CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Among the courses taken by Senior Secondary School pupils and other candidates in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), English has remained a fundamental subject in both Junior and Senior Secondary schools. It is a topic that applicants must pass in order for their total examination achievement to be meaningful (Edoho, 2016). Considering the departmental criteria of various institutions, a candidate who earns a "A' grade in all subjects offered in WASSCE but fails the English language cannot get admission to any university. A credit pass is a prerequisite for entrance to any institution of higher learning, regardless of the subject of study. (JAMB Brochure 2009/2010).

As a result of the foregoing, English language education in Nigeria is about ensuring that pupils have a comprehensive command of the language. Nigerian kids' usage of the English language in school presents a slew of learning difficulties. Numerous students come from families and situations where English is neither spoken or understood. As a result, pupils have significant problems in understanding the language. Students must be fluent in English in order to acquire admission to a tertiary institution or job. This competency requires pupils to possess reading, understanding, structural competence, and a vast vocabulary in order to comprehend and make utterances on a variety of themes. According to Akabogu (2002), a student who lacks sufficient vocabulary would be unable to comprehend comprehension passages or build sentences with which to express oneself freely on a variety of issues.

Reading and comprehension are specialized skills that are critical to a student's educational success. Effective compression enables the reader to read, decipher, and construct ideas from the text's material (Akpama, Egong & Akwa, 2005). Due to their identical link, reading and understanding must work as a single notion. Comprehension occurs naturally as a result of reading. It does not happen in the absence of reading, nor is reading fascinating or meaningful in the absence of comprehension. Regardless of why a student chooses to read, understanding is the goal, and a reader will stop reading if he or she does not comprehend the information.

Effective understanding is critical for students in context domains. According to Akpama et al. (2005), the comprehension questions that students answer during examinations reveal their degree of comprehension of several parts of the language, including grammar, vocabulary, and content. This demonstrates that a lack of proficiency in any of these areas has a detrimental effect on students' overall performance in the English language.

For an extended length of time, the Government, Universities, the general public, and the West African Examination Council have expressed displeasure in applicants' yearly low performance, particularly in the English language. Onukaogu (1993) discovered that over 70% of applicants failed the English language exam 1 due to poor performance in the comprehension and summary portions (English Paper 1). According to him, almost 40% of those who failed this portion earned less than 10% since their failure to comprehend a piece makes summarizing it impossible. All of these indicators suggest that the majority of pupils are not exposed to the written word. They were not only unprepared, but also lacked the requisite language and strategies for answering comprehension problems. Rather than reading and comprehending the texts and then responding to specific questions in their own words, the majority of students copied passages, demonstrating their incapacity to develop the passage's concepts in their own words (Onukaogu 1993). Additionally, many kids do poorly on vocabulary tests as a result of their lack of exposure to significant reading. This is demonstrated by the type of the words children provide as synonyms for vocabulary terms on tests.

Reading is more than word recognition. It is the meaningful interpretation of words, phrases, and sentences, which necessitates the use of several modes of thought (Eyisi, 2005). Reading is the cornerstone of formal education, and so no one can ignore it and expect to succeed in a formal setting. In keeping with this assertion, Wilkins (1972) asserts that vocabulary meaning can be acquired only via prolonged exposure to language, which he feels can be accomplished only through substantial reading. Similarly,

Chukwuma & Otaburuagu (1997) also notice that the more widely one reads a text, the more skilled one gets in the language. Being more fluent in English implies the ability to confidently and accurately manipulate grammatical structures, to use words appropriately in speech and writing, and, most importantly, to communicate more effectively.

Comprehensive reading materials are split into literary and non-literary publications. Novels, plays, poetry, short stories, and folktales all fall under the category of literary works. Non-literary works include daily newspapers, weekly or monthly periodicals, biographies, autobiographies, and social commentary. For students in the senior secondary level, exposure to literary works through the study of English literature may help them improve their English language competence. According to Wikipedia Americana, literature is an imaginative mode of expression whose primary characteristic is that it is viewed primarily as a type of art characterized by functionality, creative imagination, and the use of words as its instruments. It is a certain technique to instill a reading culture in pupils and to expose them to the language in its natural state. To paint a clearer image of literature's function in efficient communication and information, Ossisonwa (1997) asserts that a creative prose writer possesses a variety of instruments, including the use of lexical items, syntactic patterning, semantic field, and distinctive semantic use (idioms and figures of speech). Considering the above remark, when these linguistic tools are appropriately developed in the minds of readers, they enable them to develop competency in both written and spoken communication. It contributes significantly to their comprehension of a piece.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

English is the medium of instruction at all levels in Nigeria and serves as a measure for determining someone is educated or not. Despite its importance, the West African School Certificate results continue to demonstrate a general lack of English language proficiency among secondary school students (Edoho, 2016). Numerous variables may contribute to the low performance. Certain English language teachers are unqualified to teach it effectively, and as a result, students cannot perform beyond what is taught. Additionally, English literature, which may be utilized to supplement language acquisition, is not effectively taught. According to Obi (2018) despite the fact that language and literature are connected, teachers teach them separately. There is no integration of English language and literature instruction; rather, literature in English is viewed as a topic to be pursued by students who are weak in the sciences. Thus, the study's problem is to determine how the study of English literature affects the English language success of senior secondary school students.

1. 1. This material content is developed to serve as a GUIDE for students to conduct academic research work
2. 2. As a source for additional understanding of the subject.
3. 3. As a source for ideas for your own research work (if properly referenced).
4. 4. For PROPER paraphrasing (see your university definition of plagiarism and acceptable paraphrase)
5. 5. Direct citing (if referenced properly)
Thank you so much for your respect to the authors copyright.