Abstract:
This study investigated the influence of L1 on the teaching and learning of English
language at St. Peter’s R/C JHS in Somanya in the Yilo Krobo Municipal. The purpose
was to examine the L1 factors that militate against L2 teaching and learning and
determine strategies that could help overcome the challenges of L2 teaching and learning.
From a total population of the school summing up to 374, the researcher selected a
sample size of (85) consisting of forty-six (46) girls and thirty-nine (39) boys using the
purposive sampling (non-probability) technique for the sample selection. Data used for
the analysis was drawn from observations, pre-test and a post-test conducted within three
weeks. Data were analysed and presented on tables using frequencies, percentages, and
pie charts for illustration. The study found that the differences and similarities of the L1
interferes with students’ acquisition of the L2 that has impacted negatively on pupils’
ability to grasp vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and pronunciation. Also, the major
effect of the L1 on the L2 was pupils’ inability to read and understand (comprehension)
during teaching and learning in English. The grammar-translation method, audio-lingual,
visual methods, functions, notion and communicative language teaching strategies were
deployed in overcoming the challenges of pupils in developing the L2 at St. Peter’s R/C
JHS in Somanya in the Yilo Krobo Municipal. The researcher recommends that native
teachers ought to reduce their use of the L1 during instructional hours but continue to
guide and sustain its cultural values. Schools should also intensify training for both preservice
and in-service teachers so that they gain a better understanding of the role of the
L1 and L2 in communication and an understanding of multicompetence, linguistic
relativity and usage-based approaches should be engaged for second language learning
and teaching.
Description:
A Dissertation in the Department of Applied Linguistics, Faculty of Foreign
Languages and Communication, submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, in
partial fulfilment
of the requirements for the award of the degree of
(Master of Education)
in the University of Education, Winneba.
NOVEMBER, 2020
