1.2 Problems raised by teaching English in the
Senegalese context
Language teachers in Senegal daily meet a certain number of
difficulties which impede them from doing their jobs in the normal way. English
teachers suffer a lot from this situation because the language that they teach
is the second language and that it is not used all the time. The problems that
English teachers are today faced with are numerous. One of the most obvious
is the lack of motivation of the students. This is really a problem because
when students lack motivation there is nothing that the teacher can do to help
them no matter how courageous he or she may be. Teaching English when students
are not motivated is really a boring task and this will not give the teacher
the strength to continue what he or she is doing.
When students are reluctant to learn it will not easy for the
teacher to provide knowledge with the students because students are not in a
position to acquire knowledge. When students are not motivated in the class
they disturb the classroom atmosphere and this may have negative impact on the
learning of the motivated students.
Lack of motivation of students is really problematic in our
classrooms and it due mainly to many factors which are internal and external to
our school system. It is imperative that today English teachers should take
into account this problem because it is really an impediment and an obstacle to
our teaching system.
Apart from this fact, there are other problems that teachers
of English meet. We can lay the stress on the fact that today most schools are
ill equipped and this really a problem. In most schools, particularly in
schools which are in rural areas, there are not enough books for students. When
there are not enough books, one can imagine the disastrous conditions that
teachers and students are going to work. Books are vital in English teaching in
Senegal because the syllabus is focused on books which are called
Go for English. In most schools, a group of four or
five students has to share one book and this will not facilitate the English
teaching because when books lack, problems are bound to happen. Lack of books
is not the only problems. We can add that lack of hand-outs which are most of
the time frequent in many schools because there are no photocopiers.
Hand-outs are very important in the language teaching because
they help and illustrate what has been taught to students. Sometimes handouts
are pictures or maps which are really helpful as they enable students to
understand in a very quickly way
The insufficiency of teachers of English in schools is another
problem that has to be taken into account. In some schools teachers are really
understaffed and the ones who are available will not spend all the time
teaching because when they spend all their time teaching they will be in the
long run, feel tired. When in a school, English teachers are understaffed; the
students' learning of the language is not efficient. By dint of hard work, you
will finally be exhausted. English teachers are understaffed and educational
authorities should take this matter more seriously and hire new English
teachers.
The training of the new English teachers is really important
because it has a part to play in the learning of the students. It is so
problematic when teachers are hired and sent to schools without basic
training.
We can also point out that it is really difficult to teach
English when students tend to use their mother tongue. In Senegal schools,
students use French or just their mother tongue. French and mother tongue's is
so conspicuous and recurrent that when you want to teach English you will face
problems. We have to lay emphasis on the fact that some students use or mother
tongue with the complicity of teachers of English. This kind of teaching
English will not be efficient because English is mixed with other languages.
Some students because they are afraid or ashamed of making mistakes, they
express either in French or in their mother tongues. We see this situation when
students are asked to conduct activities in pair work or group work. Because
most of the time when students do pair work or group work activities and the
teacher is not in the group, students use continuously their mother tongues
when in fact a language is to be spoken permanently if you want to have a high
command of the language.
Teachers of English should be more cautious and attentive with
students' use of their mother tongue in a place and at a time when they should
practise their English, it will become really problematic.
Another problem of the English teachers is that the national
syllabus does not sit with our cultural, values so much so that it will not be
easy for the teachers of English to teach students realities different to the
ones they know. When cultural realities are so different, students will have
problems to get sense of direction and to know where the teacher wants to lead
them. The national syllabus has to take that into consideration because when
teachers want to teach English through other realities, students will be in
difficulty as far as the English handling is concerned.
Culture is something that is very important in such extent
that when students are estranged from their culture, they will be at a loss and
under such circumstances learning is so hard.
It is necessary today authorities have in mind that only by
focusing the syllabus on our culture can it be advantageous and beneficial to
the English teachers as well as the students.
Parents' lack of involvement in the education of the students
is sometimes a problem that has to be considered. In rural areas, home
schooling is non-existent and some parents do not care about their children's
education. This situation does not help the teacher because learning should be
permanent. Students, whether at home or at school, they should always learn. At
school teacher can control the student and make him work. Some students after
school have to go to their fields to help their families in rural areas.
Sometimes parents are not facilitators; they are just obstacles and impediments
in their students learning.
| 
