CHALLENGES AFFECTING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING (CLT) IN THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN FCT, ABUJA

Abstract

Despite the recognition of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) for its effectiveness in developing learners’ communicative competence in English language, studies suggest that its implementation remains inconsistent in secondary schools in Nigeria. This study examines the factors affecting the successful operationalisation of CLT in selected secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Five English language teachers, purposively selected from randomly selected private and public secondary schools in Abuja, were interviewed with the aid of semi-structured questionnaire. Data collected from the interviews were analysed qualitatively through the lens of Everett Rodgers’ (2003) Diffusion of Innovation theory (DoI). The findings show that the utilisation of CLT in secondary schools in Abuja is affected by factors such as time constraint, lack of training of teachers, the nature of English language examinations, negative perceptions of CLT, and the nature of the English language curriculum. The study concludes that while CLT has the potential of improving learners’ proficiency in English language, its successful implementation in schools in the FCT depend on addressing the identified challenges. It recommends deliberate intervention by stakeholders towards improved teachers’ training, reviewing the duration of English language lessons, reduction of teachers’ workload, and incorporating CLT activities in the English language curriculum.