual aids enable the students to gain proficiency in the English language?

5. Does the use of radio and television help us as a teaching aid to enhance the learning of English language more especially in the topic like pronunciation and spelling?

6. Does the audio and visual qualities of television help students to learn effectively and to recall lessons in the English language?

7. Do students perform very well in the English language when audio-visual aids are used in English language lessons?

8. Is the use of audiovisual aids important in the teaching of the English language?

How to use audio-visual aids.

Audiovisual aids can be used in any of the following ways:

To reinforce stated facts.

To aid the understanding of ideas.

To clarify relationships or physical layouts.

To introduce the audience to a new topic area.

1.6 Delimitation of the Study

This study is confined to those towns and villages in Igbo – Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State where the researchers carried out their study on the application or the uses of audiovisual aids for the performance of students in the English language. The study is based only on audiovisual aids and no other teaching aids.

1.7 Definition of the Terms

1. English Laboratory: This refers to the place where oral and spoken English are taught with modern devices. Language laboratory helps to improve effective teaching and learning.

2. Second Language: This refers to the language learnt through education after the mother tongue e.g. English Language in Nigeria.

3. Mother Tongue: This refers to the indigenous language which a child inherits from his or her mother