CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Language learning is difficult without reading. Reading is an effective method of understanding. A proficient reader comprehends the words and structures of written texts. Reading extensively is an essential means of developing communication skills. By reading widely, students will be introduced to new terminology that is essential for reading comprehension (Pazhakh & Soltani, 2022).

People learn to read through reading, and prolonged reading is the greatest way to acquire effective reading skills. Similarly, there is broad agreement that there is a link between communication proficiency and extensive reading, therefore communication proficiency and reading comprehension can be viewed as mutually beneficial processes. This reciprocal advantage implies that vocabulary enhances students' capacity to decipher meaning from context (Teng, 2022).

Light (2022) defines communicative competence as "the ability to meet changing demands and achieve communication goals throughout one's lifetime"

Communicative Competence should serve four primary functions: expressing desires and needs, fostering social proximity, transferring information, and adhering to social etiquette norms (Light, 2022). Grammatical competence, discourse competence, sociolinguistic competence, and strategic competence compose communicative competence (Canale & Swain, 2022; Savignon, 2022). The national standard demonstrates communicative competence through the interpretative mode, interpersonal mode, and presentational mode of communication (Mart, 2022). The interpretative mode of communication is characterized by the capacity to interpret and comprehend spoken and written language, whereas the interpersonal mode of communication is characterized by the capacity to maintain discussion between two or more persons. These three kinds of communication constitute actual real-world communicative circumstances when combined (Mart, 2022).

Reading is a vital learning tool that is integral to all learning circumstance and the foundation of education. Therefore, access to knowledge is essential for both individual and corporate educational growth. Adetunji (2022) defined reading as the process of transforming symbols or letters into meaningful words or sentences. It is also the comprehension of what is seen in a text, which is the reader's capacity to absorb incoming visual information and extract meaning from it. Information is essential. According to Yusuf (2022), knowledge bridges the gap between ignorance. Reading is one of the most important means of gaining knowledge. Reading is the fundamental academic talent upon which all others are developed. It provides an efficient method for enhancing vocabulary, word strength, and language abilities.

Communicative competence has long been the focus of education in language classrooms, which emphasize organizational, pragmatic, systematic, and psychomotor skills (Brown, 2022). From the standpoint of communicative competency, academic reading must be approached as a meaning-based, purpose- and comprehension-driven activity. Reading is driven by the reader's specific objective and accelerated by increased text comprehension. In addition, given that language is entrenched in contexts and activities, academic reading evaluation should focus on contexts and objectives, as well as narrow linguistic abilities that arise from the local context. Whether dealing with elementary school pupils or college students, it is evident that the majority of understanding is tied to a goal; therefore, it is essential to assess reading within the framework of that purpose. In light of this, the study studied the perspective and scope of substantial reading's role in fostering communication skills in secondary school.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Overall, the significance of reading cannot be overstated, as no learning activity or circumstance can occur without it. However, one of the most significant issues confronting Nigerian students is their inability to communicate properly (Ajayi, 2022).

This issue may be attributed to a lack of reading habits among students or a disregard for reading due to the prevalence of the Internet. Despite the fact that there are numerous reasons why people read, recent observations and studies have revealed a low reading habit among students, particularly in developing nations, because reading is not considered a relevant leisure activity because it is not a part of children's social interaction or television viewing. Students' lack of reading habits is exacerbated by the proliferation of ICTs such as the internet, mobile phone, and video games, as well as other viewing devices.

Umar (2022) believes that students today have a viewing culture rather than a reading culture due to the proliferation of these ICTs devices. Also, the absence of available information resources such as textbooks at the school library and at home might contribute to a lack of kids developing reading habits. Students' tendency to grasp a passage on the sentence level as opposed to the discourse level is a recurring difficulty in reading comprehension. Consequently, they tend to render all texts at the same rate. In addition, the student frequently consults dictionaries to determine the meanings of unfamiliar terms.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this study is to  examine the utilization of extensive reading in the promotion of language competence in secondary schools. Precisely, this study seeks to:

i.          Determine the extent of extensive reading done in secondary schools.

ii.        Determine whether extensive reading has an impact on language competency in secondary schools.

iii.      Find out whether extensive reading is used in the promotion of language competence in secondary schools.

iv.      Examine the benefits of extensive reading in secondary schools.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions will be answered in this study:

i.          What is the extent of extensive reading done in secondary schools?

ii.        Does extensive reading have an impact on language competency in secondary schools?

iii.      Is extensive reading used in the promotion of language competence in secondary schools.

iv.      What are the benefits of extensive reading in secondary schools?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Reading extensively is an effective way for students to enhance their communication skills. For future research, the study provides dependable tools, action protocols, and experimental results for use by other researchers. According to the researcher's knowledge, there are no studies on the impact of extensive reading on language competence in secondary schools in Nigeria. The majority of research examined the impact of substantial reading on reading competency or on other abilities independently. However, the majority of relevant research agree that intensive reading is a good method for developing communication skills.

Through the active engagement of the instructor, the research will also aid school administrators in developing a more effective reading approach to improve their students' communication skills. It will also assist in sensitizing the government to the importance of improving the curriculum and raising the learning standard in order to improve student communication skills by providing all the necessary materials within the school environment to encourage extensive reading among secondary school students.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study is focused on determining the extent of extensive reading done in secondary schools, determining whether extensive reading has an impact on language competency in secondary schools, finding out whether extensive reading is used in the promotion of language competence in secondary schools and examining the benefits of extensive reading in secondary schools.

Students from selected secondary schools in Jos North, Plateau State will serve as the enrolled participants for the survey of this study.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

As with any human endeavor, the researcher experienced small impediments while performing the study. Due to the scarcity of literature on the subject as a result of the discourse's nature, the researcher incurred additional financial expenses and spent additional time sourcing for relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as during the data collection process, which is why the researcher chose a small sample size. Additionally, the researcher conducted this inquiry in conjunction with other scholarly pursuits. Additionally, because only a small number of respondents were chosen to complete the research instrument, the results cannot be applied to other secondary schools outside the state. Regardless of the limits faced throughout the investigation, all aspects were reduced to ensure the best outcomes and the most productive research.

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