Teaching Methods and Learners’ Attitude towards the English Language: The Case of EFL Teachers and Students of Government Bilingual Technical High School Mewoulou

Abstract: This paper investigates the teaching and learning of English by Francophone students of Government Bilingual Technical High school Mewoulou, Yaounde with the aim at examining the teaching methods use by EFL teachers and at the same time, analysing learners’ attitudes towards the learning of English as a foreign language. This research paper used the mixed method of research design which included, questionnaire, interviews and observation as instruments of data collection. While using the behaviourist and Krashen’s monitor theories, and through mainly, a qualitative analytical approach, the data were investigated and the resultant findings were found. It was revealed that some of the students’ poor output in English language is because of low intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, which stemmed from negative attitudes, and little to do with the teaching methods. Again, most of the teachers agreed that they used the Grammar Translation method to teach, while two out of the four teachers, held that they used both the Direct and the Communicative Language Teaching methods. As concerns students’ motivation and attitude toward the language, it was observed that, fifty percent of the students showed a considerable positive attitude towards the language and this resulted in their high performance in it. It was also revealed that fifty percent did not like the language, thus had a negative attitude towards it. It was thus recommended that teachers should bear in mind that there exist no single and appropriate method of teaching English to Francophone Cameroonians. Therefore, the method should be determined by the condition that the teachers and students find themselves in. So, Teachers can alternate between the Communicative Language Teaching and the Grammar Translation Methods based on what lesson and topic they are treating.