ENHANCING QUALITY TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ORAL ENGLISH IN NIGERIANSCHOOLS: THE ROLES OF DIGITAL LANGUAGE LABORATORIES

Abstract

The teaching of oral English in schools in Nigeria has not received adequate attention it deserves. Oral skills in
English are taught and examined in schools with the aim of developing accuracy and fluency in speech
communication. However, majority of students do not attain intelligibility at the close of their study. It is
common for second language learners of English to struggle to communicate due to incorrect use of speech
sounds, mispronunciations and mother tongue interference. These often hinder communication as listeners
struggle to understand what is being said. The use of technology to enhance teaching as digital learning
resources has come to lessen difficulties faced by students. One of such is the use of digital language
laboratories to enhance the teaching and learning of oral English. Going by the limitations imposed on learners
of English as a second language, the use of digital language laboratories become imperative, if they would be
globally competitive in job searches. This study was carried out to investigate the role of digital language
laboratories in the teaching and learning of oral English. The study is qualitative, relying on secondary data
such as journals, articles, books etc. The study revealed that digital language laboratories can contribute
immensely to the acquisition and improvement of students’ oral English since it can assist them to be learn
pronunciation, practice, and assess their speech in the English Language competently.