8/9/2019 Possible Solutions to Learners' Poor English Performance in Schools

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/possible-solutions-to-learners-poor-english-performance-in-schools 1/2

Namibia: Possible Solutions to Learners' Poor EnglishPerformance in Schools

TO attain a good command of a second language (English) learners should either be

exposed to it in real circumstances and with natural frequency, or painstakingly learnwords and sentence structures assuming that learners have some contact with naturalinput

 ! conducive English learning environment should be created for learners to en"oylearning in the target language !ll English teachers in #amibia should ensure that

English learning materials are displayed in their classrooms $ this should be compulsory(parents visit the classrooms) %ome linguists argue that the greatest opportunity forlearners to learn, store, develop and use the knowledge about the target language is

arisen by exposure to authentic discourse in the target language provided by theteacher

The solution to the current problem in the target language is simple $ #amibia needs

good English teachers !part from good teachers, #amibia needs English curricula inwhich the study of literature is compulsory

Our current grades && and &' English curricula for ordinary level is boring, to say the

least

f we want our learners to excel in English as a sub"ect, we need to ensure that learners

read interesting novels and poetry that captivate their interest to learn the targetlanguage (this is done elsewhere)

n fact, this is the only way learners can develop a reading culture, which we desperately

need in this country ere are some of the basic things our learners themselves can doto improve their English language proficiency* learn to speak English without fear, availtime to study English (the belief that English cannot be studied is fallacy), learning

English requires practice $ speak English wherever you are, surround yourself withEnglish books, listen to English radio and T+ broadcasts (watch #-, -##, -, !l.a/eera etc (remember, exam passages might include international issues), learn to

read newspapers (to develop your sense of reading culture and sentence construction),

listen to native speakers as much as possible $ it is important because native speakersof English have natural flow to their speech that can easily be imitated, watch English

films (this is good for you to sharpen your listening skills necessary for examinations)

0oreover, it is imperative for English teachers to give class exercises and tests that arefun and challenging to the learners 1earners tend to do well if the class test or class

work is fun and challenging English teachers should mark learners2 exercise booksregularly and give feedback promptly The fundamental problem we have in #amibia isthat some teachers are extremely la/y and take two months to mark a book

am well aware that there are some good teachers out there3 to them say keep up the

good work and all the best4 owever, to those la/y ones, be informed that you arebetraying the future of our children !nd if this trend continues, you will be held

8/9/2019 Possible Solutions to Learners' Poor English Performance in Schools

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/possible-solutions-to-learners-poor-english-performance-in-schools 2/2

accountable for the higher failure rate of our children Teaching is a noble profession,and should not be put into disrepute by a few la/y individuals

would like to call upon the government to step in and help our teachers financially, tomake ends meet 0ost of our teachers are hungry and homeless3 they do not have their

own houses to call home This can be very frustrating to some of our best teachers who,if not taken care of, can ditch the teaching profession for greener pastures elsewheremagine teaching a class of more than 56 learners, what kind of quality teaching wouldtake place in such learning environment7 To make matters worse, some of these

teachers have to handle five classes consisting of more than 56 learners n total ateacher handles about '66 exercise books of the learners 8ith this staggering figure, itbecomes practically impossible for a teacher to give regular class tests and mark them

and give feedback on time etter performing schools in #amibia have a relatively smallnumber of learners in the classroom as opposed to most public schools, particularly in9avango region

f the issue of leaner$teacher ratio is not solved, then forget about quality teaching takingplace in our public schools, let alone teaching proper English

owever, despite all these challenges, teachers should be very resourceful and

inventive to solve some of these teaching related problems n a situation where youhave a class of more than 56 or :6 learners and the activity is less than ten marks, letlearners swap their exercise books and mark their own work, rather than a teacher

keeping those books for a month

;inally, am confident and hopeful that our teachers in #amibia are capable enough to

teach our children very well am very sure our teachers and learners are going to work

hard this year4 The whole education sector should stand tall3 let us do it for our lateeducation 0inister <r !braham yambo ;or comment gersindano=gmailcom