https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/42 2026-08-26T01:57:57Z 2026-08-26T01:57:57Z Mulwa, Harrison Gathumbi, Agnes Ayot, Henry https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1601 2020-07-06T09:08:18Z 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

Problematic Areas in the Didactics of Teaching and Learning French as a Foreign Langauge in Kenya Mulwa, Harrison; Gathumbi, Agnes; Ayot, Henry Performance in French as a foreign language (FFL) in secondary schools in Kenya had declined since the year 2006. Student teachers entering university to pursue studies in French are finding it more and more challenging to follow lectures delivered in French. Students’ performance in the national Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations seemed to have been affected when the examination format was changed to include testing of communicative competence, in all skills. To rescue this situation, the need arose for the teachers of French to use pedagogical approaches that would enhance communicative competence in FFL teaching and learning. The Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach had been adopted as a method for use in the teaching of FFL in Kenya. It was observed from students’ performance that there has been a decline in performance in French since this change. This implies there are problems in the implementation and/or application of this approach. This paper is based on a study conducted to investigate the pedagogical implications of use of the CLT in teaching of French in secondary schools in Kenya. The objectives of the study were to: (a) establish activities that facilitate the application of the CLT, (b) establish teachers’ preparedness in using the CLT, (c) find out other methods being used to teach French, (d) identify the challenges faced by teachers and students of French and how these were mitigated, (e) establish availability and use of resources for teaching and learning of FFL. The descriptive survey design was used for the study. Ten schools in 5 Counties of the Central region of Kenya were sampled for the study. Other samples were 10 principals of secondary schools teaching French and 109 students of French. The instruments for data collection were: a classroom observation guide, a teacher’s questionnaire, a principal’s interview schedule and a students’ focus group discussion guide. A pilot study was conducted prior to the main study. Data were collected and analysed qualitatively using basic statistics. Inferential data were analysed using the chi-square. The findings of the study showed there was a marked degree of omission in the teaching and learning of French. The number of contact hours was found to be inadequate since French is a foreign language. Lack of modern equipment and shortage of other resources had negative effects, in relation to use of the CLT. The study also showed there was a difference between teachers’ knowledge of theory and practice, with regard to CLT. Conclusions and Recommendations were made to make teaching and learning of French effective in the attainment of communicative competence. Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Education. Nairobi, Kenya: Kenyatta University, July 14-16, 2015

2015-01-01T00:00:00Z Lutiali, Leonorah C. Bwire, Adelheid M. https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1596 2020-07-06T08:49:04Z 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

The Task-Based Language Learning and Teaching (Actionable Perspective) of French in Secondary Schools in Kenya Lutiali, Leonorah C.; Bwire, Adelheid M. French is an official language of the AU, COMESA, UN and other international organization (KIE, 2002). Dewey’s educational theory (1902) states that the major flaw in instructional methodology is the inactivity of the learner. The Actionable perspective (TBLT), which is the focus of this study is assumed to be a more effective approach in French language acquisition. TBLT emphasizes learning by accomplishing various tasks by the learner. This learner-centered method will lead to the integration of the learner in the world community and make him/her a social actor (Rosen, 2009). The Engestrom Activity Theory (1987) shows how a wide range of factors work together to impact a task. Understanding the teacher’s role as one of these factors is essential in successful learning. Moreover, Hughes (2013) posits that instructional materials development is based on the learner’s needs. According to Sam (2014), integrating ICT in instructional methodology increases enrollment in the academic program. The objectives of this research are to find out teacher preparedness in using TBLT. In addition, it will look at other instructional methods used in teaching French, the instructional materials used and the behavior of the learner. The research will be descriptive and will be conducted in seventeen (17) secondary schools offering French in Nairobi County. Teachers in these schools will answer to a questionnaire on their understanding of TBLT. A lesson observation guide will be used to observe form three students in the French class to find out the learner attitude, motivation and success in performing various tasks. Purposive sampling will be used to administer a student written composition to sixty-eight (68) form three students in each of the schools. The three instruments of data collection; questionnaire, lesson observation guide incorporating Flanders interaction matrix and student test will be tested during the pilot study to ascertain validity and reliability. Data will be analyzed using the SPSS computer package and presented in tables and graphs. The research will be of benefit to curriculum developers and teachers, as it will bring out what should be considered as content in the French curriculum. Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Education. Nairobi, Kenya: Kenyatta University, July 14-16, 2015

2015-01-01T00:00:00Z Mulama, Hillary Shitambasi https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1099 2020-06-18T07:12:10Z 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Difficultés Liées À La Prononciation Du Français Au Kenya: Le Cas Des Apprenants Des Écoles Secondaires Des Comtés De Nairobi Et Bungoma Mulama, Hillary Shitambasi Research shows that speech work is a commonly neglected aspect in the teaching of French as a foreign language in spite of difficulties experienced by learners in this linguistic area. Over the last ten years, the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) has in its annual reports pointed out numerous articulation challenges on the part of candidates having sat the Kenya National Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) French oral examinations. It is against this background that this study sought to examine pronunciation difficulties on the part of secondary school learners of French in Kenya. The relevant data was collected from thirty secondary schools systematically and conveniently sampled from the Counties of Nairobi and Bungoma. As such, the study sample comprised recordings of topical exposés by 90 students of French in fourth form during the year 2015, three series of text books used in the teaching of French in Kenyan secondary schools, and responses to a questionnaire addressed to 30 teachers of French. The recorded expositions were analyzed by Error Analysis and the text books subjected to a speech work-based content analysis. The data collected was descriptively presented by use of frequencies and percentages in the form of tables and graphs. The set hypotheses were tested by use of SPSS aided statistical tests namely Chi-square and T-test. The results of the study showed that majority of pronunciation errors in the learners‟ speech were intra lingual in nature. It also emerged that the learning resources analyzed were not appropriate to solve the above stated problem. Finally, The study seems to show that the key challenges compromising the teaching of speech work in French were scarcity of suitable teaching and learning materials, incompetence on the part of teachers and time-related constrains. In the light of these challenges, the study recommends the review of existing resource materials, capacity building for teachers of French on pronunciation and the teaching of the same, and finally, a curriculum review to increase the time allocated to the teaching of foreign languages. It is hoped that the findings and recommendations of this study will shape and improve actions by concerned stakeholders in Kenya namely students and teachers of French, teacher trainers, policy makers as well as researchers in this field. https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/17570

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z Chokah, Milcah Mudeizi https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1077 2020-07-09T06:50:33Z 2013-03-01T00:00:00Z

Fifty Years of the Teaching/Learning of French as a Foreign Language in Kenya: Challenges for Teachers and Learners Chokah, Milcah Mudeizi Innovation in classroom practices is the engine that drives the process of language learning. In the fifty years that French has been taught in Kenya, there has been a proliferation of methods and approaches, from the traditional to the action based approach which reaffirms and consolidates the communicative approach. This article seeks to give a historical perspective of the teaching of French in Kenya: its expansion, challenges faced by both learners and teachers. In spite of the remarkable expansion (from less than ten schools in 1964 to about 400 in 2012), the planning for French within the school curriculum has been done with no proper policy resulting in no substantial time being allocated to its learning activities. The fact that it was introduced into a linguistically crowded context was never given the attention it deserved, more so after the change in the education system in 1985. The entire exercise of planning seems to have been left in the hands of the teacher who must find a way of getting through the content in the time given, at the expense of communicative competence on the part of the learners. Taking into account that the same teacher may not have had sufficient training in classroom practices, it is no wonder that even in the presence of so many new tools, many challenges persist A research article in International Journal of Education and Research

2013-03-01T00:00:00Z