Home> Archive> 2012> Volume 2 Number 4 (Jul. 2012)
IJSSH 2012 Vol.2(4): 354-359 ISSN: 2010-3646
DOI: 10.7763/IJSSH.2012.V2.125

Effective Communication: Language Teacher as a Pathfinder

Chinelo Nwokolo

Abstract—English Language enjoys the status of a second as well as an official language in most part of the world. As the former, it is used in the overall social functions and as the latter it is approved by law as the language of education, law, government and administration. Because of this major function of the language, its teaching is much emphasized; starting from primary school but the state of English language teaching and learning today is very appalling. So much is taught and so little learned and experts have sought desperately to find the reasons for this non-performance in the language. Science and technology play a vital role in the development of any nation. This paper stresses the importance of language as an indispensable means of communication in acquiring science and technology. The paper examines and highlights the role of English and mother tongue in teaching science and technology. The neglect of L1 in the acquisition of science and technology globally is decried. Ways of improving language in order to enhance science and technology education is recommended. Many reasons have been presented as being responsible also for this state of affairs. They range from inadequate teaching resources, large classes, poor background knowledge of students, lack of motivation, both on the part of the teacher and the student to poor level of professional development of teachers. Although these are all problems that plague the teaching and learning of English or language today, one thing that stands clear is that the teacher is losing grasp of what takes place in the language classroom. This paper also seeks to re-emphasize the role of the teacher in the Language classroom to enhance the teaching of science and technology. It hopes to identify two key factors which have not been given adequate attention, and which have serious implications for language teaching and learning. A programmed action which the teacher can adopt to help remedy the situation of language teaching and learning is then prescribed and other recommendations made.

Index Terms—English language, teaching, communication.

C. Nwokolo is doctor of English at Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun. Delta State. Nigeria (e-mail:nwokolochinelo@gmail.com).

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Cite: Chinelo Nwokolo, "Effective Communication: Language Teacher as a Pathfinder," International Journal of Social Science and Humanity vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 354-359, 2012.

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