An Empirical Investigation Into Why Nigerian Secondary School Students Are Apprehensive Of Their English Grammar Classes

1. An Empirical Investigation Into Why Nigerian Secondary School Students Are Apprehensive Of Their English Grammar Classes

2. Abstract Secondary school students learning English, an L2 in Nigeria often show some signs of being afraid, anxious or fearful more especially when it comes to grammar classes. The anxieties or apprehension they show, sometimes lead to better or worse performance in the language, depending on the magnitude of the apprehension. A way of reducing students� apprehension perhaps is finding out the reasons or causes of the apprehension and the probable links between it and students� demographic characteristics. The knowledge and understanding of this would enhance English language teachers� better preparation for their grammar classes. This study was conducted on 300 secondary school students selected from two states in Nigeria. Findings showed that students are truly apprehensive of their grammar classes. Reasons for this phenomenon are the inherent nature of the language, its grammar, student and teacher-related factors.

3. INTRODUCTION English language often generates strong emotions of fear worry and anxiety on the part of L2 learners The relevance of this topic helps in understanding the pedagogy of the language profession. Experience and observations supports the notion that students are apprehensive of English Language and grammar class in particular.

4. Apprehension and Communication Excessive activation. Inappropriate cognitive processing. Inadequate communication skills.

5. Research Questions 1. Are Nigerian secondary students apprehensive of their English grammar classes? 2. What reasons are responsible for the subjects� apprehension of their English grammar classes? 3. Will each of the identified demographic characteristics have any significant relationship with subjects� responses?

6. Methodology This study is of a descriptive survey type of research design Random selection of 300 secondary school students from two states in Nigeria A 15 item structured questionnaire was used. Analysis of data was carried out using simple percentage and t-test at 0.05 level of significance.

7. Results The descriptive analysis shown in table 1 reveals subject�s affirmation of the statement: secondary school students are generally apprehensive of their English Grammar classes. The percentages of QT and T (put together) is greater than that of UT and QU (put together). Reasons for students� apprehension, as revealed by this analysis are teacher-related factors, method and materials, inherent nature of teaching the language and its grammar and student-related factors The analysis shown on table 3 shows that the intervening variable status, level of study, type of school, location and gender had no significant influence at (P= 0.005) on the subjects� responses.

8. Some peculiarities of English Language Three of these peculiarities are: Phonological Grammatical Lexical These are explained by juxtaposing English and Yoruba Languages

9. Grammar learning and teaching Grammar is central to the teaching and learning of languages. It is also one of the more difficult aspects of language to teach. Many language teachers take grammar to be strictly a set of word forms and rules of usage.

10. As part of the ways of helping the L2 learners overcome their usual apprehension of grammar classes, the communicative competence model of grammar teaching is desirable. Students are said to appreciate and gain much from the rest instruction, thereby reducing their apprehension. The major goal of grammar teaching is to enable learners to carry out their communicative exercises. To achieve this goal, students need overt instruction that connects grammar items with communication context. They do not need to master all aspects of grammar, only those that are relevant to the immediate communication situation need be taught.

11. Under the communicative competence grammar teaching approach, Overt Grammar Instruction (OGI) takes place. By this, learners are able to apply their critical thinking skills to language learning. Unlike the traditional model drills, the communicative competence model has the distinctive features; teaching in context all the necessary forms of grammar progressively

12. CONCLUSION Nigerian secondary school student sample used for this study affirm through their self-report of internal feelings and reaction that they are generally apprehensive of their English language grammar classes. Four reasons: inherent nature of the language and its grammar; inadequate teaching personnel, poor teaching methods and materials; lack of appropriate motivation; students� fear of being ridiculed in the class and fear of failure at the overall language examination were identified.

13. Suggestion It is therefore being suggested, by the data presented that overt grammar teaching is necessary and that the communicative competence model appears a way of effecting intervention in the matter. If the teacher-related factors are well handled, the other problems are likely to be greatly reduced.