Abstract:
The teaching of French language in Nigerian universities holds a vital role. It greatly supports regional unity and global communication, particularly because of Nigeria’s key position in West Africa. Nevertheless, the process of learning and teaching French encounters major difficulties. These obstacles seriously impede students from developing strong language skills. Despite a rising demand for bilingual proficiency in both English and French, there’s little research exploring the specific issues faced by Nigerian universities. This investigation aims to highlight the primary difficulties influencing French education, looking closely at teaching methods, infrastructure, and cultural aspects. The study takes on a qualitative method, making use of interviews with French instructors and group discussions with students from various Nigerian universities. Results reveal a lack of qualified French teachers, insufficient teaching resources, and poor financial support as significant hurdles. Moreover, students face challenges like low enthusiasm, limited previous exposure to French, and interference from their native languages and English. Additionally, the study uncovers a gap between lesson plans and real-world language application, which restricts students’ proficiency growth. These results stress an urgent need for better teacher training, more funding, and immersive educational tactics to tackle these issues. Such changes are crucial for preparing graduates with the language skills they require for both regional diplomacy and international prospects.
