French Teaching in Early Childhood Education for Sustainable Development in Nigeria

Abstract

The teaching and learning of French in Nigeria has a lot of prospects as the ability to communicate in several languages opens doors for great opportunities. However, French is scarcely taught in the nursery schools. Most people who study French come in contact with it partially in the secondary schools or in preliminary studies at tertiary institutions. This attests to the fact that many of our French graduates can hardly communicate fluently in the language due to the limited period of their training and the fact that learning a language as an adult is an uphill task. This paper focuses on the place and importance of French teaching and learning in Nigeria, especially at the level of early childhood education. It highlights the methods of teaching the language at this early stage and the role of French language in enhancing sustainable development in Nigeria. Research findings in the domains of French language studies as well as in early childhood studies and others, will help to support the fact that French language teaching in early childhood education is a necessary instrument, capable of bringing about sustainable development in Nigeria.