THE PLACE OF SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION THEORIES ON THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Language is a system of human communication through the use of spoken or written signals or words. Language gives expression to our thought; it is used to communicate knowledge, ideas and information from one person to another. Language is seen as purely human and non-instinctive. However, when it comes to learning second language, it's quite different and highly tasking and demanding. Due to the peculiar nature of Nigeria with many ethnic groups coming together as one nation, there is the need for a second language that will unify the people in terms of language spoken, hence, the adoption of English language as the lingua franca and official language. It is quite obvious that learning English language in Nigeria needs an intentional and conscious teaching since it is learnt as a second language. Nigerians have different mother tongues which will either aid or hinder the learning of English language. Where there are differences in the structure of the indigenous languages and English language, learners struggle to learn English language, but, similarities in these indigenous languages and English aid the learning of English llanguage. Nevertheless, it is important to consider and utilize the theories of second language acquisition in the teaching and learning of English language for easy and smooth learning. Many theorists postulated different theories regarding the acquisition/learning of second language. These theories are critically assessed and their relevance to the teaching and learning of English language is examined.