EVALUATION DES CONNAISSANCES EN CONJUGAISON DE VERBES DU FRANÇAIS CHEZ LES APPRENANTS DU NIVEAU SECONDAIRE DANS LE COMTE DE VIHIGA AU KENYA.

Abstract

This study focuses on mastery of French verb conjugation. Kenyan learners of French as a foreign language at secondary level encounter difficulties with verb conjugation. These difficulties are mainly due to the complexity of the verbal system, the large number of verb types (regular, irregular, reflexive, etc.), the multiple rules of agreement, etc. This complexity could lead to problems in both oral and written communication, as verbs are the basis of sentences and utterances. The objectives of the study are: (1) to evaluate the level of mastery of French verb conjugation among Kenyan learners in Vihiga County; (2) identify errors made by the Kenyan learners of FFL in Vihiga County in the conjugation of French verbs; (3) classify these errors into existing types, according to Catach's classification; (4) and to assess the opinions of French teachers (FLE) in Vihiga County regarding the teaching of French verb conjugation. The study is anchored on the behaviourism theory, which has two applications in teaching/learning: objective-based teaching and mastery learning. The study adopted a descriptive approach. A knowledge test was administered to the learners to evaluate the acquisition of French verb conjugation forms and a questionnaire to teachers to get their opinions. The study population comprised 21 secondary schools in Vihiga County which offer French, with a population of 198 learners and 26 teachers. Form four learners took part in the study, having been exposed to the language for a longer period of time and able to conjugate verbs in French. A random sample of 57 learners and 13 teachers was selected for the study due to their availability. The data from the language test was analysed quantitatively and qualitatively using statistical measures, particularly scores and averages, while data from the questionnaire was analysed by content analysis. The identification, inventory and classification of errors made by the subjects evaluated was carried out using Catach's error typology. The study established that none of the subjects had reached the threshold of knowledge mastery, as dictated by the pedagogy of learning mastery. The subjects evaluated made numerous errors in verb conjugation. The following categories recorded the highest number of errors: omission of vowels/consonants, incorrect relationship between grammatical categories, conjugation of reflexive verbs and past participles used with the auxiliary verb ‘être’. As for the opinions and judgments expressed by the teachers, the study found that despite the recognised importance of verb conjugation, the time devoted to its teaching/learning is insufficient to allow for optimal mastery; that students find French verb conjugation difficult and that they experience difficulties with tenses, moods and verb types. These findings could enable learners to manipulate verb forms without too much difficulty and teachers to draw inspiration from and comply with the relevant principles and recommendations.