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- Adequacy and Suitability of Recommended French Language Textbook for Developing Communicative Proficiency in Nigerian Junior Secondary School Students
Abstract:
This study identified the types of communication activities presented in three recommended
French Language textbooks used in Nigerian junior secondary schools. It examined the
quality and the quantity of communication activities and exercises in the textbooks and their
relevance in achieving communicative proficiency in students. The descriptive survey design
was used. Three of the five mostly used recommended French textbooks for Nigerian junior
secondary schools were purposively selected for the study. One instrument, “Inventory on
Textbook Communication Activities” (ITCA) was used to collect data on the quantity, quality
and relevance of the communication activities and exercises in the books for achieving
communicative proficiency in students. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive
statistics. Findings showed that communication activities such as choice in language form,
choice in language function, and questioning were maximally used in the three textbooks
closely followed by discussion activities, dialogues and pair work activities. The
communication activities in the textbooks were however considered inadequate for
developing communicative proficiency in students as they were found to be less than 50% of
recommended activities in the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) class. The
activities presented were nevertheless found to be suitable for use, in terms of quality, in the
Nigerian junior secondary school communicative French class as depicted by a high index of
73%. Like the communication activities, the communication exercises were found to be
inadequate with a low index of 44%; the quality of the exercises was found to be average
with an index of 53%. The study concluded that recommended French textbooks could be
used to achieve communicative proficiency in Junior Secondary School students only if more
qualitative communication activities and exercises were incorporated.