Authors : S.A. Aladeyomi and A.K. Adetunde
Abstract: The study recognizes the primacy of good expressive power in career and academic success. This however is generally lacking in the written expression of majority of our graduates. Since these noticed communication problems are carry over from the secondary school, the study contends that the problem should be addressed at the secondary school level. In the process of assisting the students, the writer examines different methods of teaching essay writing in Nigerian secondary schools, e.g., the traditional and the input hypothesis methods. Looking at the inadequacies of the two methods, balanced activity approach was recommended. This is a method whereby the traditional method of teaching and the input hypothesis (such as reading novels, plays, magazines and journals) are combined to teach essay writing in schools and colleges. The method was tested on two groups of students in South and North local government areas in Ogbomoso, Oyo State. The first group was the experimental group, while the second group was the control group. It was discovered that the experimental group performed better than the control group in terms of expression. The study therefore, concludes that students should be assisted with comprehensible input in additional to the traditional method of teaching essay writing.
S.A. Aladeyomi and A.K. Adetunde , 2007. A Balanced Activity Approach to the Teaching Learning of Essay Writing In English in Nigerian Secondary Schools . The Social Sciences, 2: 298-301.