Professor of English Grammar and Applied English Linguistics, Roseline Adejare
A professor of English Grammar and Applied English Linguistics, Roseline Adejare, has disclosed that Nigerian teachers commit grammatical errors every 16 minutes in a particular classroom.
Speaking at Lagos State University’s 107th Inaugural Lecture, Adejare lamented the declining standards of English language teaching.
“The standard is getting lower, and there is a reason for it.
“We do not teach grammar any longer, and there are no qualified people to teach grammar because nobody studies grammar,” she said.
Adejare attributed the problem to inadequate training of teachers, saying, “If you don’t know the verb, you don’t know the language.”
She urged a review of English Language programs in tertiary institutions to include more descriptive grammar courses.
The professor also recommended making Language Acquisition and Development compulsory and mandating students to undertake qualitative
research.
“English Education students routinely avoid grammar and phonology because of their perceived difficulty; consequently, they end up ill-equipped,” she said.
