How To Pass English In WAEC And NECO

How to Pass English in WAEC And NECO

English language as a subject has always been a problem to many students in secondary institutions in Nigeria. On yearly basis, statistics have shown that greater number of candidates fail English Language in WAEC and NECO examinations thereby making it impossible for them to gain admission to tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

The big question many have always asked is why is English Language a difficult subject to pass among greater percentage number of students in WAEC and NECO? Why would a student fail English Language he or she speaks every day? A number of factors are responsible. These factors are clearly spelt out and they are:

1. Bad Foundation: Bad foundation in the sense of either speaking p.g English, not talking or speaking in English language at all, both at home and in school. Again, some find it very difficult to speak in the public for fear of being ridiculed or laughed at. So as he or she grows, English becomes very difficult for such a person or candidate because he has not been communicating freely to notice some loopholes.
2. Lack of Good Teachers: Is another factor that works against an effective teaching of English language and strong factor that is responsible for mass failure in English among candidates in WAEC and NECO. Some teachers who teach the subject are either not qualified or lack the technical knowhow to impart the knowledge to students.
3. Lack of good text books or materials: This is another factor militating against students passing English language in their WAEC and NECO. I have read most text books in English and discovered that they are laden with poor grammatical structures and ill equipped with points and this negative factor has negative impact on the students in passing the subject.

In addition, modern day learning materials or aids in English like C.Ds. are not there for teaching, hence mass failure in WAEC or NECO.

For instance, there are some words considered outdated or obsolete in English language yet on daily basis, you hear among secondary students, undergraduates and even graduates: “doing my possible best” instead of “doing my best” or “doing my utmost”. “I know it off-head” instead of “I know it off hand” and so on. So the students who are not acquainted with such knowledge will fail such question when it features in WAEC and NECO examinations and other important examinations.

4. Shyness: is another factor why students fail English in WAEC or NECO examinations. Majority of the students are ashamed to speak in the public for fear of being laughed at or ridiculed among their contemporaries. The wise saying that you learn to speak by speaking is a manifestation of this fact that when you speak and made mistakes, you are learning English language unconsciously. Unlike mathematics, English language has no definite answer except in the area of lexis and structures. This development helps to build up a student and in no time groomed to speak and write well in English language.
5. Lack of seriousness among students: Some students apart from being shy to speak especially in the public are not serious-minded in their daily written and spoken English and this is why a number of candidates do not pass English in WAEC and NECO. As a matter of fact, English is supposed to be the simplest subject to pass since is the mother of all subjects. As you read other subjects like government, economics, chemistry, magazines and other educative write-ups, you are building up your vocabularies, widening your scope in other fields and consciously and unconsciously knowing and reading English language.

SOLUTIONS

To overcome this problem of mass failure in English language in WAEC and NECO, ALL HANDS MUST BE ON DECK. Both the government, the schools, individuals, parents and students must wake up to these challenges. We must see the problem as national disaster and requires urgent attention.

1. English language should be made compulsory in spoken and written both at home and in schools. To this end, the students should be closely monitored in their daily written or spoken English by their parents and school teachers.

 

2. Teachers should be adequately trained with modern day teaching aids or materials in English language. In addition, the teachers should as well be encouraged by being rewarded either in cash or kind to put in their best in teaching the students. English as a subject is very wide and requires a teacher who is experienced, vast and highly equipped academically to teach English language in our secondary institutions and this will bring about a turn-around in passing English in WAEC and NECO.

 

3. Laying hands on good text books or materials will equally help to make our students pass their English language in WAEC and NECO. Good text books or materials in this regard will help to nurture a student to know the technicalities involved in English language and passing the subject in WAEC and NECO with problem.

 

4. The government should make it compulsory by introducing inter and intra debates among schools. This will help the students to research into other areas that would widen their horizon and thus will make it easier for them to pass English in WAEC and NECO.

 

5. Students should be encouraged to write a good essay and letter at least once in a week either as a take home assignment or in the school. Such a student should be called out to do the presentation and this will help to remove fear and build confidence in them to pass WAEC and NECO with flying colours.

 

6. Reading very wide in other fields of study will widen their scope to enhance students’ performance in English language in schools. English is the mother of all subjects and as such students should be encouraged to read voraciously in other fields like economics, government, literature, biology, physics. Educative write ups like  magazines, journals, literature books all have a lot to teach the students in English language and passing it both in WAEC and NECO  and indeed any other examination.

 

In conclusion, passing English language in WAEC and NECO CAN BE ACHIEVED if the government and the private sectors declare emergency in the school curriculum by encouraging essay competition, inter and intra debates among schools, providing modern teaching aids, encouraging manpower will go a long way to enhancing effective learning in English language in our schools and no doubt will make our candidates who sit for WAEC and NECO to pass English language as a subject without problem.