Use of audiovisual aids in the teaching and learning of english as a foreign language in beninese secondary schools

Abstract

The rapid development of technology, electronics and audiovisual aids i.e., audiovisual materials and equipment in the past four decades has made the Audio and Visual Communications as well as Information and Communication Technology (ICT) media, a working tool in all areas of human endeavours, such as education, knowledge acquisition i.e., learning, teaching, economics, administration, transportation, information and so on. These electronic devices have almost conquered the world as they have had significant impact on almost every human work. Today, people live in the electronic age, particularly audiovisual age. This illustrates the usefulness of audiovisual materials and equipment’s in our daily lives. But, are these devices used efficiently to really boost the teaching of English as a Foreign Language in Beninese secondary schools? This is the main question that this research work intends to address by observing, analyzing, and examining the problems surrounding the effective use of audiovisual aids in the teaching and the learning of English as a Foreign Language in Beninese secondary schools. The purpose of this research work is to investigate and analyze how the usefulness of audiovisual aids can positively impact the teaching and learning of English as a foreign language at the secondary schools level in Benin. To achieve this objective, two questionnaires were established. One for the teachers, and the other one, for the students for data collection. Each questionnaire is made up of 10 questions that is a total of 20 questions in the two questionnaires distributed in 30 schools. A total of 1050 questionnaire sheets were distributed across the country, and data collected. In each school, 35 questionnaire sheets were distributed to 10 teachers and 25 students. In all, 300 teachers and 750 students received and effectively responded to my demand by filling the questionnaire and returning them to me for data collection. The data obtained through the questionnaire sheets, were stratified and the random sampling technique was used to select 1000 respondents’ questionnaire sheets, out of a population of 1050 students and teaching staff who received the questionnaire sheets distributed in the 30 schools visited across the country. So, the 1000 respondents data obtained were used to carry out the appropriate analysis. The result obtained from the data analysis shows that the same law established both public and private schools in Benin. The only difference is the funding: the government finds state schools while the promoters, that are individuals or groups, fund private schools. It was also observed that in the private schools, there are more audiovisual aids than the state schools. In the school where audiovisual aids are available, students learn and speak English language better. I, therefore recommend that public schools should be equipped much better with audiovisual aids than they are now, so that English as a foreign language can be taught and learnt effectively for much better results. Teachers of English as a foreign language should be trained in the use of audiovisual aids so that their efforts in teaching can benefit the learners more effectively.