Challenges in African Classrooms: A Case Study of the Ghanaian Context

Abstract

This study investigates the use of the appropriate language teaching methodology in African classrooms by using Ghana as a case study since the challenges in African classrooms are quite homogeneous in African countries. The study suggests Communicative Language Teaching as an alternative language teaching methodology to improving students’ English Language proficiency. The research engaged both experimental and the control groups with a total of 86 students, comprising 44 boys and 42 girls from an elementary school in Ghana- Tema Municipal Assembly Junior High School in Nmai Djor, Accra.  The researcher undertook a preliminary study to assess the performance of both groups to ascertain whether the students were of the same academic and language ability.  Interview, observation and intervention lessons were used to gather information necessary for the research. The intervention lessons included pre-tests and post-tests on the selected classes. The experimental group was taught using the Communicative Language Teaching Approach while the control group used the Structural Approach. The data gathered from the experimental and control groups were used to test and analyze the hypotheses of the study which state that effective use of Communicative Language Teaching will improve students’ English competence and improve students’ accuracy and fluency thereby increasing their confidence in the use of English. The findings of the study revealed that the experimental group performed better than the control group. Thus Communicative Language Teaching has improved the communicative skills and the general proficiency of the selected Ghanaian students who are part of the bigger picture of African students.

Keywords: Communicative Language Teaching, English language teaching, ESL, control and experimental groups