Abstract:
We have observed that one of the factors that explain the inability of learners to perform satisfactorily in essay writing or the fundamental reason responsible for lack of confidence by French students to practice writing is the lack or absence of the necessary pedagogical enablement: the failure of the syllabus to make the necessary provision and teachers’ inability to handle the aspect of writing adequately. In some cases, and especially in teaching and learning French as a Foreign Language in Ghana, it appears teachers do not guide learners through the processes involved in writing an essay. This study, therefore aims at researching into pedagogical practices Senior High School teachers of French in Cape Coast Metropolis engage in with respect to facilitating essay writing in French as a foreign language. The theoretical framework consists of psycholinguistic approach of writing and some relevant studies conducted in the area of writing in Ghana and abroad. Questionnaire has been administered to some French teachers in the Cape Coast metropolis to help find their approach to teaching of essay, the activities they propose with respect to Hayes & Flower (1980) model of writing essay to guide the written task. Also, an interview has been used among some Form 3 teachers to understand clearly how they go about the teaching of essay writing. At the end of the study, it has been shown that though 93% of the respondents read a course related to teaching of French as a Foreign Language as part of their teacher training programme, they lack the methodology of teaching essay writing. They usually do not end the writing process with the students but they leave the writing task to the learners as an assignment for the most part. It has also been established that the provision in the Senior High School teaching syllabus of French is inadequate to teach essay writing appropriately with the aim of helping learners to become independent writers. We hope that when a programme is designed to help teach essay writing, the teaching of essay writing would be enhanced hence minimizing the difficulties related to essay writing by students in the secondary schools.
