The Nature of Culture of Learning in Nigerian Non-Tertiary English Language Classroom

Abstract

The study aims to characterize the culture of learning of English in Nigerian schools to determine the nature of Nigerian culture of learning appropriate to the teaching of English as an International Language (EIL) not only in Nigeria but also in all Anglophone West African countries. The study is a report based on an extensive classroom observation of the researcher’s experience, as a supervisor, of undergraduate Education student teaching practice. There are two parts to the report—pre-pedagogical and pedagogical inputs. The pre-pedagogical input reveals that teaching and learning are instrumentally and extrinsically motivated. Teachers teach to enable their students to pass their examination in English and students learn to pass their examinations to please their parents. Government provides and recommends curriculum and textbooks respectively for the teacher, who is tacitly compelled to abide by their provisions in lesson delivery. Pedagogically, Nigerian classroom does not tolerate autonomous classroom dominated by peer-group interaction in which the teacher is a facilitator and may be challenged by his students. Rather, the classroom is regulated. The teacher wields unquestioned authority and respect. Teaching is explicit and deductive. Teacher talk dominates the classroom. Questions and answers, enhanced by other appropriate instructional techniques, are common classroom procedure.

Keywords: Teaching method, culture of learning, culture learning, culture for learning