Abstract

This study evaluates the teaching approaches employed in the teaching of the SBEP. The main purpose of the study is to identify the approach, examine the appropriateness and effectiveness of the teaching methods, approaches and techniques employed in the teaching of the SBEP. The study is done within the framework of Schumann’s (1978) acculturation theory, Vygotsky’s (1978) social constructivism and Piaget’s (1990) cognitive constructivism.

The research is qualitative in nature and data is elicited through interview, observation and questionnaires which were administered to 60 students and 9 SBEP teachers. Open ended questions and items from the questionnaire and interview were analysed using the process of thematic analysis whereby concepts and ideas were grouped under umbrella terms or key words. The thematic output is presented in code grounding quotation tables.

The data targeted the content of the SBEP, the frequency of use of the approaches, methods and techniques used in language teaching in the SBEP The findings reveal that the teachers employ the eclectic approach to teaching wherein they merge the traditional approach and the communicative approach in teaching even though the competency base language teaching remains the recommended approach to be used in the programme. This brings us to the conclusion that a single method is not sufficient.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

This chapter is the opening chapter to this work. It presents the background to the study as well as the research problem that has prompted the research. It spells out the aim of the study before presenting the research questions, and the significance of the study. It further delimits the study and ends with an outline to the entire work.

 1.1. Background to the study

Cameroon is a multilingual country comprising over 284 languages (Simons & Fennig, 2018). It has one lingua franca (Cameroon Pidgin English) and two official languages (English and French). These official languages are the heritage of the Franco-British rule in the country.

Historically, Cameroon was first a German colony, but after the First World War, the colony was divided between France and England, which were called upon to administer and develop their respective portions. It is important to note that during the pre-colonial period, some indigenous languages had already gained a considerable degree of prestige.

This is because though some colonial powers like the German colonial administration (1884-1916) encouraged the use of their languages, their Missionaries preferred indigenous languages like Basaa, Bulu, Duala, Ewondo and Mungaka for teaching and evangelisation (Mbuagbaw, 2000, P. 135). In spite of the undeveloped nature of the German public school system in Cameroon, the colonialists nonetheless tried to impose the use of German in schools by exerting pressure on the missionaries. However, the missionaries continued to be in control of the language situation, since they had a serious stronghold on the school system.

The defeat of the Germans in Cameroon saw some changes in the language policy due to the arrival of new colonial powers (Britain and France).   Expectedly, French became the language of administration in the Francophone Region, which represented 4/5 of the territory, and so did English in the Anglophone Region. When French Cameroon became independent in 1960, it maintained French as its official language. In 1961, Anglophone Cameroon decided in a referendum to reunite with Francophone Cameroon as was the case in the German period. As a result, the two states adopted both French and English as their official languages.

Since then, the two languages have maintained the official status, and have been co-habiting in all official domains within the community (Kouega 1999). Hence Chumbow, 1990, Chiatoh, 2012 intimate that, since reunification in 1961, Cameroon has implemented an exoglossic language policy based on the exclusive use of English and French as the languages of teaching and learning.

During their rule, the British practised the policy of Indirect Rule whereby the use of indigenous languages was almost imperative since British administrators governed through traditional authorities. In French-speaking Cameroon, the policy of Assimilation was practised with the aim of transforming Cameroonians into French citizens which gave little or no room for the use of the indigenous languages.

In the territory under British mandate, some indigenous languages like Bafut, Duala, Kenyang and Mungaka were used alongside English in schools (Bitja’a Kody, 1999, P. 82). Consequently, the British allowed education in their colonies to be the responsibility of private and religious organizations, while the French colonial administration on its part assumed exclusive responsibility for the education of its African subjects (Bokamba, 1991, P. 183).

Following the reunification of the two Cameroons on the 1st of October, 1961, official bilingualism was instituted in the new Federal Republic of Cameroon. At this juncture, intellectuals like Fonlon did not hesitate to advocate for early bilingualism for the Cameroonian school child (Fonlon, 1963). This ushered the introduction of English and French to be taught in the early years of primary education, a stage during which children are considered to be psychologically and physiologically more apt to learn a new language.

To further elucidate this official bilingual standpoint, the 1996 constitution clearly spells out that:  The official languages of the Republic of Cameroon shall be English and French, both languages having the same status. The State shall guarantee the promotion of bilingualism throughout the country. It shall endeavour to protect and promote national languages.

This constitutional grounding only came to reinforce the bilingual practice which the Cameroon educational system had been practising since 1961. With the burning desire to train Cameroonians who could effectively use these two languages (English and French), a first ever bilingual grammar school was created in the South West Region at Man-O-War Bay Victoria which served as a temporal site in 1963.

At the time, it was called the “Federal Bilingual Grammar School”. Later, many other bilingual schools were created. The bilingual grammar schools handled this system where lessons were taught in English and French in the same class. At the end of the course, all students were expected to write the BEPC whether you are Anglophone or Francophone and those who succeeded had to write the GCE Ordinary Level the following year.

With the GCE “O” Level certificate, the students had the latitude to choose which section to continue with, that is, either the Anglophone or the Francophone sub system of education at the high school level. At one point, the government could no longer manage the system and consequently the programme stopped functioning. In 2009, after noticing that the bilingual option was undergoing serious falling standards, a Special Bilingual Education Programme was created within school institutions.

The Special Bilingual Education Programme (SBEP) was instituted in order to offer quality training and education to young Cameroonians and to prepare them for a smooth insertion into a more demanding job market worldwide through pertinent teaching and learning. (Pedagogic guide)

The four pilot schools which started the programme in the South West Region Were Government Bilingual High School (GBHS) Muea, Government Bilingual High School (GBHS) Mutengene, Government Bilingual High School (GBHS) Kumba, and Government Bilingual High School (GBHS) Mabanda and later on spread to other schools in other regions of the country.

1.2. Statement of the problem

Once a programme is put in place, the first major step is to carry out an indepth evaluation of all its components. This is usually in a bit to check its appropriateness, its effectiveness and above all its applicability. Despite this, since the inception of the SBEP in some pilot schools in Cameroon, no evaluation has been carried out especially not as far as the prescribed teaching approach is concerned. Though in its ninth (9th) year, with its pioneer students already writing the GCE ’O’ and ‘A’ Level examinations, no stakeholder has taken off time to check the programme to ensure that it is yielding the required outcomes. Moreover, mere observation reveals high failure rates in the performances of the students at the SBEP in the GCE “O” Level   examination.

1.3. Objectives of the study

Our focus here is on one main objective and four specific objectives.

1.3.1 Main objective

This study sets out to identify the approach employed in language teaching in a SBEP class and to further ascertain the suitability of the teaching approaches. It examines the effectiveness of the approach in the implementation of the SBEP programme.

1.3.2 Specific objectives

1. To identify the teaching approaches, methods and techniques employed in the teaching of the SBEP class.
2. To examine the appropriateness of the teaching approach, methods, and techniques employed in language teaching in the SBEP class.
3. To examine the effectiveness of the teaching approaches used in the SBEP class in relation to the programme objectives.
4. To propose remedial strategies aimed at meeting the programme objectives of the SBEP.

1.4. Research questions

In order to achieve the above objectives, our study seeks to provide answers to the following research questions.

1. What are the teaching methods, approaches, and techniques employed in language in the SBEP?
2. How appropriate are the methods, approaches and techniques used in language teaching in the SBEP in relation to the sociocultural context of the students?
3. How effective are the teaching methods, approaches, and techniques used in language teaching of the SBEP?
4. What remedial strategies can be employed to enhance language teaching in the SBEP?

1.5. Significance of the study

This study is of great significance to a number of people in diverse ways. These people include; the curriculum designers, the Educational authorities, the teachers and the students.

Curriculum designers stand to benefit from this work in that, the findings would enable them to determine whether the recommended teaching approach requires adjustment or whether they may have to undertake major changes in the entire curriculum to suit the recommended approach.

Apart from the curriculum designers, this work is equally of great importance to the educational authorities in Cameroon. It would help the school authorities and the entire education stakeholders to figure out the strengths and weaknesses of the prescribed teaching methods and approaches in relation to the objectives. This study would enable the educational authorities to make relevant adjustments aimed at achieving the stated objectives. It is hoped that the results of the study will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of the programme. They would see to organise constant pedagogic seminars to either refresh the teachers’ knowledge on teaching approaches or simply educate them with regards to the recommended teaching approach.

With regards to the teachers, this work is important in that it would raise their awareness to the weaknesses of the approaches that they employ and help them to see the need to employ the appropriate ones. Moreover, the teachers would see the need to attend some refresher courses in order to update their knowledge of the recommended or appropriate approaches that are capable of meeting the required objectives of such a programme. In addition, the teachers would see the need to adopt certain motivational strategies intended to instil confidence in the students and to encourage them to attend classes. In this way, both the teachers and student’s competences would be improved upon. Again, the teachers would be able to judge the advantages of an approach over another depending on a particular context and in relation to certain objectives.

With regards to the students, the work is of great importance to the students in that once the appropriate teaching methods, approaches or techniques is used in the process, not only will their skill be improved upon in both languages, it will improve on their performances with regards to the competencies required and most importantly, open them up for the job market as required by the objectives of the SBEP.