THE IMPACT OF LITERATURE IN ENGLISH ON SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS ACHIEVEMENT IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Among the courses taken by Senior Secondary School pupils and other candidates in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), English has remained a fundamental subject in both Junior and Senior Secondary schools. It is a topic that applicants must pass in order for their total examination achievement to be meaningful (Edoho, 2016). Considering the departmental criteria of various institutions, a candidate who earns a "A' grade in all subjects offered in WASSCE but fails the English language cannot get admission to any university. A credit pass is a prerequisite for entrance to any institution of higher learning, regardless of the subject of study. (JAMB Brochure 2009/2010).

As a result of the foregoing, English language education in Nigeria is about ensuring that pupils have a comprehensive command of the language. Nigerian kids' usage of the English language in school presents a slew of learning difficulties. Numerous students come from families and situations where English is neither spoken or understood. As a result, pupils have significant problems in understanding the language. Students must be fluent in English in order to acquire admission to a tertiary institution or job. This competency requires pupils to possess reading, understanding, structural competence, and a vast vocabulary in order to comprehend and make utterances on a variety of themes. According to Akabogu (2002), a student who lacks sufficient vocabulary would be unable to comprehend comprehension passages or build sentences with which to express oneself freely on a variety of issues.

Reading and comprehension are specialized skills that are critical to a student's educational success. Effective compression enables the reader to read, decipher, and construct ideas from the text's material (Akpama, Egong & Akwa, 2005). Due to their identical link, reading and understanding must work as a single notion. Comprehension occurs naturally as a result of reading. It does not happen in the absence of reading, nor is reading fascinating or meaningful in the absence of comprehension. Regardless of why a student chooses to read, understanding is the goal, and a reader will stop reading if he or she does not comprehend the information.

Effective understanding is critical for students in context domains. According to Akpama et al. (2005), the comprehension questions that students answer during examinations reveal their degree of comprehension of several parts of the language, including grammar, vocabulary, and content. This demonstrates that a lack of proficiency in any of these areas has a detrimental effect on students' overall performance in the English language.

For an extended length of time, the Government, Universities, the general public, and the West African Examination Council have expressed displeasure in applicants' yearly low performance, particularly in the English language. Onukaogu (1993) discovered that over 70% of applicants failed the English language exam 1 due to poor performance in the comprehension and summary portions (English Paper 1). According to him, almost 40% of those who failed this portion earned less than 10% since their failure to comprehend a piece makes summarizing it impossible. All of these indicators suggest that the majority of pupils are not exposed to the written word. They were not only unprepared, but also lacked the requisite language and strategies for answering comprehension problems. Rather than reading and comprehending the texts and then responding to specific questions in their own words, the majority of students copied passages, demonstrating their incapacity to develop the passage's concepts in their own words (Onukaogu 1993). Additionally, many kids do poorly on vocabulary tests as a result of their lack of exposure to significant reading. This is demonstrated by the type of the words children provide as synonyms for vocabulary terms on tests.

Reading is more than word recognition. It is the meaningful interpretation of words, phrases, and sentences, which necessitates the use of several modes of thought (Eyisi, 2005). Reading is the cornerstone of formal education, and so no one can ignore it and expect to succeed in a formal setting. In keeping with this assertion, Wilkins (1972) asserts that vocabulary meaning can be acquired only via prolonged exposure to language, which he feels can be accomplished only through substantial reading. Similarly,

Chukwuma & Otaburuagu (1997) also notice that the more widely one reads a text, the more skilled one gets in the language. Being more fluent in English implies the ability to confidently and accurately manipulate grammatical structures, to use words appropriately in speech and writing, and, most importantly, to communicate more effectively.

Comprehensive reading materials are split into literary and non-literary publications. Novels, plays, poetry, short stories, and folktales all fall under the category of literary works. Non-literary works include daily newspapers, weekly or monthly periodicals, biographies, autobiographies, and social commentary. For students in the senior secondary level, exposure to literary works through the study of English literature may help them improve their English language competence. According to Wikipedia Americana, literature is an imaginative mode of expression whose primary characteristic is that it is viewed primarily as a type of art characterized by functionality, creative imagination, and the use of words as its instruments. It is a certain technique to instill a reading culture in pupils and to expose them to the language in its natural state. To paint a clearer image of literature's function in efficient communication and information, Ossisonwa (1997) asserts that a creative prose writer possesses a variety of instruments, including the use of lexical items, syntactic patterning, semantic field, and distinctive semantic use (idioms and figures of speech). Considering the above remark, when these linguistic tools are appropriately developed in the minds of readers, they enable them to develop competency in both written and spoken communication. It contributes significantly to their comprehension of a piece.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

English is the medium of instruction at all levels in Nigeria and serves as a measure for determining someone is educated or not. Despite its importance, the West African School Certificate results continue to demonstrate a general lack of English language proficiency among secondary school students (Edoho, 2016). Numerous variables may contribute to the low performance. Certain English language teachers are unqualified to teach it effectively, and as a result, students cannot perform beyond what is taught. Additionally, English literature, which may be utilized to supplement language acquisition, is not effectively taught. According to Obi (2018) despite the fact that language and literature are connected, teachers teach them separately. There is no integration of English language and literature instruction; rather, literature in English is viewed as a topic to be pursued by students who are weak in the sciences. Thus, the study's problem is to determine how the study of English literature affects the English language success of senior secondary school students.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main aim of this study is to assess the impact of literature in English on senior secondary school students achievement in English language. Specifically, this study seeks to:

i.          Ascertain the extent of impact of literature in English on senior secondary school students achievement in English language.

ii.        Determine whether the study of literature in English affects the English language success of senior secondary school students.

iii.      Determine the ways literature in English affects the English language success of senior secondary school students.

iv.      Examine the challenges of senior secondary school students in studying literature in English.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

This study will answer the following research questions:

i.          What is the extent of impact of literature in English on senior secondary school students achievement in English language?

ii.        Does the study of literature in English affects the English language success of senior secondary school students?

iii.      What are the ways literature in English affects the English language success of senior secondary school students?

iv.      What are the challenges of senior secondary school students in studying literature in English?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The findings of this study will help students, English language teachers, writers of literary works, and curriculum planners, as well as contribute to the body of knowledge.

Secondary school students will benefit from this study's findings because they will learn the value of studying literature in both English and the language in which the writings are written. This will broaden their vocabulary and enable them to communicate more effectively.

The study will also benefit secondary school English language teachers. It will assist instructors in integrating English language instruction with English literature instruction, despite the fact that the two disciplines are listed separately on the syllabus. Because the teachers utilize a variety of literary genres, it facilitates the development of various language abilities in the pupils.

Authors of various literary works for secondary school kids will also recognize the need of using appropriate terminology based on the students' age and academic level. This will eliminate instances where a recommended text contains terms that are either too advanced for the students' linguistic level or do not contribute any discernible information to the students' understanding.

Additionally, the study will help curriculum designers see the need of making the study of literature in English mandatory for all senior secondary school students, regardless of their arts or science classes. This is because books written in English will aid in their overall proficiency with the language. Additionally, curriculum designers will recognize the need of selecting literary books that use suitable and standard terminology.

The study will contribute to the current body of information and dispel the myth that literature written in English is just for people who struggle in the sciences.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study is mainly focused on assessing the impact of literature in english on senior secondary school students achievement in english language. Precisely, this study’s objectives are to ascertain the extent of impact of literature in english on senior secondary school students achievement in english language, determine whether the study of literature in english affects the English language success of senior secondary school students, determine the ways literature in english affects the English language success of senior secondary school students and examine the challenges of senior secondary school students in studying literature in english.

Teachers and students of selected secondary schools in Etsako West LGA, of Edo State will serve as respondents of this study.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This study is mainly limited to assessing the impact of literature in english on senior secondary school students achievement in english language. Precisely, this study’s objectives are limited to ascertaining the extent of impact of literature in english on senior secondary school students achievement in english language, determining whether the study of literature in english affects the English language success of senior secondary school students, determining the ways literature in english affects the English language success of senior secondary school students and examining the challenges of senior secondary school students in studying literature in english.

Teachers and students of selected secondary schools in Etsako West LGA, of Edo State will serve as respondents of this study, thus the sample size was limited because only a few respondents were chosen to answer the research instrument, therefore the results cannot be generalized to other secondary schools outside the area.

The researcher also encountered some financial and logistics problems but was able to resolve it as this study was successfully completed.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Impact: A marked effect or influence

Secondary school: A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place.

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