Pragmatic Approach to Improve the Teaching of English in Primary Schools in Nigeria: Teaching as an Art and the Teachers, Artists

Abstract

English language plays an inexorable role in Nigerian society and holds prestige in the educational system. Consequently, it is both a compulsory subject and a medium of instruction from the fourth year of schooling. Because of its prestigious position, much concern has been shown to ensure that students receive adequate support in the classroom to acquire the skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) for their language development. Nevertheless, some scholars (Obanya, 2002; Adegbite, 2005; Amuseghan, 2007; Ajibola, 2008) have discovered that the methods used by teachers in the classroom do not give room for practical language use, and as a result, students are not well equipped with the skills to understand the application and use of English as a medium of instruction and as a subject. To address the problem of not having a practical pedagogy in English language classrooms, this paper describes how English language teachers can assume roles as artists and embrace the teaching of English as art in elementary school (grade 4).