i

UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA

FACULTY OF ARTS

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AND LITERARY STUDIES

INTERPRETATION OF ESSAY QUESTIONS AS PERFORMANCE

INDEX FOR STUDENTS IN THE SENIOR SCHOOL CERTIFICATE

ENGLISH EXAMINATION

A PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS

IN ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE M.A. (ESL)

BY

OKOLI, JOSEPH SUNDAY

PG/MA/08/49409

JANUARY 2011

i

UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA

FACULTY OF ARTS

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AND LITERARY STUDIES

INTERPRETATION OF ESSAY QUESTIONS AS PERFORMANCE

INDEX FOR STUDENTS IN THE SENIOR SCHOOL CERTIFICATE

ENGLISH EXAMINATION

A PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS

IN ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE M.A. (ESL)

BY

OKOLI, JOSEPH SUNDAY

PG/MA/08/49409

JANUARY 2011

ii

CERTIFICATION

Okoli, Sunday Joseph, a postgraduate student of English, and Literary Studies with

Registration Number: PG/MA/08/49409 has satisfactorily completed the requirements for

course and research work for the Master of Arts degree in English as a Second Language-

M.A (ESL)

The work embodied in this thesis is original and has not been submitted in part or in

full for any other diploma or degree of this or any other University.

_________________________ _____________________

Dr. P.A Ezema Prof. Sam Onuigbo

Head of Department Supervisor

________________________

Date

iii

APPROVAL PAGE

This work has been read and approved as having met the standard required for the

award of the Master of Arts (MA) degree in the Department of English and Literary Studies

University of Nigeria, Nsukka

______________________ ________________________

Head of Department Date

_______________________ ________________________

External Examiner Date

______________________ ______________________

Dean of Faculty Date

iv

DEDICATION

I dedicate this work to my family for every support given and understanding shown;

and to my saboteurs and enemies.

v

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to acknowledge my Mediator, the Holy Queen Mother, for mediating then,

now and in the future. I am greatly indebted to my former lecturer at both the undergraduate

and postgraduate levels, Dr. Nzebunachi Oji, a model of excellence. I thank my lecturers in

the Department of English and Literary Studies, for allowing me the privilege of extra drink

from their fountain of knowledge and kindness – Dr. P.A. Ezema, my lecturer and Head of

Department, Prof. Sam Onuigbo, Chidi Nwankwo, Prof. A.N Akwanya and Prof. D. Opata.

Professor Sam Onuigbo is my supervisor. I found him a friend in need and I lack words to

express enough appreciation to him and members of his family. Surely, God will always

abide with him.

Finally, I am bound in gratitude to the authors whose works have been cited or

paraphrased in this work. The ideas here would have been stillborn without the useful

insights gleaned from the works consulted.

vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- i

Certification ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ii

Approval page ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- iii

Dedication -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iv

Acknowledgements --------------------------------------------------------------------- v

Table of Contents ----------------------------------------------------------------------- vi

List of Tables ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- viii

Abstract ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ix

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study ----------------------------------------------------------- 1

1.2 Statement of the Problem ---------------------------------------------------------- 6

1.3 Purpose of the Study ---------------------------------------------------------------- 8

1.4 Significance of the Study----------------------------------------------------------- 8

1.5 Research Questions ----------------------------------------------------------------- 8

1.6 Scope of the Study ------------------------------------------------------------------ 9

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

Conceptual framework ------------------------------------------------------------------ 10

WAEC’s expectations ------------------------------------------------------------------- 12

WAEC’s appraisal ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 14

Misinterpretation of Questions -------------------------------------------------------- 19

Reading in a second language situation ---------------------------------------------- 19

Empirical Studies ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 22

Theoretical Framework ----------------------------------------------------------------- 25

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research Design --------------------------------------------------------------------- 27

3.2 Areas of Study ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 27

3.3 Population ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27

3.4 Data Collection and Analysis ------------------------------------------------------ 28

vii

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

A: Students’ Responses ---------------------------------------------------------------- 29

Factor and frequency -------------------------------------------------------------------- 30

B. Teachers and Examiners’ Responses ---------------------------------------------- 38

CHAPTER FIVE: FINDINGS CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Conclusion /recommendations --------------------------------------------------------- 52

References -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53

Appendix ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56

viii

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Frequency of essay lessons of school and practical in interpretation of

essay questions --------------------------------------------------------------- 29

Table 2: Usefulness of the Dictionary, Textbooks and Supplementary Texts in the

Interpretation of Essay Questions ------------------------------------------ 30

Table 3: Use of Effective Essay Techniques Outlining, Topic Sentence and Guided

Composition ------------------------------------------------------------------- 31

Table 4: The Use of Language: Knowledge of Grammar, Vocabulary, Figurative

Language and Idiomatic Expressions ------------------------------------- 32

Table 5: Time Factors ------------------------------------------------------------------- 33

Table 6: Response on Essay Number One ------------------------------------------- 34

Table 7: Response on Essay Number Two ------------------------------------------- 35

Table 8: Response on Essay Number Three ----------------------------------------- 36

Table 9: Response on Essay Number Four ------------------------------------------- 37

Table 10: Evaluation of the Language Competence of Students ------------------ 38

Table 11: Language Related Problems of Interpretation --------------------------- 39

Table 12: Impatience as a Factor in Interpretation ---------------------------------- 40

Table 13: Effect of Interpretation on Performance --------------------------------- 40

Table 14: Teacher, Curriculum and Textbook Factors on Interpretation -------- 41

Table 15: Role of Reading in interpretation of Essay Topics --------------------- 44

ix

ABSTRACT

Interpretation of Essay Questions as Performance Index for Students in the Senior School

Certificate English Examination was designed to investigate Senior School Certificate

Examination (SSCE) candidates’ ability to interpret and answer SSCE essay questions in

English. The study was carried out in the Nsukka Educational Zone of Enugu State, Nigeria.

The questionnaire and four essay questions were used as instruments for the investigation.

Four hundred and ninety SS3 students and fifty-two WAEC/NECO examiners participated in

the study. Error analysis was employed to validate the data collected. The result of the

investigation shows that the majority of SSCE candidates (over 90%) misinterpret SSCE

essay questions in English. The study contends that the essay is enough index to ascertain

one’s performance, literacy level or even falling or fallen standard of education in Nigeria.

Therefore, the loss of 32 out of the 50marks for the essay as a result of poor interpretation is

significant enough to explain the poor performance of candidates in SSCE English.

1

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Accurate interpretation of expressions is a sore point in a Second Language situation.

One of the common observations, by examiners, at all levels of examinations in a Second

Language situation, is the poor interpretation of expressions by candidates. Examiners insist

that candidates, at every level of examination misinterpret instructions, as well as, questions.

The result of the misinterpretation of instructions is the failure to follow laid down

instruction. Every examiner, at one time or another, has had to experience this unfortunate

situation. Allegations of candidates not addressing the set question are very common,

especially at the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).

This study is informed by an experience in 2008, when I attempted to be creative at

the annual “How I celebrated Christmas” essay with students. The result is a resolve to

investigate our capacity on the interpretation of essay topics.

The cream of the school had gathered, ready to write the usual, (How I celebrated

Christmas), but instead, I gave them: “Assume you Had a White Christmas with your Parents

Aboard. Share your Experiences with us”.

The first student dwelt on how a white house was bought, new furniture, new

wardrobe and everything new including white friends. The second insisted the celebration

took place in the White House in USA. Another student celebrated the absence of sin,

accident or violence in their celebration. And incredibly, one spoke about semiovita in place

of akpu, foreign rice in place of Abakaliki rice, and Italian wine in place of palm wine. Only

six students, (22.42%) out of 27 of them associated Christmas with snow. Many of them

talked about interesting Christmas celebrations in the cities within Nigeria.

2

It should be noted, that in the previous school term, and during lessons on descriptive

essays, the students were taught different ways by which an event, season, celebration or

occasion could be described with such phrases as: a bloody independence anniversary, a low

keyed Easter celebration, a white Christmas, a white elephant project and so on. Be that as it

may, the responses of my students on this topic acted as mere signals that led to the search

and discovery of more authentic and documented evidence (1995 WAEC Reports) and the

need for this work.

The ability to interpret expressions in a Second Language situation is driven by

among other factors, a reliable skill in reading in a Second Language. Interpretation,

according to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 7th

Edition, is the particular way in

which something is understood or explained. In other words interpretation is the application

of knowledge.

Onukaogu argues that literal comprehension is the skill of understanding directly

stated facts, idea and details. This is because, words are the units which authors combine and

manipulate in order to convey their messages, ideas and opinions. Onukaogu says a word

may be an impediment to the comprehension of a sentence and by implication the

impediment to the comprehension of a paragraph (2003: 25-26).

Onukaogu further posits that we often use the dictionary to find out the meaning of

words. But, when we are reading, it is not appropriate to use the dictionary for at least two

reasons. First, referring to a dictionary will slow down our rate of reading and by implication

hinder our understanding of what we read. Second, the dictionary does not give the meaning

of a word. The dictionary serves as a road map to the meaning of a word. It gives us the

possible meaning of a word. The meaning of a word can best be found in the context in

which the word occurs (26).

3

Many studies have focused on the general performance of candidates in the English

Language in the Senior School Certificate Examination. Only few, however, have focused

just on an aspect of the examination papers set and presented by the West African

Examination Council (WAEC) in the English Language.

This study is principally informed by, a report of the Chief Examiners of the West

African Examination Council on the Senor School Certificate Examination of May/June,

1995. The report, with particular reference to the performance of candidates in the essay

questions, insists that candidates should read the set questions carefully in order to

understand their requirements.

The concern of examining bodies, parents, teachers and administrators on students on

English in Nigeria are real. To draw this point of reality home, Mohammed points out that

the rate of failure in SSCE cuts across all the subjects including English. Thus he remarks

that the consistency and high level of the failure rate has assumed the character of ‘mass

failure’, a phenomenon which is disturbing to the whole nation. He goes on to assert that “the

paucity of qualified and experienced ESL teachers is one of the most critical problems facing

Nigerian Senior Secondary Schools today” (1995). Furthermore, Adejare posits that the

nation’s huge investment in the English language appears not to be yielding any substantial

dividend. The percentage and quality of passes in the subject at the primary and secondary

school levels are disconcertingly low nationwide (1991). Ubahakwe and Obi insist that the

issue of falling or fallen standard of English in Nigeria is a matter of great concern to

teachers, educators and administrators (1979:1). Furthermore, the WAEC Chief Examiners’

Report of 1986, as quoted by Chukwuma holds the view that

It is with utter dismay that one observes that students’ performance in English

language does not improve. This high rate of failure has to be checked.

However, the standard of papers will not be reduced (1989:7).

4

Oji recollects the time when Nigerians used to obtain A’s in the English Language

examination paper of the Cambridge School Certificate. In a kind of challenge, Oji asks: how

many third-year students of English in Nigerian universities can obtain a pass in such papers

now? (1997:165).

A myriad of factors have been identified as the cause of students’ poor performance

in the English language in the Senior School Certificate Examination essay questions. Obi

identified grammatical errors as being responsible for 86.6% of the failure rate; poor

paragraphing accounts for 80% of poor performance; wrong registers has 90% and

impatience to read the questions well has of 76.% poor performance. He further posits that

the causes of difficulties in essay writing include:

1. Insufficient English Language teachers,

2. Teachers’ ignorance of various teaching methods,

3. Weak background in the English language on the part of some teachers as well as most

students,

4. Insufficient class work and tests,

5. The aspect (essay) is very demanding on both the teacher and the students,

6. Weak background in English literature,

7. The English language is a living language, always changing,

8. Lack of proper textbooks (1977: 38).

Okoye citing the WAEC Chief Examiners’ Report of 1981 says the examining

language experts assert that the unsatisfactory performance was due to usual faults. These

faults, the report states, include candidates’ inability to express themselves meaningfully,

lack of understanding of the questions and failure to adhere to the rubrics. Her findings

reveal that the following factors are also responsible for candidates’ poor performance

(1985:3).

5

1. Teachers hardly use error analysis (EA) to teach essays

2. Teachers do not explore innovative methods and learning materials.

3. Teachers do not employ nonstructural and spiral teaching approaches to the essays.

4. Students do not make constant use of the dictionary

5. Textbook writers do not always maintain a communication link with classroom teachers

during the planning stage of textbook writing.

Similarly, Akalonu et al identified three major factors as responsible for poor

performance in essay writing.

1. Most of the teachers used the guided essay method while some used the individualized

essay method in teaching essays.

2. Most of the students wrote essays once in two weeks.

3. Letter writing narrative and descriptive essays were the essay types mostly stressed by

teachers (1987:37).

Apart from these factors, students poor habit to reading in a Second Language

undermines not only interpretation of topics but expressions in English. In other words, poor

attitude to reading in a Second Language is a likely factor for poor interpretation of essay

topics at the SSCE. (Duruaku, 1987; Dusina, 1987; Aboderin, 1987; Okebukola, 2006) on

reading comprehension in Nigeria have clearly shown that Nigeria students are not efficient

readers. Olaofe observed that reading is not part of the Nigerian culture. As a result, there is

… poor processing of information (1987).

The crippling effect of reading inefficiency, Owolabi and Okebukola posit seems to

have manifested in responses of science students to examination questions. West African

Examination Science Student could not understand the demands of some questions and could

neither express them in clear and comprehensive language. This perhaps partly explains why

students perform poorly in examinations (2009:38).

6

The present study is of the opinion that the essay, as an aspect of the English language

examination paper, remains constant, central and crucial in the judgment of:

a. the performance of students in the English language, at any level, and the Senior

School Certificate Examination, in particular,

b. one’s literacy level of standard and quality of education, and

c. falling or fallen standard of education, especially in Nigeria.

For example, Oluikpe believes that if you ask a concerned parent how he knows that the

standard of education has fallen, he would invariably reply: “My child can neither speak nor

write in simple correct English” (1979:46).

Onuakaogu and Ohia say the inability of the products of our school system to read and

write fluently in English… shows that our efforts are not rewarding. We have, unfortunately,

come to believe that teaching the mechanics of language and its lexis and structure would

automatically enhance the language competence of our students (2003:57-58). Available

research evidence, Onukaogu and Ohia continue shows that such beliefs do not help and are

not likely to help our students. Citing Adetugbo (1976) the two held that our students can

easily and readily recite rules yet their reading comprehension level is hardly beyond literal.

They read mainly at the frustration and instruction levels. When it comes to writing, they are

neither fluent nor accurate.

This study, therefore, seeks to investigate one of the factors identified by Obi

(1977:38). WAEC (1981:34) and WAEC (1995:3) – the poor interpretation of set questions

as being responsible for candidates’ poor performance in the Senior School Certificate

Examination Essay questions (see pages 3).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

If poor interpretation of essay questions in the Senior School Certificate Examination,

by candidates is proved, it could be a major factor responsible for candidates’ poor

7

performance in English language Examination. This is because such poor interpretation of

the essay questions will lead the candidates to write on a topic irrelevant to the questions set.

The WAEC General Rules on the Marking of Composition (Revised) states that

If a candidate writes on a topic irrelevant to the question set, award zero for

Content and Organization and not more than 8 marks for Expression (1998:6).

This means that any wrong interpretation of the questions set in the SSCE essays will affect

three areas in marking the composition. The mark allocation is as follows:

Content 10 marks

Organization 10 marks

Expression 20 marks

Mechanical Accuracy 10 marks

Total 50 marks

In other words, the candidate loses 32 out of the 50 marks in composition for wrong

interpretation. This is a significant loss.

The West African Examinations Council presents three papers for English Language

in the Senior School Certificate Examination. Paper one comprises the essay/letter,

comprehension and summary. Of these three, the essay/letter has 50 marks, comprehension

20 and summary 30. It is a widely-held assumption that performance in the essay/letter

predicts performance not just in comprehension and summary but also in the other two

papers. Oji says that the comprehension and expression competence are the main linguistic

skills that anyone who makes pretensions to language acquisition must possess (1997:160).

The problem of this work, therefore, is students’ poor performance in the Senior

School Certificate essay questions. The central issue is whether poor interpretation of the

SSCE essay questions is responsible for students’ poor performance. In order to investigate

this problem, the researcher formulated seven research questions to help him at the root of

8

the problem as well as proffer solutions. Essentially the research questions were responded to

by SS 3 students. Another set of questions was directed at teachers and examiners of English.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study includes to determine:

1. The requirements of SSCE essay questions in the English language,

2. If students interpret SSCE essay questions wrongly,

3. If SSCE essay questions are open to many interpretations,

4. If accurate interpretation can improve performance,

5. Ways through which accurate interpretation can improve students’ performance in

essay questions.

1.4 Significance of the Study

This study is significant in that it will highlight the problems that Senior Secondary

School students are confronted with in the interpretation of essay questions at the SSCE

level. The information obtained from this study should be beneficial to both students and

teachers in their battle for improved communicative ability in the English language

particularly as regards correct interpretation of essay questions.

1.5 Research Questions

The following research questions are formulated for the study.

1. To what extent can the interpretation of SSCE essay questions affect candidates’

performance?

2. What factors are responsible for the wrong interpretation of SSCE essay questions by

candidates?

3. What steps could be taken to improve the students’ ability to interpret SSCE essay

questions? (see reading in a Second Language page 21)

9

4. What are the teachers’ opinions on poor or wrong interpretation as a factor for poor

performance in SSCE essay questions?

5. What are the students’ opinions on poor or wrong interpretation of SSCE essay

questions as a factor for poor performance?

6. What are WAEC examiners’ opinions on the false interpretation of SSCE essay

questions?

7. What is the role of reading in a Second Language in the interpretation of SSCE essay

questions?

1.6 Scope of the Study

Students are exposed to two externally set examinations in Nigeria during their

secondary school career. One is the Junior School Certificate Examination taken on

completion of the first three years in a secondary school. The other is the Senior School

Certificate Examination, which concludes the six-year programme in a secondary school.

Due to the inter-relationship and inter-dependence of linguistic levels, this work is

centered on morphology, syntax and semantics of students essays. In other words, the

specific target is semantics but we must take cognizance of the relationship and dependence

of these levels of linguistic on one another. This research is provoked by the rate of

misinterpretation of essay question in the SSCE.

10

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

The literature review is organized into three sections. The first, is the conceptual

framework which examines some conceptual issues. The second section, examines empirical

studies and therefore presents the relevant works done in the areas. Theoretical framework

examines the theory on which the study is based.

Conceptual Framework

Moody, reveals that advanced students will be inclined to suppose that they know

well enough ‘how to read’, but there is plenty of evidence to show that even advanced

students often fail to ‘read’ with adequate efficiency, whether with regard to

‘comprehension’ or ‘speed’(1970:7-9).

1. Words: At the word level it is of great importance to ascertain the meaning referred to

by particular words, in relation to the particular context. Most words in a language, as any

good dictionary makes clear, are capable of being used in many different senses, and it is

essential to recognize the appropriate one as soon as possible. It is well to remember the

saying “There are no synonyms”, as each writer in the course of an extended discourse

tends to invest even familiar words with additional layers of meaning from his own

personal thoughts and interests.

2. Grammar: Beyond the recognition of words individually, it is equally important to

follow up faithfully the syntactic or grammatical structure which the writer employed to

embody his ’thought’. When reading ‘easy’ material, we are hardly conscious of its

‘grammar’ as it seems entirely natural. However, if a passage is difficult, or not

immediately comprehensible, it is essential to trace the grammatical structure which

alone can guide us towards the intended meaning. For example, in any difficult sentence,

11

it is essential to discover the subject predicate nucleus, which helps us to distinguish

firstly the topic under consideration and secondly what is being said about it. When we

are sure of the basic aim of a sentence, we can then go on to observe the kind of

relationship among the subordinate parts, whether in phrase groups: (e.g “The president

of the world Bank’s new leather briefcase” or in the clause structure: “If these conditions

are fulfilled, and provided that financial resources prove to be adequate, some progress

may be expected”).

While taking note of the structure of complex sentences, it is also important to give

due weight to the many significant qualifications which may be introduced by other aspects

of the language. In the previous example, we would note the difference of meaning between

‘some progress’ and ‘progress’, and between ‘maybe expected’ and ‘is expected’ or ‘can be

expected’. Some of the most fundamental distinctions in language are of course registered

by some of the most apparently common place words, such as can/could, ought/must,

is/seems, thinks/knows, etc. We have probably seen examples of the way in which brief

quotations, e.g. in news paper headlines, by suppressing the full grammatical structure of a

thought, can often entirely misrepresent it.

3. Cohesion: Apart from correctly interpreting the signals of meaning in individuals

sentences, it is important to observe the way in which sentences are organized into

connected discourses. We need to detect, for example, what kind of relationship exists

among the sentences, e.g. whether they illustrate a general statement, whether they follow

a line of narrative or demonstration, whether they are discussing the ‘pros and cons’ of a

topic, whether they set out to prove a particular conclusion. We have to pay particular

attention to the various kinds of ‘connective words’, such as next, also, but, nevertheless,

or, whereas, provided that, unless, and so on, but we shall also remember that many

connective features do not appear at the beginning of sentences or clauses. Furthermore,

12

we must be aware that the relationship between sentences in a paragraph is not always

expressed in an actual word, but is implied in the statements made and their juxtaposition

with each other. In this connection we need to keep in mind the fundamental types of

logical thinking, whether Inductive (from the particular to the general) or Deductive

(from the general to the particular).

Above all, we need to keep with us, a degree of skepticism, and avoid the assumption

that everything we hear, or even everything we read, is necessarily ‘the truth, the whole truth,

and nothing but the truth’. While the honourable function of language is to promote

communication, we must remember that another of its historic functions, sometimes

deliberate, sometimes accidental, is in ‘concealing and confusing thought.

WAEC’s Expectations

The West African Examinations Council Regulations and Syllabuses (1998-2000:

1982-1983) for the West African Senor School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) say that

this examination sets out to test the different basic skills of communication in English using

the media of speech and writing. The examination will test the receptive and productive

abilities of candidate. These abilities will be demonstrated in the following forms: reading,

comprehension, summary, vocabulary, lexis and structure, listening comprehension and the

recognition of different aspects of English speech.

The objective of the syllabus is to measure the extent to which the aims of the

teaching syllabuses of member countries have been realized in the candidates’ secondary

school career. The examination sets out to examine candidates’ ability to:

1. use correct English;

2. write about incidents in English that are appropriate to a specified audience and

situations;

13

3. organize materials in paragraphs that are chronologically, spatially and logically

coherent;

4. control sentence structures accurately;

5. exhibit variety in the choice of sentence patterns;

6. comply with the rules of grammar, spelling and punctuation;

7. recognize implied meanings, tones and attitudes;

8. comprehend written and spoken English;

9. use an acceptable pronunciation that can be understood by others;

10. isolate and summarize relevant information from set passages.

The questions (essays/letter writing) will test candidates’ ability to communicate in

writing. The topics will demand the following kinds of writing:

1. Letter

2. Speech

3. Narrative

4. Description

5. Debate/argumentative

6. Report

7. Article

8. Exposition

9. Creative writing

Credit will be given for:

1. Content: relevance to ideas of the topic and its specified audience and purpose;

2. Organization: formal features (where applicable), good paragraphing, appropriate

emphasis and arrangement of ideas’

3. Expression: control of vocabulary and sentence structures;

14

4. Mechanical accuracy: grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

WAEC’s appraisal

The WAEC Chief Examiner’s Report observes:… many candidates infringed on the

rubrics. Some of them misinterpreted the questions…Even a cursory examination of a

random sample of the candidates’ script will convince the impartial observer that the main

source of the candidates’ problem is inadequate preparation, which manifests in many

forms… failure to comply with rubrics, and wrong choice of questions (1993:4).

The phrase “…inadequate preparation” could be correctly interpreted to mean among

others, insufficient reading. In other words, poor attitude to reading by candidates is

sufficiently implicated as one of the causes of not only poor interpretation of essay topics but

the mass failure in WAEC examinations.

Detailed comments on each question for 1993

Question 1: The topic of an essay competition organized by the Young Writers Club for

final year students is:

Our Traditional Marriage System is more Suitable for the Present Generation of

Nigerians than the English System.

Write your entry for or against the topic.

Few candidates attempted this question. Some of the candidates misinterpreted

‘system’ as ‘ceremony’ and did not, therefore, deal with the heart of the matter. The

candidate was expected to discuss not just wedding or traditional ceremonies but the attitude

of those systems to courtship, monogamy, divorce, etc. He should state clearly the

advantages or disadvantages of the aspects of marriage he chose to discuss.

15

Question 2: You Were One of Those Arrested by the Police at the Scene of a Crime. Write a

letter to the Commissioner of Police giving details of the crime, pleading your innocence and

requesting to be released.

The question demands that the candidate writes a letter to the Commissioner of

Police, explaining the circumstances of his arrest by the police at the scene of a crime. The

letter is expected to cover three points: details of the crime, a plea of innocence and a request

to be released.

Many candidates failed to establish their innocence and some even implicated

themselves as a result of a very limited vocabulary. It must be accepted that rich vocabulary

is driven by efficient and effective reading.

Question 3: You Witnessed the Campaigns that Preceded a Local Government Election in

your Area in which the Favorite Candidate was Defeated. Give a vivid Account of the Events

Before, During and After the Election to your Friends, Explaining Why you Think the

Candidate Lost.

Many candidates twisted the question and wrote on the presidential election instead of

a local government election. This amounts to a complete disregard of the rubrics and attracts

a heavy penalty.

Question 4: You Have Changed School and After a Few Months, you Discover that your

Present School is not as Good as the Former. Write a Letter to a Friend of Yours in Your

Former School Giving at Least three Areas in Which the New School does not Measure up to

the Old One.

A good number of candidates wrote from the premise that the new school is better

than the former one, which is a complete misinterpretation of the question.

16

Question 5: Write an article for publication in the science magazine on the topic:

Science and Technology in National Development

Only a few candidates attempted this question. Even these few handled it very badly

because they hadn’t the slightest idea about the importance or relevance of science and

technology to national development. Consequently, their attempts were rambling and

unfocused.

Question 6: Write a story in which you were personally involved, ending with, ‘If I Knew he

was that Kind of Person, I wouldn’t have Gone out with Him’.

This question was perhaps the most popular question. It generated a lot of highly

imaginative and interesting stories, but in most of them, the conclusion was a mere tag that

did not follow logically from the story. In many cases there was no story at all, but an attempt

to describe a relationship that involved two or more friends. The unsuspected fault or evil

intention which the conclusion implies was not exposed, as the narrator did not establish or

discover any wrongdoing on the part of the associate who was discredited in the conclusion.

Therefore, the regret with which the ‘stories’ ended sounded hollow and unconvincing.

The WAEC Chief Examiners’ Report asserts:

… in English language, it was observed that we might be heading for a crisis

unless the schools and education authorities take steps to arrest the

deteriorating situation before the standard in English comes crashing on our

heads. Candidates should read the set questions carefully in order to

understand their requirements… Candidates should read the rubrics and the

questions, carefully to facilitate the planning and answering of the questions.

Candidates are also advised to do more general reading in English and other

languages. This will increase the scope of their vocabulary and also help them

express themselves better when answering the examination questions. There

were some illiterate compositions…. Some candidates revealed an ignorance

of the distinguishing features of the two types of letter by opening the formal

letter to the principal with “How is your family?” …How is school?”…Hope

everything is going (on) smooth (ly).” (1995:3-5)

17

Detailed comments on each question for 1995

Question 1: Your younger sister in S.S. II has written for your advice on what subjects she

should study for the S.S.C Examination. As someone who knows her ability in the different

subjects, write a letter to her giving advice on why she should choose certain subjects rather

than others.

The candidates is required to write a letter to his younger sister, giving advice on why

she should choose certain subjects rather than others for her SSC Examination. He is

expected to take into account his knowledge of the sister’s ability and possibly the prospect

for further studies or professions. The arguments for choosing certain subjects rather than

others were puerile or untenable in most cases, but the examiners did not insist too much on

that since the candidate is not expected to be a professional guidance counselor. The main

requirement is that the candidate should give reasons why the sister should take other

subjects. Most candidates dwelt more on the courses of study, which the recommended

subjects could lead to.

Question 2: There has been an outbreak of an epidemic in your area. Write an article for

publication in a health magazine stating the causes and effects, and suggesting what should

be done in order to check it.

The candidate is required to write an article on the outbreak of an epidemic in his

area, stating the causes and effects, and suggesting ways to bring the scourge under control.

Only a few candidates attempted the question. Some discussed all the three aspects of the

question, while others merely discussed one or two aspects. Most of the compositions were a

reproduction of textbook knowledge of, for example, the causes of cholera or diarrhea.

The ‘effects’ of the epidemic were hardly dealt with and the suggestions as to how to

‘check’ the epidemic were stale statements about hygiene and preventive measures. Again,

18

some candidates wrote letters to the editor of the magazine instead of an article as demanded

in the rubric.

Question 3: The topic of a debate organized by the Directorate for Mass Mobilization for

senior secondary schools is:

The open ballot is better than the secret ballot system for Nigeria

Write your contribution for or against the motion.

Here, the candidate is required to argue for or against the topic. “The open ballot

system is better than the secret ballot system for Nigeria”. This question was not popular with

the candidates.

Question 4: You were an eyewitness to a fight in your dormitory in which a junior student

was given a black eye and the principal had threatened to expel all the boarders unless the

facts of the matter were made to him. Write a letter to the principal stating what actually

happened.

As an eyewitness, the candidate is asked to write a letter to the principal setting what

actually caused a fight in the dormitory in which a junior student was given a black eye. This

was a popular question. Many candidates rambled and failed to give the concise account

expected of ‘an eyewitness’.

Question 5: Recently, there was a rainstorm, which caused a lot of damage in your locality.

Write an article for publication in your school magazine, describing the rainstorm, the

damage caused and its effects on the people.

The candidate is required to write an article for publication in his school magazine on

a rainstorm that occurred recently in his locality. He is to describe the rainstorm, the damage

caused and its effects on the people. The candidate must include the three aspects for a good

mark. Some of the compositions on this topic revealed a hazy understanding of the word

19

‘rainstorm’. Many candidates did not describe the storm nor did they discuss satisfactorily

‘the effects on the people’.

Question 6: Tell a story which ends with the words:

…and I have to live with this stigma for the rest of my life.

The candidate is required to tell a story which ends with the words. “… and I have to

live with this stigma for the rest of my life”. Many candidates did not know the meaning of

the word ‘stigma’ and so their stories did not illustrate the quoted ending.

Similarly, the WAEC 1993 Chief Examiner’s Report (p.39) on the general subjects

has the following: “If these candidates read and understood these questions, their responses

hardly prove it.”

Misinterpretation of Question

Either as a result of their poor knowledge of the English language or due to their

inadequate preparation of the examination, many of the candidates gave responses that

differed greatly from the expected answers. For instance, in Christian Religious Knowledge

2, some of the candidates misinterpreted the story of the signs of Jesus’ Second Coming in

the gospels to mean the Pauline teaching to the Thessalonians on the ways of preparing for

Christ’s Second Coming. In geography, some of them wrote on how… “problems can be

solved” instead of how “…. problems are being solved”.

Furthermore, in the map work section, there was a gross misinterpretation of the signs and

symbols on the map by many of the candidates.

Reading in a Second language situation

For two reasons, it has become very imperative to take a look at reading in a second

Language situation. First is the Research Question Number Three and Second reason is the

WAEC Chief Examiners’ Report of 1995.

20

Citing Bernhardt et al, 1986, Marva Barnett (1989:1) agrees that most foreign

language reading specialists view reading as interactive. The reader interacts with the text to

create meaning as the reader’s mental processes work together at different levels.

The levels of reader comprehension of the text is determined by how well the reader

variables (interest level in the text, purpose for reading the text, knowledge of the topic,

foreign language abilities, awareness of the reading process and level of willingness to take

risks) interact with the text variables (text type, structure, syntax, and vocabulary)

(Hosenfeld, 1979).

Ogeyik and Akyay (2009:72) agree with Clark and Rumbold, (2006) that reading,

which is a long-term habit starting with the very early ages, is the prominent gateway to the

knowledge room. It can be assumed as a practice that assists individuals to gain creativeness

and develop their critical thinking capacities. … In addition to personal and mental

developments, reading is an access to social, economic and civil life (Clark and Rumbold,

2006). They also agree with Ozbay, (2006) that reading is generally accepted as a way for

reaching new information and assumed to be consistent with the comprehension capabilities

of individuals.

Jegede et al (2003:133-136) hold the view that the ultimate purpose of any reading

effort is to first and foremost comprehend the message of the text being read. One cannot

enjoy (interpret) a given text if one does not comprehend it. One cannot also react, evaluate

and benefit from the reading exercise or effort if one does not comprehend what one is

reading. Comprehension is the hallmark of any exercise or effort in reading. Comprehension

is basically the understanding of what one reads while one is reading it. Comprehension can

be both short term and long term. Citing Muth, (1989) Jegede et al posit that

comprehension/interpretation of a passage or utterance can be anchored on three principal

factors. These are the readers’ prior knowledge of the content of the text or utterance, the

21

readers’ reaction on the content and the readers’ interest. If the reader’s background and

previous experiences of the content of the text or utterance are rich and robust, the reader will

definitely feel at home with it. The comprehension/interpretation of the text or utterance

would therefore be a lot much easier for the reader because the reader can easily connect with

the text content. If the content of the text is alien to the reader’s background and if it has no

bearing to the previous experience of the reader, comprehension/ interpretation would be

difficult if not completely impossible.

Text comprehension/interpretation is dependent on the background and experience of

the reader/audience. The language of the text is crucial to its comprehension/interpretation. If

the grammar of the text is made up of embedded structures which are difficult to decipher,

comprehension/interpretation may be impaired if not absolutely impossible. Besides, Jegede

et al continue, if the vocabularies or specialist vocabularies are discipline-specific, it will be

difficult for the reader/audience to comprehend/interpret the meaning and message of the

texts/utterances. In addition, if the text is not rich with diagrams, pictures and illustrations, it

may be difficult for a beginner reader/audience or a reluctant reader/audience to

comprehend/interpret it.

A third factor which affects comprehension/interpretation of a text or utterance is the

interest of the reader/audience. If the learner is not interested, he will not make any effort to

want to learn how to read and interpret texts and utterances (135). Research has shown that

each text, (depending on its type) has its own structure. It has also been observed that readers

who have structure awareness understand and interpret texts and utterances better than those

who do not. We can develop this awareness in pupils right from their elementary stages, by

teaching them the various structures of different types of texts Jegede et al (155).

22

Empirical Studies

Few research findings are available on the general performance of candidates in

English language essay questions in the West African School Certificate Examination/Senior

School Certificate Examination. Okoye lists, among other factors, lack of understanding of

the questions and failure to adhere to the rubrics as being responsible for the poor

performance of candidates in the English Language (1985:3). Obi identifies grammatical

errors, poor paragraphing, wrong register and impatience to read the questions well as causes

of poor performance in English language examinations (1977:38). Akalonu et al cite poor

interpretation of questions as one of the factors responsible for the poor performance of

candidates in the WASSCE English Language (1987:37). And Eziefula et al suggest that an

investigation should be carried out on the language questions by candidates (1995:47).

Every essay (formal and informal letters inclusive) has four major parts. This includes

the title (which is notional in informal letters), introduction, body, and conclusion. Our focus

is, to a large extent, on the first-subject. The problem remains the poor interpretation of essay

topics.

Schramm posits that every essay question is a piece of message and argues that the

essence of communication is getting the receiver and the sender ‘tuned’ together for a

particular message (1970:3). In decoding a question, he continues, the symbols, among other

things, must be intelligible to the recipient. Tomori insists that a rich store of past experience

is an indispensable prerequisite of composition writing. If one has no perceptual experiences

of the composition, then it is only a name around which no concepts can be formed (1971:8).

This stand underscores the role and relevance of reading in a Second Langue on the ability to

interpret essay questions.

Oji says the essay has been defined as a piece of prose usually on the short side,

which is devoted to a particular subject… The writer must begin the essay with a direct

23

statement in that is helpful to both himself and the reader. It makes him realize what he has to

show in what follows and enables the reader to have an inkling of what to expect… Oji

points out the necessity of a forethought, thought and afterthought in an essay. It is this

profound thought that distinguishes it from a mere narrative (1999:31). Stoddard et al

(1983:12) advise that wherever you are given a choice of topics, decide as quickly as possible

which one you will write about. Never spend a very long time making up your mind. Ready

quickly through all of them, putting a cross by the side of any topic, which you definitely

does not like. Then, more slowly this time, re-read those, which remain uncrossed and decide

which one you think you can write about most successfully. If, at the end of a few minutes,

you are still hesitating between several topics, select one of them right away without any

delay.

Bunnell believes that composition is a very important part of most examinations in

English. A composition represents the total application of the rules; it tests also the powers of

observation, imagination, and the ability to form and express ideas. Two essential conditions

of a successful composition according to Bunnell are:

• to know precisely what we want to say – accurate interpretation of the topic

• to express our subject matter as clearly, pleasantly and concisely as possible, in a

style which combines accuracy with variety (1956:7-11).

In any type of composition a writer should remember that clarity of thought leads to

clarity of expression. If a writer does not know his fact, his ideas or what he wishes to say, he

inevitably writes vaguely and obscurely. This is in line with Warriner who opines that fuzzy

thinking is much more noticeable in writing than in speech. An essay is a composition that

analyses or interprets a particular subject (1982:329-330).

24

Longe holds that one of the causes of poor interpretation is the failure on the part of

the reader to recognize the grammatical relations, which exist between lexical units or even

the failure to grasp the meanings of particular grammatical items in a particular context

(1979:98). Similarly, Anyanwu asserts that meaning… is unstable. Words, Anyanwu

maintains, are formed from at least three sources, each of which is potentially capable of

obliterating old ones or changing their meaning… The meaning of a word is independent of

the structure… the relationship between a word and its meaning is arbitrary and conventional

(1979:151-157).

Nwosu points out that comprehension… entails trying to extract meaning at three

different levels:

• the literate level, which involves semantic decoding of lexical items and sentences.

• the inference level, where an attempt is made to capture meaning from what is

overtly stated….

• the projective level in which the reader looks for extended meaning using the

blueprint provided by the author (1992:67).

These levels, he concludes, are to grid parallels and sometimes, depending on the nature

of the text, they may take place simultaneously.

Oluikpe et al state that

Poor content often arises from lack of proper understanding of the topic and

the kind of facts it requires for its development. This usually leads you (the

writer) to ramble or write out-of-point. To avoid losing marks in this way, you

should remember to do the following:

• Choose the topic which you know something about;

• Include only relevant points and details in your writing (1991:9).

Otagburagu et al concede that some of the best writers of the English language have

left behind tips on how to write well. They advise that:

25

The message (title or topic) is the content or subject of your writing.

Sometimes, in examinations you feel you have nothing to say. To jog your

memory, ask yourself some Wh-questions – what, who, when, where, why,

how-about your topic and jot down your answers as quickly as you can. Sort

these points out, selecting the ones you consider most relevant to the topic

(1996:98-99).

The literature reviewed has indicted students’ inability to interpret essay questions as

well as the very adverse effects on the performance of SSCE candidates in English. Simply

put, literature reviewed shows that students are most often unable to interpret essay topics.

Theoretical Framework

There are various linguistic theories or models for the analysis of language. For

instance, we have the Transformational Generative approach, Systemic Functional Approach,

Phrase Structure approach, Behavioral approach and so on. The linguistic theory for the

analysis of this work is the Systemic Functional approach propounded by Michael Haliday in

his Functional Grammar.

Michael Halliday’s linguistic model is considered appropriate for this work because it

deals with language analysis on texts. According to him, “text is the form of data used for

linguistic analysis; all description of grammar is based on text” (2004:33).

“People who study and use a language are mainly interested in how they can do

things with language---how they can make meanings, get attention to their problems and

interests, influence their friends and colleagues and create a rich social life for themselves.

They are only interested in the grammatical structure of the language as a means to getting

things done.

A grammar which puts together the patterns of the language and the things you can

do with them is called a functional grammar”.

“People who study and use a language are mainly interested in how they an do things

with language ---how they can make meanings,…”

26

Example:

1. Obi returned to Aba to manage a travel agency.

2. I don’t known whether I can manage much longer.

Manage 1: be responsible for controlling a business, organization or system.

Manage 2: be able to continue with a reasonable way of life.

“[In a functional grammar]… a language is interpreted as a system of meanings,

accompanied by forms through which meanings can be realized.” (Halliday, 1985/1994).

Systemic Functional Grammar is based on meaning making and it cuts across the

three areas of content, context and form. It also makes choices on the linguistic levels of

morphology syntax, semantics and phonetics/phonology. But this work, as it is centered on

students’ essays and their interpretations, dwells on morphology, syntax and semantics.

“The aim has been to construct a grammar for the purpose of text analysis; one that

would make it possible to say sensible and useful things about any text [my emphasis].”

[Halliday, 1985] “…whatever the final purpose or direction of analysis, there has to be a

grammar at the base… A text is a semantic unit, but not a grammatical one. But meanings

are realized through wordings; and without a theory of wordings-that is, a grammar-there is

no way of making explicit one’s interpretation of the meaning of a text.” [Halliday, 1985].

27

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the research design and procedure. It is presented under the following

sub-sections:

• Research design

• Area of study

• Population

• Data collection and analysis procedure.

3.1 Research Design

This study is a descriptive survey. The design is chosen to determine the factors

responsible for candidates’ poor interpretation of SSCE essay questions in English.

3.2 Area of Study

The study was carried out in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State,

Nigeria. The Local Government has 14 towns. There are 28 secondary schools in the Local

Government Area out of these 28 secondary schools, one is owned and run by the Federal

Government while three are privately owned. Sixteen of these secondary schools are in the

urban area while twelve are in the rural area. Fifteen of the secondary schools are co-

educational. Five are for girls only while eight, are for boys. Of these eight, one is a technical

school. In all, 27 secondary schools offer candidates for the SSCE conducted by WAEC.

3.3 Population

The population for the research comprised all SS3 students in the 28 secondary

schools in Nsukka Local Government Area and all the WASSCE English language

examiners in the area of the study. On the average, there were about 100 students in SS3 in

each school. Fourteen secondary schools were randomly sampled for the study. In each of the

28

samples, one intact class was randomly selected and all the students in the class were

involved in the study. In addition, all the WASSCE English language examiners in the

fourteen sample schools were also involved in the study. Ten WAEC examiners who teach or

work in the University of Nigeria were also randomly selected to form part of the target

population. In all, about 490 SS3 students (about 35 students per class) and 52 examiners

(about 3 teachers/examiners per school) were used for the study.

3.4 Data Collection and Analysis

The questionnaire (see Appendix) was used for data collection in addition to

references to documentary sources.

Bulk of the data needed for the study was gathered from responses to the

questionnaire. Respondents were asked to rate the degree at which a suspected factor affects

the interpretation of SSCE essay questions in the English language.

The questionnaire for students has two sections- A and B. Error analysis was used in

analyzing the responses in Section B of the students’ questionnaire. In analyzing an essay,

emphasis is laid on either the strength or weakness of the students. But when the effort is

focused on the weakness with a view to finding out the pattern of error that is common, we

have error analysis. So we overlooked their strengths and focused on their weakness. There

were four essay topics for the SS3 students to interpret.

WAEC examiners were in addition, asked to list other possible factors that promote

poor interpretation of SSCE essay questions. Simple percentages were used in analyzing the

data collected.

29

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

This chapter deals with the presentation and analysis of data from the responses of

senior secondary school students and teachers/examiners. The data were subjected to

statistical analysis according to Spiegel (1972).

A: Students’ Responses

Table 1: Frequency of Essay Lessons at School and Practice in Interpretation of

Essay Questions

Essay lessons

Essay exercise

Focus on interpretation

Drills in interpretation

Assumed knowledge of interpretation

Take-home essay assignments

Model essays given by the Teacher

Very often Often Not often Never Total

0.5% 8.4%

3.3% 10.7%

0% 0%

0% 0%

67% 22%

0% 11%

0% 11%

91.1% 0% 100%

84.4% 1.6%

4.0% 96%

4.0% 0%

11% 0%

89% 0%

11% 78%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100

Table 1 shows that 91% of the respondents posit, that essay lessons are far from regular.

More than 84.4% insists that they hardly receive essay exercises. Of the number that receive

lessons on essay, only about 4% of such lessons took cognizance of the interpretation of

essay questions/topics, while 96% held they never receive any lessons on the interpretation of

essay questions.

Where the interpretation of the essay question is taught, there are no formal drills or exercises

on the interpretation of the essay topics. This is accounted for by the response of 89% of the

students who say that their teachers assume that they already know what every essay topics

30

will entail. This lack of practice in the interpretation of essay questions extends to essay

writing as a whole. About 89% of the respondents hardly practice essay writing as they are

seldom or never given essay take-home assignments. Only 11% admit having frequent take-

home essay assignments. This percentage also admits receiving model essay from their

teachers on a regular basis. Another 11% has access to model essays from their teachers but

infrequently, once in a long while. The remaining 78% never received any model essay from

their teachers.

Factor and Frequency

Table 2: Usefulness of the Dictionary, Textbooks and Supplementary Texts in the

Interpretation of Essay Questions

Factors Very often Often Not often Never Total

Frequent use of the dictionary 0% 11% 11% 78% 100%

Usefulness of the dictionary 0% 11% 9.0% 80% 100%

Reliance on recommended texts 0% 9.0% 13.0% 78% 100%

Usefulness of tips/drills in texts 0% 9.0% 3.0% 78% 100%

Use of supplementary texts 2.0% 9.0% 9.0% 80% 100%

It is a fact that the habitual use of the dictionary to look up the definition of words and

concepts makes it essay for one to understand questions. Table 2 shows that only 11% of the

respondents often have recourse to the dictionary to seek the meaning of words while the

remaining 89% do not make use of the dictionary. This percentage also believes that the

dictionary is not really useful. The 11% that often makes use of the dictionary finds it very

helpful in interpreting and understanding words and sentences.

On the use of recommended and supplementary texts, only 9% of the respondents

often rely on these texts. The same number also finds the tips and drills given in the texts

31

useful. Over 90% of the respondents neither rely on the recommended and supplementary

texts nor find their exercises, tips and drills useful. These respondents tend to rely on

whatever the teacher gives them in the classroom considering the fact that the teachers hardly

have time to drill the students adequately in the classroom. It would appear that a vast

majority of the students do not have enough practice in essay question interpretation before

they face such questions in the Senior School Certificate Examination.

Table 3: Use of Effective Essay Techniques Outlining,, Topic Sentence and Guided

Composition.

Very

Often

Often Not

often

Never Total

Knowledge of outlining

technique

0%

22%

67%

11%

100%

Usage of outlining technique 2% 7% 11% 80% 100%

Exposure to essay outlines by

the teacher

9%

13%

11%

67%

100%

Use of topic sentence 7% 4% 11% 78% 100%

Starting a paragraph with a

topic sentence

4%

7%

9%

80%

100%

Exposure to guided composition 4% 7% 18% 71% 100%

Table 3 gives the respondents’ awareness of outlining and the topic sentence as

factors that enhance performance in the interpretation of essay questions in particular and

essay writing in general. 22% of the respondents know something about the outlining

technique, but only 11% actually use it in their writing activities. 78 per cent of the

respondents have hardly heard about outlining and 91 percent of them do not use it at all in

their approach to essay practice. 22 percent of the students admit that their teachers expose

them to outlines of essays against 78% who insist that they have not received any form of

exposure to outlining as a technique of essay writing.

32

As for the topic sentence, only 11% of the respondents admit using it, and usually at

the start of a paragraph. About 89% of the sample does not know anything about using a

topic sentence and does not use it or recognize its usage at all.

Guided composition, which should have provided enough foundation and training for

the students in both the interpretation of essay questions and essay writing, was ignored in

the classroom. Only 11% of the respondents recall being exposed to it. The remaining 89%

hardly received any exposure to guided composition. Of the 89%, only 18% have at one

point or the other received practice in guided composition, while 71% have never been

exposed to guided composition. Yet guided composition remains one of the most effective

channels open to the teacher for the training of students in the interpretation of essay topics

and essay writing.

Table 4: The Use of Language: Knowledge of Grammar, Vocabulary, Figurative

Language and Idiomatic Expressions:

Very

often

Often Not

often

Never Total

Practice in vocabulary items 7% 22% 71% 0% 100%

Drills in figurative language 4% 7% 22% 67% 100%

Lessons on grammar 7% 49% 44% 0% 100%

Table 4 shows the respondents’ exposure to the use of language lessons. It is a fact

that English as a school subject is allotted a space each day in the school week. So, it can

never be said that no lessons were taught in English. This fact is represented by the 0%

‘never’ response to lessons on grammar. The tendency of some teachers who fail to attend

classes is also represented by the 44% “not often” response on grammar lessons. But the

majority of the respondents (56%) admit receiving grammar lessons on a regular basis. This,

however, is not the case with other items that should go into the syllabus of English as a

33

school subject. Such items as idiomatic, figurative language usage and vocabulary

development are greatly ignored. 89% of the sample hardly received any drill or lessons on

figurative language, especially as it has to do with essay writing. Only 11% consistently

received drills in figurate language and idiomatic language usage. A higher number (29%)

received practice in vocabulary items. The frequency of practice in vocabulary development

is also attested to by the 0% “never” response to practice in vocabulary items. Perhaps this is

because of the preponderance of lexis and structure exercises in class texts. Still, 71% insists

that the practice or drill is not often done.

Table 5: Time Factor

Very

often

Often Not

often

Never Total

Hurrying to finish writing 78% 11% 11% 0% 100%

Inadequate time 80% 9% 11% 0% 100

Forced to work under time pressure 81% 8% 11% 0% 100%

Table 5 shows the impact of time on the performance of students on essay questions

(or in examinations generally). 80% of the sample believes that the time given for the

examination is frequently inadequate. Only 11% believe that it is not always that the time

allowed is inadequate but nobody is ready to accept that the time allowed is always adequate.

Perhaps out of the inadequacy of time 89% of the respondents admit that most time they

hurry to finish writing. Only 11% of the sample says that it is not often that they have to

hurry, but they hurry to finish sometimes. The result of this is working under time pressure,

which 89% of the sample admit they do. If this figure is added to the 11% that say they work

under time pressure but not often, it means that sometimes 100% of the students will be

hurrying to complete their essays, thus working under severe time pressure. The impact of

34

this is obvious: poor interpretation of essay questions (improperly approached essay

questions), grammatical infelicities and avoidable lapses.

Socash reveals that students readily admit to not reading assigned material, most

often using an excuse of “no time”. As a result, they are empty and completely handicapped

in competence and performance (2007).

Section B: Response to the four essay questions

• Write a speech for presentation to the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of your

school, proving that there is no love lost between your principal and the teachers.

• Your ambition is to make a career in one of the national careers after secondary

school. Write a letter for assistance to a relation of yours, who is already established

there, discussing your choice with reasons.

• Write a letter to the principals of your school giving reasons why corporal

punishment should be dropped in your school in favour of an option sponsored by

you.

• Write a letter to your elder sister who lives abroad, with her family, on the general

difficulties in your country and asking her to consider offering you an opportunity to

study abroad.

This section of the questionnaire proved more revealing on the lack of the skill for the

interpretation of essay questions by students.

Table 6: Response on Essay Number One

Description Number Percentage

Correct interpretation 118 24. 08%

Misinterpretation 345 70. 4%

“No idea” response 27 5.5%

Total 490 100%

35

Table 6 shows that 70.4% of the respondents misinterpreted essay number one. In

addition, 5.5% also returned a “no idea” response. Only 24.08% of the sample made a fair

attempt at the interpretation of the essay question.

A further breakdown of the percentage on misinterpretation shows that 63% talked

about the existence of platonic love between the principal and “some” teachers. The

remaining 37% was modest enough to stop at the existence of a rapport between the principal

and the teachers.

The result indicts our respondents’ skill in the use and interpretation of figurative

language and idiomatic expressions.

Table 7: Response on Essay Number Two

Description Number Percentage

Correct interpretation 49 10%

Misinterpretation 387 78.9%

‘No idea” response 54 11.02%

Total 490 100%

Only 10% of the sample got a correct interpretation of essay number two. 78.9% of

the respondents misinterpreted the essay question. And 11.02% returned a “no idea” response

to the question. In other words, a total of 90% of the respondents were unable to interpret the

question correctly.

Further analysis of the result revealed that a total of 66% of the sample dwelt on only

one aspect of essay question two - request for assistance - which included financial assistance

to register for SSCE, NECO and do Christmas shopping. This group ended without

mentioning the choice of career and the reasons for the choice. 23% of the respondents

requested for assistance to secure a choice job. Their requests included finance, the need to

36

do Christmas shopping but excluded reasons for their choice jobs. One glaring phenomenon

was the confusion arising from the inability to interpret or distinguish between career and

carrier.

This result indicts shallow vocabulary, among others, as being responsible for the

poor interpretation of essay questions by SSCE candidates.

The students’ free response tended to repeat the items already investigated. 68% of

the sample alleged that lesson and drills were infrequent as a result of the dearth of teachers.

58% of the students confessed that they lacked the basic recommended textbooks not to talk

about the luxury of supplementary ones. They observed that the dictionary is “too heavy” to

be carried about on a daily basis. 46% of the respondents indicted what they called “the

many abstract rules in grammar” as being responsible for the lack of interest in the study of

English. Yet 60% of the students held the view that they do not read English, as they do not

know how to read it.

Table 8: Response on Essay Number Three

Description Number Percentage

Correct interpretation 147 30%

Misinterpretation 304 62%

“No idea” response 39 8%

Total 490 100%

Table 8 shows that 62% of the respondents misinterpreted essay number three. 8%

has no idea of a formal letter. Only 30% of the sample managed to write a formal letter and

interpreted the topic. It must be pointed out that the percentage on misinterpretation shows

that 42% mixed up corporal punishment with manual labour as well as farm work in the

school farm. The remaining 20% showed doubtful idea about the meaning of corporal

37

punishment. In short this group included bullying from senior students on the junior ones as

corporal punishment.

The result faults the respondent’s knowledge of words – vocabulary, - in addition to

the format of a formal letter.

Table 9: Response on Essay Number Four

Description Number Percentage

Correct interpretation 196 40%

Misinterpretation 294 60%

‘No idea” response 0 0

Total 490 100%

Only 40% employed the correct format of an informal letter as well as the ability to

address the two aspects of the question. This is heartwarming and it is generally agreed that

the informal letter is the cheapest question anywhere any time. But the percentage of

misinterpretation is higher. 60% of the respondents failed to apply the correct format for an

informal letter and grossly failed to address the two aspects of the question. Interestingly,

there was no percent response on ‘no idea’ response column.

It is worrisome that 34% out of the 60% of the respondents who misinterpreted the

question wasted their efforts by talking or rather, bemoaning their many futile attempts at the

Universities Matriculation Examinations (UME) in Nigeria. Only 26% were free from this

type of misinterpretation. This situation points at impatience which made them not to read

the question carefully and correctly.

38

B. Teachers and Examiners’ Responses

Table 10: Evaluation of the Language Competence of Students

High Moderate low Not significant

Shallow vocabulary 84% 16% 0% 0%

Effect of language competence

on interpretation

88% 12% 0% 0%

Overall ability of students in

English

0% 0% 90% 10%

Knowledge of vocabulary 0% 0% 86% 14%

Knowledge of figurative

expressions /idioms

0% 0% 14% 86%

Table 10 shows the teachers and WAEC examiners’ evaluation of the students’

language competence, especially as it has to do with performance in the interpretation of

essay questions and essay writing. 84% of the respondents believe that the vocabulary level

of the students is very low and this highly affects, negatively, the performance of the students

in essay questions. 16% insists that the effect is moderate. All the respondents believe that

language competence affects the interpretation ability of the students. 88% of the sample

believes that the effect is very high, while 12% posits it is moderate. The overall ability of

students in English is rated low by 90% of the teachers and examiners, while a further 10%

see the ability as not significant. All the respondents (100%) contend that the students’

knowledge of vocabulary items is either very low or insignificant. 86% of the sample assert

that the students’ word power is low, while 14% insists that it is not significant. On the

knowledge of figurative expressions, 86% of the respondents believe that it is non-existent.

Only 14% admits that it exists but that it is quite low.

39

Table 11: Language Related Problems on Interpretation

High Moderate Low Not significant

Strong vocabulary for

accurate interpretation

76% 24% 0% 0%

Relevance of the dictionary

to interpretation

80% 20% 0% 0%

Rating of student’s use of

the dictionary

0% 0% 10% 90%

Openness of SSCE essay

question to a specific

interpretation

90% 10% 0% 0%

Table 11 shows the examiners and teachers’ assessment of the relationship between

certain language competencies, learning material, framing of questions and the interpretation

of SSCE essay questions. 76% of the respondents believe that a strong vocabulary is highly

favourable to an accurate interpretation of essay questions. The remaining 24% admit the

relationship but believe the effect to be moderate. All the respondents admit that exposure to

the use of the dictionary is very relevant to the interpretation of SSCE essay questions. The

rating of the impact varies from “High” to “low” at the ratio of 80% to 20%. Teachers and

examiners rate that the students’ familiarity with, and usage of, the dictionary is mostly

insignificant. This view is offered by 90% of the respondents. The other 10% believe that the

use of the dictionary by students exist even if it is low. The examiners dismiss the possibility

of essay questions in SSCE having more than one interpretation. 90% of the sample insists

that each SSCE essay question always has a specific interpretation.

40

Table 12: Impatience as a Factor in Interpretation

High Moderate Low Not significant

Exhibition of impatience by

students

100% 0% 0% 0%

Effect of impatience on poor

interpretation

80% 20% 0% 0%

Effect of impatience on failure to

address questions fully

80% 16% 4%

0%

Table 12 shows the exhibition of impatience by the students and the extent of the

impact on performance in SSCE essay questions. All the respondents believe that all the

students exhibit a high degree of impatience. The impatience has effects on performance in

SSCE essay questions. 80% of the sample insists that impatience is highly responsible for the

poor interpretation of SSCE essay questions by students. Only 20% argue that the impact of

impatience on the poor interpretation of SSCE essay questions is moderate. Impatience is

also seen as a factor in another problem in essay questions: failure to address all the aspects

of SSCE essay question. 80% of the respondents contend that the incidence of failure to

address all the aspects of a question is very high. 16% posits that it is moderate, while 4%

claim that the incidence is quite low.

Table 13: Effect of Interpretation on Performance

High Low Moderate Not significant

Effect of poor interpretation on

SSCE Scores

90% 10% 0% 0%

Failure to address all aspects of the

question

80% 16% 4% 0%

Frequency of question with more

than one aspect

90% 10% 0% 0%

Table 13 presents data on the impact of interpretation on performance (score) and the

frequency of questions with more than one aspect. 90% of the respondents are of the opinion

that poor interpretation adversely affects performance in SSCE essay questions to a large

41

extent, while 10% say that the effect is moderate. Failure to address all aspects of the

question is a factor which 80% of the examiners insist highly affects the performance of

students in SSCE essay questions. 16% of the sample say that the effect of this factor is

moderate while the remaining 4% hold that it has a low effect. 90% of the respondents insist

the every SSCE essay question has more than one aspect. 10% says that questions with one

aspect also feature but at a low frequency. This fact, according to them, makes the problems

of failure to address all the aspects of the question and poor interpretation very potent factors

for poor performance in SSCE essay questions.

Table 14: Teacher, Curriculum and Textbook Factors on Interpretation

High Moderate Low Not significant

Teacher guidance /drills on

interpretation

60% 30% 10% 0%

Emphasis of curriculum/syllabus on

interpretation

50% 30% 20% 0%

Assumption that students do not

have problems with interpretation

60% 20% 20% 0%

Availability of tips on interpretation

in recommended textbooks

10% 10% 20% 60%

Reliability of tips on interpretation

in recommended textbooks

6% 14% 24% 56%

Availability and reliability of tips in

supplementary textbooks

10% 10% 20% 60%

Students’ use of strategies outside

the classroom environment for

interpretation

70% 30% 0% 0%

Reliability of such strategies 10% 40% 20% 30%

Table 14 presents the position of the examiners and teachers on the extent to which

the factors in the table contribute to the inability of students to effectively interpret SSCE

essay questions. 90% of the respondents assert that the inability of the teachers to guide and

drill the students effectively is responsible for the poor performance of the students in SSCE

essay questions. The other 10% share this idea but believe that the effect is quite low. The

English language syllabus is seen to be ill-disposed towards the interpretation of SSCE essay

42

questions. 80% of the respondents posit that there is no significant provision in the syllabus

on the interpretation of essay questions. Also, 80% of the examiners sample assert that

teaches and curriculum planners assume that students do not have any need for instruction or

drills in the proper interpretation of essay questions. This is corroborated by another 80% of

the sample who insist that there is little or no drill in the interpretation in recommended class

textbooks and even where there is, the same percentage claim that such tips are unreliable.

This is seen to be the case with supplementary texts where the relevance and reliability are

rated as low and insignificant by over 90% of the respondents. Other st5rategies that the

students pick from outside the classroom environment are seen to be partly effective and

partly ineffective.

On free response, the teachers and examiners identified the dearth of teachers, lack of

recommended textbooks in the classroom and the non-existence of facilities in the school as

other factors that contribute to student’s poor interpretation of SSCE essay questions. 80% of

the respondents opine that the dearth of qualified English language teachers makes it

impossible for students to benefit from intensive drills in essay topic interpretation. The

reason for this is that the few teachers of English cannot cope with the large number of

students in the classroom. It is a Herculean task to mark and make corrections in essays in a

class of about 200 or more students. At most, this can be done and grudgingly or with pains,

once in a term of 12 weeks. The investigator gathered from some teachers in one of the

schools considered to be a model in the Nsukka Education Zone that official number of times

for the writing and marking of essays is two in a term of 12 or 13 weeks.

Oji (1991:vi) posits one cause of this linguistic inertia often overlooked is the fact that

the children and teachers have no textbook that deals exclusively with how to write essays

and letters. The children are crammed with rules and techniques of essay and letter writing,

but they are not given the opportunity to write any of these because, according to the

43

teachers, they are so many in a class that nobody can afford the time and stamina to correct

the essays they may write (1991:VI).

Eighth-six per cent of the sample believes that the non-purchase of recommended

textbooks by the student is another serious factor responsible for their poor interpretation of

essay questions. The respondents say that some teachers use this as an excuse on this to skip

classes. The poor socio-economic status of some of the students and the lopsided value

system in the society, the sample argues are responsible for this factor. The result of this is

that students do not practice what they are taught in the classroom. So, the only English study

they do is that done in the classroom. 90% of the examiners believe that in addition to the

two factors mentioned above, lack of facilities makes the tasks of teaching in an overcrowded

classroom much more difficult. Adequate facilities, it is reasoned, will enable the teacher to

demonstrate the interpretation and writing of essays in such a way that the students can easily

follow.

44

Table 15: Role of Reading in Interpretation of Essay Topics

High Moderate Low Not

Significant

Total

1. Performance on the interpretation

of essay topics is predicated on

reading habit

90

10

0

00

100%

2. Empty Libraries as source of poor

interpretation

75 25 0 0 100%

3. Teachers hardly have time to take

supervision of reading

86

10

4

0

100%

4. Students have enough time to

embark on unsupervised reading at

school

84

16

0

0

100%

5. Language teachers have to

supervise students’ reading at school

to improve students skills of

interpretation of essay topics

70

30

0

0

Table 15 exposes the role of reading in the ability to interpret utterances in general

and essay topics in particular. 90% of examiners and teachers posit that performance on the

interpretation of essay topics is predicated on candidates’ reading habit. The remaining 10%

also admit the relationship but believe the effect to be moderate. On the state and effect of the

library in school on the ability of candidate to interpret essay topics, the respondents,

overwhelmingly, 75% say the libraries are empty to a high extent and affect interpretation to

a negative high extent. The remaining 25% chose to be moderate indicating that, in some

cases, the libraries are not completely empty and the effect on ability to interpret essay topics

is moderate. But the two groups agree on the relevance of functional library towards the

acquisition of the skill of interpretation of essay topics. In other words, there is hardly an

enabling environment to lure a reluctant reader. Nigeria’s Minister for Information and

45

Communication on Monday, 20the December, 2010, in realization of the place of books in

the overall development of man and his society, brought cheering news to the book-starved

youths of Nigeria, on Federal Government’s resolve, to flood educational institutions in

Nigeria, with books. The Minister dropped this heart-warming news in Lagos, on the

occasion of a presidential book launch entitled “My Friends and I” by President Goodluck

Ebele Jonathan of Nigeria. This book launch coincided with a Reading Fair organized in

Lagos by Odia Ofeimu and Wole Soyinka and graced by the President of the Federal

Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. The Reading Fair has the theme: “Bring

Back the Books.”

We, therefore, sincerely urge Nigerians, especially the youth, to queue into this

laudable initiative for knowledge, empowerment and pleasure. The insult that if one wants

hide something from a Blackman, one should put it in a book, is unacceptable and must be

reversed.

However, 86% of the respondents concede that teachers hardly have time to supervise

reading at school. 10% of the respondent feels that though teachers do not supervise, it has

only a moderate effect either on reading or ability to interpret essay topics. 4% also assert

that the effect of teacher’s absence at students reading programme is low on the skill of

interpretation of essay topics. 84% of the respondents insist that students have enough time

to embark on unsupervised reading to acquire knowledge in general and the skill of

interpretation in particular. This is especially true with the introduction of a two-hour free

teaching period tagged ‘prep’ by most school studied. Only 16% contends that the time

student have for unsupervised reading is moderate. Madahunsi (2006) says the actual

learning time in school is very limited. He advises that if parents could supplement this time

by helping their children with modern techniques at home (instead of “Silly toys and TV

games”.) learning time could be increased very significantly.

46

70% of the examiners and teachers opine that language teachers should supervise students’

reading programme so as to raise students’ ability in the interpretation of essay topics to a

high level. But 30% posit that language teacher’s participation in the reading programme of

students would only put student’s ability in the interpretation of essay topics at a moderate

level. They hinged their argument on the fact that language teachers, who teach these

students at school, have not moved their performance in English to a high level. This group

insists that attitude to reading is a personal affair that comes through conviction rather than

coercion. However, the two groups agree that a positive reading habit would provide high

performance not only in the interpretation of essay topics but knowledge in general.

Madahunsi says the actual learning time in school is very limited (2006). He advises that if

parents could supplement this time by helping their children with modern techniques at home

(instead of “Silly toys and TV games”.) learning time could be increased very significantly.

One of the obvious and strongest implications of candidates’ inability to interpret

utterances and expressions correctly, in a Second Language situation is their status and

attitude to reading in a Second language. This situation also indicts not only the candidates

but an education system that fails or pays little attention to reading in a Second Language.

What is the status of reading in a Second Language in our schools? What is the status of

reading in a Second Language in the textbooks in our English Curricula?

Onuigbo says reading is one of the language skills which, if sufficiently acquired,

gives the learner a new medium of communication, the power to get information from the

printed page (1990:114-115). Unfortunately, Onuigbo regrets, this skill is usually neglected

in the teaching and learning of English in a Second Language situation. Onuigbo is of the

view that if Oral English and the development of proper speech habits suffered any neglect in

the past, reading remains today a much more neglected area of English language studies

particularly at the primary and secondary school levels. And the effects of the utter neglect

47

and poor foundation live with the learners. The effects of this neglect are so devastating on

the state of education and development of literacy in Nigeria that our civilization is

threatened. Onuigbo concludes that it is not as if the other language skills are not crucial in

the general development of education but the fact is that, as Unoh (1985:3) rightly points out:

Even though the four language skills play a crucial role in human learning or

intellectual activities, reading plays the most crucial role in formal learning

situations which demand effective use of books and other written or printed

materials for intellectual development (1990:114-115).

48

CHAPTER FIVE

FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the data and data analysis presented in chapter four, the following factors

can be deduced.

Students hardly have adequate lessons and practical drills in the interpretation of

SSCE essay questions. This can be attributed to the large number of students in our

classroom as essay writing demands, among other things, individual attention, if it is to be

effectively taught. The challenge posed by this demand scares teachers away, thus denying

students a fundamental aspect of training in English. The result of a situation like this is that

students are only confronted with serious writing in the examination hall, and since they have

had little or no practice in essay writing their poor performance is obvious. This results in the

poor interpretation of the essay questions.

The data and the analysis also prove that our students do not take advantage of the

dictionary in their interpretation of words and statements. This can be because they do not

have access to dictionaries, having neither personal copies nor school ones. Perhaps this is in

line with the general dearth of learning materials including class and supplementary

textbooks in our schools. The absence of these vital learning tools makes any sustained effort

in practice in the interpretation of essay topics very difficult. Where supplementary textbooks

are available, the exercises, tips and drills they recommend tend to be of little practical value

to students in an examination situation. The over-reliance of students on such materials leads

them farther away from what is expected of them.

Such techniques in essay writing like outlining and topic sentence development are, to a

significant extent, strange to the students. Very few of them are conversant with the concept

of outlining. This could be because their teachers either do not know about these techniques

or do not consider them necessary for the students. It can also be part of the lack of practice

49

in essay writing generally. Students’ haphazard approach to SSCE essay questions can be

linked to their inability to properly make an outline of a given SSCE essay question before

the actual writing. This haphazard approach accounts for not only their inability to make

needed outlines but also leads to students’ failure to treat all the relevant aspects of the set

essay questions.

English language lessons mainly focus on grammar to the near exclusion of practice

in other areas. Such areas as vocabulary development, idiomatic and figurative expressions,

reading comprehension and essay writing, with particular reference to the interpretation of

essay questions, are largely ignored. This orientation is a carry-over from the tradition where

the study of English is synonymous with the study of grammar. This does not mean that the

study of grammar is not important. Rather, the over-emphasis on grammar tends to de-

emphasize the other aspects of language study, giving the students the false impression that

all that is worth knowing about the English language is grammar. The effect of this is the

very low vocabulary level and almost non-existent skill in the interpretation of essay topics,

figurative language and idiomatic expression of the students as attested to by over 90% of the

teachers and examiners sampled.

Generally, time factor plays a very significant role in students’ performance in an

essay question. This is because the students work under time pressure as admitted by over

80% of the student respondents. The impact of this is obvious: improperly arranged and

interpreted essays, grammatical infelicities and avoidable lapses.

Linked to time factor is impatience, which a hundred per cent of the examiners insist

is exhibited by the students. These examiners believe that impatience also accounts for poor

interpretation and the failure to address all the aspects of the set questions. Poor

interpretation is confirmed by over 90% of the examiners who insist that poor interpretation

adversely affects performance. But the source of this misinterpretation cannot be traced to

50

the questions as all the examiners sampled say that SSCE essay question has a specific

interpretation and has more than one aspect to be addressed. So, the cause of

misinterpretation lies in the students and not in the questions.

Teachers and the syllabus do not offer the needed guidance on the understanding of

the essays. Most of the time, teachers assume that students should be able to read, reason,

practice and appropriately understand the questions. This is why such teachers do not make

interpretation part of the students’ essay writing lessons. It would seem that this attitude is

due to the syllabus, which is silent on the issue.

A major factor discovered is the insufficient number of qualified language teachers in

the ever-growing classroom. Coupled with the dearth of recommended textbooks, the

insufficient number of teachers creates a situation where students are often left on their own

and to their fate. The end product of such a situation speaks for itself.

The root cause of poor interpretation is obvious: problem of reading in a Second

Language. 90% of the teachers and examiners sampled, interpretation of essay topics, in

particular, and general performance in academic, is predicated on one’s status on reading a

Second Language like English. The WAEC Chief Examiners’ Report of 1995 (page 3-5)

advises… candidates are also advised to do more general reading in English and other

language… The Spectator, January 30-Feburary 5, 2009 says Professor Chinua Achebe, had

in a press interview deplored the poor reading habit of Nigerians. Asked what could be done

to improve the situation, Achebe said: My advice is that you must change your habit. If you

are not a book-reading person, then you should become one. That is my policy because that is

my experience. What makes me even more unhappy abut the lack of literacy, in Nigeria,

Achebe continued, is how widespread and how particularly people who are like University

Professors would tell you that they don’t have time for reading. A country that is like that has

a lot of problem, Achebe concluded.

51

In support of this stance, Inyama, in an interview granted, The Spectator of January

30-Feburary 5, 2009, asserts that Nigerians do not read. Commenting on the fastidious

reading habit and how it helped to shape Achebe’s personality, inside and outside the

classroom, Inyama noted that “he expected everybody to have the same high standard. “….

The situation appears to have worsened with the present crop of students”. … They don’t

read and a lot of that I can attribute to the fact that their parents don’t give them the right

focus. They (parents) buy them (children) TV games and all those silly toys. … The students

don’t want to read on their own. They want you to come and spell out everything word by

word. That’s not good. They are busy listening to pop music and watching home videos and

things like that. You find the problem in the kind of English they speak. But you can only

improve if you read on your own.

In summary, poor interpretation is due to

1. insufficient essay lessons and practice;

2. inability of the students to use dictionaries, recommended textbooks and

supplementary materials;

3. the absence of such techniques as outlining and topic sentence development in

students’ essays;

4. poor language competence and the de-emphasis on such areas as vocabulary

development, figurative language, idiomatic expressions, reading comprehensive and

interpretation of essay question;

5. time pressure and impatience;

6. the dearth of qualified English language teachers;

7. wrong assumption of curriculum planers and classroom teachers with regard to the

need to list and teach the interpretation of essay questions. Beyond the recognition of

words individually, it is mandatory to follow up faithfully the syntactic or

52

grammatical structure employed by the examiner to couch his thought. Apart from

accurately decoding the signals of meaning in individual sentences, it is important to

identify the way in which sentences are organized into connected speech.

8. status of candidates on reading in a Second Language situation.

Conclusion/Recommendation

Onuigbo advises that reading does not only play a crucial role in formal learning

situations but is also of great importance in these days of international communication

through printed pages. The teacher should, therefore, ensure a sustained effort… It is only

with developed mental mechanism that reacts naturally and automatically to messages

conveyed… that the learner can recognize the graphic symbols as units of thought

(1990:115-116). Enough effort has been made to support reading as the source, fountain and

anvil for accurate interpretation of utterances and expressions in a Second Language

situation. We, therefore, wish to end with Baldeh (46) quoting Jerome Bruner that

“A language that you have never been happy in, never been angry in, never

made love in, a language that is only for school, is no language in which to

develop the enterprise of the mind”.

I have no doubt that if we take the informed counsel of the Eagle on the Iroko, “to

become book reading people”, and that of Onuigbo to teachers, to ensure a sustained effort”,

interpretation of all utterances and expressions in a Second Language would improve. This is

true because reading drives and sustains knowledge. No one can interpret what one does not

know.

53

WORKS CITED

Adejare, O. in David Jowitt, Nigerian English Usage: An Introduction. Ibadan; Longman,

1991.

Akalonu, K.C., Nwokolo, J. A., Nwosu, P.O., & Obiora, C.C: Some Factors Responsible for

Poor Performance of Secondary School Students in English Essay Writing in Awka

Local Government Area, 1987.

Anyanwu, P.A. “Teaching to Use the Right Words and Meanings” in Ebo Ubahakwe (ed).

The Teaching of English Studies, Ibadan: Ibadan University Press. 1976.

Baldeh, F: Better English Language and Teaching: Fulladu Publishing Company, Nsukka,

Nigeria. 1990.

Bunnel, W.S. A Guide to English Language for the G.C.E. Candidate. London: James Brodie

Ltd., 1956.

Halliday, M.A.K. and Christian MIM Mathiessen . An Introduction to Functional Grammar,

3rd

ed. Great Britain: Hodder Education, 2004

Ezuefula, P. C. Causes of Poor Performance in English Language Senior School Certificate

Examination in Nsukka Urban, 1995.

Longe, V. :“Teaching to Read and Understand” in Ebo Ubahakwe (ed.) The Teaching of

English Studies, Ibadan: Ibadan University Press, 1979.

Madahunsi, S.O. Fostering Positive Reading Habits for Children At Home Through

Computers: The Role of Parents – Department of Curriculum Studies University of

Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria. 2006

Marva, B. (1989): Teaching Reading in a Foreign Language. ERIC Digest.

Mohammed, Aliyu, “Communicative Competence Acquisition in Infelicitous Learning

Environments: The Problem with SSS English in Nigeria” in A. Bamgbose et al (ed.)

New Englishes: A West African Perspective. Ibadan: Moisuro, 1995.

Moody, H. L. B. Varieties of English: London: Longman, 1974.

Nwosu, S.U. “Comprehension” in Otagburuagu, E.J. Enuesike, J.O., and Okowor, E.O. (ed.)

Comprehensive English for Higher Education. Enugu: Acena Publishers, 1992.

Obi, T.A.C. An Investigation into the Aspects of English Language Found Most Difficult by

Secondary School Students in Anambra State, 1977.

54

Ogeyik, M.C. & Akyay E: Investigating Reading Habits and preferences of Students

Teachers at Foreign Language Department, Trakya University Faculty of Education,

Edime, Turkey, 2009.

Oji, Nzebunachi : Essay and Letter Writing. Obosi: Pacific Publishers, 1991.

Oji, Nzebunachi. “Nigerian English: An Untenable Goal”. Journal of Liberal Studies

(JOLS), Vol. 5, No. 2, July 1997.

Okoye, P. U. Written English Composition of Anambra State Secondary School Students. An

Error Analysis 1985.

Oluikpe, B.O. “Can a Knowledge of Grammar Make Us Better Writers?” in Ebo Ubahakwe

(ed.) The Teaching of English Language Studies. Ibadan: Ibadan University Press,

1979.

Oluikpe, B.O., Anasiudu, B.N., Otagburuagu E. J., Onuigbo, Sam, & Ogbonna, E. A.

Intensive English For Senior Schools, Book 3. Onitsha: Africana-FEP Publishers, 1991.

Onukaogu, C.E; Arua, AE; Jegede, O.B (Editors): Teaching Reading in Nigeria: A

Guidebook to Theory and Practice. Published by International Development in Africa

Committee , 2003.

Otagburuagu, E.J., Obah, T.Y., Onuigbo, S.M., & Egbujor, V.A. English for the Certificate

Year – A Revision Approach. Onitsha: Africana-FEP Publishers, 1996.

Owolabi, T and Okebukola, F: Improving the reading ability of science students through

study groups and multiple intelligences. 2009.

Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 7th

Edition.

Socash, R.R.: Adjusting Lecture Style to Accommodate Student Reading Habits – Journal of

College Teaching and Learning, February, 2007.

Stoddart, John & Stoddart, Frances: English language for the Certificate Year. London:

George Allen & Unwin, 1983.

The Spectator, January 30-February 5 2009.

The West African Examination Council: General Rules on The Marking Of Composition

(Revised) Yaba, Lagos, 1998.

The West African Examinations Council, Chief Examiners’ Report, Yaba, Lagos, 1986.

The West African Examinations Council, Chief Examiners’ Report, Yaba, Lagos, 1993.

The West African Examinations Council, Chief Examiners’ Report, Yaba, Lagos, 1995.

Tomori, S.H: The Teaching of Composition Writing. Ibadan: Heinemann, 1971.

55

Ubahakwe, Ebo & Obi, Eugene, O. “Survey of Language Teaching Methods in Use in

Nigerian Primary Schools” in Ebo Ubahakwe (ed.) The Teaching of English Studies.

Ibadan: Ibadan University Press, 1979.

Warriner, John E: English Grammar and Composition, 5th

edition, New York, 1982.

Wilbur, Schramm: The Process and Effects of Mass Communication. Chicago: University of

Chicago Press, 1970.

56

APPENDIX

Department of English and Literary Studies

University of Nigeria,

Nsukka.

2nd

September, 2010.

The Respondent,

………………………………..

Dear Sir,

Request to fill out Questionnaire

This is an instrument for investigation into the factors responsible for candidates’

poor interpretation of SSCE essay questions. Kindly consider the options (to a high extent;

to a moderate extent; to a low extent; to a very low extent) very carefully, and tick ( √ ) the

most appropriate response.

Thanks for a sincere response.

Yours faithfully,

Okoli, J. Sunday

The Researcher

57

To a high

extent

To a

moderate

extent

To a low

extent

To a very

low extent

1 To what extent is the shallow vocabulary

skill responsible for candidates’ poor

interpretation of SSCE essay questions?

2 To what degree will candidates’ ability in

other aspects of English affect the

interpretation of SSCE essay question?

3 How would you rate candidate’s ability in

the English language generally?

4 How do you assess candidates’ skill or

knowledge of the vocabulary?

5 Give an evaluation of SSCE candidate’s

knowledge of figurative expressions.

6 Are SSCE essay questions open to a

specific interpretation?

7 Is a strong vocabulary skill responsible for

accurate interpretation of SSCE essay

questions?

8 To what extent is the dictionary a reliable

tool in the interpretation of SSCE essay

questions?

9 Kindly rate the students’ use of the

dictionary at school.

10 To what frequency do SSCE candidates

exhibit impatience to read the set essay

questions?

11 How would impatience lead to poor

interpretation of SSCE essay questions?

12 To what degree would poor interpretation

of the set questions affect scores?

13 Assess the extent to which SSEC

candidates fail to address all the aspects of

the SSCE essay questions.

14 What frequency do SSCE essay questions

feature more than one aspect to be

addressed?

15 Would you hold impatience responsible

for candidates’ failure to address all t he

aspects of a set essay question?

16 Do teachers offer students tips and drills

on the interpretation of SSCE essay

questions?

17 Evaluate the emphasis by the curriculum

on interpretation of essay questions.

58

18 Are essay lessons at school given on the

assumption that the students have no

difficulty with the interpretation of the

topic?

19 Recommended textbooks have enough

tips and drills on interpretation of essay

topics.

20 The tips and drills on interpretation of

essay topics, available in textbooks, are

reliable.

21 To what extent are tips and drills on

interpretation of essay topics available in

supplementary textbooks?

22 Do SSCE candidates rely on strategies

outside the classroom environment for

their success?

Section B

Kindly state other factors you know that give rise to poor interpretation of SSCE essay

questions by candidates.

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

59

Department of English and Literary Studies

University of Nigeria,

Nsukka.

2nd

September, 2010.

Dear Respondent,

…………………………

…………………………

Dear Sir,

Request to fill out Questionnaire

This is an instrument for investigation into the factors responsible for candidates’

poor interpretation of SSCE essay questions. Kindly consider all the options (Very often;

often; Note often; Never) to each question very carefully, and tick (√) the most appropriate

response.

Your response shall be highly appreciated and treated in strict confidence. Please

accord this a priority.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Okoli, J. Sunday

The Researcher

60

Very

often

Often Not often Never

1 Do you write essays at school?

2 Rate the frequency of easy lessons at school.

3 How often do essay lessons in you school

emphasize or focus on the interpretation of easy

topics?

4 How regular are drills or exercises on the

interpretation of essay questions?

5 How regularly are essay lessons given by your

teacher on the assumption that students have no

difficulty interpreting the topic?

6 Are you often given essays as take-home

assignments?

7 Do you get a model essay from your teacher after

the take-home assignment?

8 Does your teacher offer you model essays to copy

at school?

9 How often do you rely on the use of the dictionary

for accurate interpretation of essay topics?

10 Is the use of the dictionary an answer to your poor

interpretation of essay questions?

11 Do you rely on recommended textbooks as tools for

accurate interpretation of essay questions?

12 Are the tips and drills in these recommended

textbooks helpful?

13 Do you sometimes resort to the use of

supplementary textbooks to achieve the

interpretation of the essay questions?

61

14 At what interval do you use the outline/guideline in

essay writing?

15 Are you taught the use and importance of the

outline in essay writing?

16 How often are you given the outline on essay

questions by your teacher?

17 Do you use the topic sentence in your essay

writing?

18 How many times do you start each paragraph with

a topic sentience?

19 Do you write guided composition at school very

often?

20 At what rate do you have drills or exercises in

vocabulary at school?

21 What is the frequency of exercises or drills in the

use of figurative language at school?

22 At what interval do you study other components of

grammar?

23 Are you always in a hurry to finish essay writing

within the given time?

24 Do you ever fell that the time given will not be

enough for all the work?

25 Does the felling of time pressure force you to work

very fast?

State other factors that lead to your poor interpretation of SSCE essay questions.

(a)

(b)

(c)

62

Section B

Give a brief but clear interpretation of the following essay topics highlighting the

meaning of some of the main worlds.

1. Write a speech for presentation to the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of your

school, proving that there is no love lost between your principal and the teachers.

2. Your ambition is to make a career in one of the national carriers after secondary

school. Write a letter for assistance to a relation of yours, who is already established

there, discussing your choice with reasons.

3. Write a letter to the principal of your school giving reasons why corporal punishment

should be roped in favour of an option sponsored by you.

4. Write a letter to your elder sister who lives abroad, with her family, on the general

difficulties in your country and asking her to consider offering you an opportuni9ty to

study abroad.