Abstract:
Language, because of its prevalence in human affairs, has been studied by scholars who are interested in various aspects of human existence. Subsequently, researches in the field of second language learning as regards Open and Distance Learning (ODL) have shown that students in ODL institutions often encounter various challenges (spoken and written) in their efforts to acquire English and communicate meaningfully in the language. This paper, using the Contrastive Analysis (CA) theoretical framework interrogates some of the technicalities in the structure of English that often pose challenges to English as Second Language (ESL) learners in Open and Distance Learning institutions like the National Open University of Nigeria. The study found that the challenges often faced by the ODL students include learning the language without a goal, difficulty in coordinating their speech and writing meaningfully, mother tongue interference which makes them less active in speaking English, limited learning environment, being bored by traditional learning methods, lack of interest and confidence while many more are afraid of making errors. Suffice it to say that this study is justified by the fact that as teachers/facilitators of a second language, we should be interested, among other things, in those aspects of language which give our students the greatest difficulty. This way, we would be able to devise ways and methods that can help them overcome such difficulties and subsequently make the learning of the various structures of English easier and more fulfilling for them. Since language acquisition is a long process that is different for everyone and often has ups and downs, this study therefore recommends the used of ‘Blended Learning’ approach (which emphasizes the combination of traditional learning methods with modern teaching techniques) to truly assist the learners with the internal process of overcoming the challenges and acquiring the language successfully and effectively.
Keywords: Structure of Language, Second Language Learner, Open and Distance Learning, Communicative Competence, Blended Learning
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author/Iyere Theodore (PhD)
journal/Zamfara IJOH Vol. 1 Issue 3
pdf-https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_pntzHGOYggYeXByZvg42PczsSKX8YKE/view?usp=share_link
paper-https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_pntzHGOYggYeXByZvg42PczsSKX8YKE/view?usp=share_link
