Impact of Aliteracy on Learning English as A Second Language in Nigeria

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of aliteracy on learning English as a second language in Nigeria. Genuine concern expressed by stakeholders on the poor performance exhibited by Nigerian secondary school students in English language has led to a number of inquiries for solutions to the problem. Many studies have attributed poor language performance to a number of factors but nobody has connected the apathetic stance of students towards reading to poor language performance. Their appalling performance manifests in the plethora of spelling and grammatical errors that riddle essay assignments. Writing is a productive language skill by which a student demonstrates his ability to produce grammatically correct and connected texts. This study searches for the link between students’ lack of interest in reading and their writing competence. Aliteracy is the state of being able to read but being uninterested in doing so. The data for the study were generated from students’ written essay and questionnaire. An analysis of the students’ reading habits juxtaposed with their continuous writing showed that students who were avid readers performed better than those who did not like to read. This result shows that the decline in the level and quality of language written by senior secondary school students in Nigeria can be attributed to poor reading culture.