Relevance of Teaching Methods in Acquisition of English Language Skills Among Public Secondary School Students in Ekiti State.

ABSTRACT
The study investigated the relevance of teaching methods in the acquisition of English Language skills among public secondary school students in Ado Local Government Area of Ekiti State. The study adopted a descriptive survey design to collect data from a sample of 150 students, 15 English Language teachers, and 5 school administrators, all randomly selected from 10 public secondary schools within the study area. The research instrument was a structured questionnaire titled Teaching Methods and Language Skills Questionnaire (TMELSQ), which was divided into two sections: demographic information and an evaluation of teaching methods' relevance to language acquisition. Additionally, a 20-item objective test was included to assess students' performance in English Language skills, covering comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and writing.
The validity of the instrument was confirmed through expert review, while the reliability was established using the test-retest method, yielding a coefficient of 0.78. Data collection involved direct administration of questionnaires and tests by the researcher and trained assistants. Descriptive statistics, including frequency and percentages, were employed to analyze the responses, while the t-test statistical model was used to test the hypothesis.
Findings revealed that teaching methods significantly influence students' acquisition of English Language skills. However, variations were observed in the effectiveness of specific methods based on factors such as class level and teacher competence. The study recommended that professional development programs for teachers and innovative instructional strategies should be prioritized to enhance English Language proficiency among students.