French Language Teachers and the Use of Textbooks as a Communicative Proficiency Tool for Nigerian Junior Secondary School Students

Abstract

This study examined French language teachers’ use of communicative exercises and activities presented in three purposively
selected of the five mostly used recommended French textbooks for Nigerian Junior Secondary Schools to achieve communicative
proficiency in their students. The descriptive survey research design was used. The population for the study consisted of Junior
Secondary School (JSS) French language teachers and students. The sample comprised 60 randomly selected (JSS) French teachers
and their 465 students from 15 junior secondary schools in Lagos State, the most cosmopolitan State in Nigeria. One instrument namely
“French Language Teaching Observation Schedule” (FTOS) was used to collect data on teachers’ organization of communicative
activities, students’ participation, methodology and communicative use of the textbooks. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive
statistics. An average index of 58% was obtained for teachers’ communicative use of the activities and exercises contained in the
recommended textbooks indicating that teachers were not as competent as required for developing communicative proficiency in their
students. The study concluded that the present use of communicative activities and exercises presented in recommended French
textbooks for Junior Secondary School students by French teachers could not produce the required and desired level of communicative
proficiency in these students.