Co-Curricular Activities and Achievement in Language Learning of Secondary School Students in Nigeria

Abstract

English as a Second Language (ESL) students in Nigeria lack access to interact with the native speakers of English, but with co-curricular activities they can be good speakers of English language. This paper investigates the impact of co-curricular activities out-side the classroom on Secondary School Students’ achievement in Nigeria. Out-of-classroom events can be devised by schools to make students feel that they are surrounded by the language if they participate in active use of the language among themselves during activities like games, debating, press updates, social gathering, etc. The variables that were considered in the study were Press club and Literary and Debating society, the involvement period, and their academic achievement. Eight out of 17 secondary schools were randomly selected with one hundred students from each school. The questionnaires for the data collection relate students’ personal data and twelve questions on press club and literary and debating society. The mock examination results show that there is a positive significant influence in co-curricular activities on senior secondary school students’ academic achievement in English. The result of this study shows that students who spend longer time in participating in the activities perform tremendously better than other students who spend less time or do not participate at all in the activities in English, and they perform academically better as well and speak English language fluently.