A new Approach to the Improvement of Teaching Foreign Language in Nigerian Primary Schools

Abstract

The learning of foreign language has become a necessity for every Nigerian child who hopes to acquire western education. In fact, even our parents who were not opportuned to go to school for formal education now battles to speak or use words in foreign language(s). This implies that the proper teaching of the foreign language, particularly the one highly recognized by the government and the international communities, is a must. The child needed to be trained at the lower of education on how to learn and use the language properly so as to be in tune with the dynamic world. It is in the light of this that this paper takes a look at the strategies for teaching foreign languages and settles on the use of technology as a means of improving the use of these strategies for teaching of these languages. The paper looks at technology, its types, and their benefits in language teaching. Some of these benefits include: active engagement and Participation, frequent interaction and feedback, connections to real- world context. These roles notwithstanding, the use of technology in foreign language teaching is bedeviled by challenges such as absence of the required technologies, unstable electricity, phone lines, internet facilities, and lack of sufficient qualified ICT teachers. As a result, recommendations such as provision of the needed technologies by the government, training of teachers of foreign language on the use of technology, and maintenance of the available technologies were offered.