The Conference brought together about 100 language scholars from within and outside Nigeria in one of the most reputable universities in Africa. The theme of the Conference was “Language and Literature Education for Sustainable Development”. Papers were presented under seven sub-themes as follows:
1. Language, Literature and Sustainable Development
2. Multi-literacies and Learning for Sustainable Development
3. Language Policy and Politics of Language for Sustainable Development
4. Identity, Diversity, Multiculturalism and Sustainable Development
5. Language and Creativity for Sustainable Development
6. Language and Literature Learning for Sustainable Development
7. ICT, Pedagogy and Language Learning for Sustainable Development.
The conference was declared open by the Vice-Chancellor of the Institution, Prof E.O. Ogunbodede. The keynote address was given by an erudite and seasoned language educator known worldwide as the Sage of Africa, Prof PAI Obanya.
Relevant current issues on language and literature education were thoroughly interrogated during the 3-day Conference which was founded off with excursions to the Institution’s Natural History Museum and the historic museum in the Palace of His Imperial Majesty, the Ooni of Ife.
A communiqué, here presented, was drafted at the close of the Conference.
COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LANGUAGE EDUCATORS’ 1ST ANNUAL CONFERENCE HELD AT OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY, ILE-IFE FROM 16TH -18TH SEPTEMBER, 2019
Arising from the conference, the following communique was released:
1. The association needs to move the Ife Six Years Primary Project (SYPP) further by conducting another landmark research that will underscore the educational value of the indigenous languages.
2. Greater recognition should be accorded the indigenous languages for quality education and sustainable development.
3. Language of and for education is vital to the attainment of the SDG Goals.
4. Professors of languages should be made to deliver their inaugural lectures in language of their scholarship.
5. Theses, Dissertations and Projects on indigenous languages should be written in those languages.
6. Government should demonstrate greater political will for proper implementation of language provisions in the NPE.
7. The IALE should embark on development and production of teaching resources for effective teaching and learning of our indigenous languages.
8. The IALE should produce textbooks on English, French, Arabic, Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa and other indigenous languages for Primary and Secondary schools as done by Mathematical Association of Nigeria (MAN).
9. There is need to innovate the teaching and learning of languages through integration of technology and hands-on activities.
10. There is the need to give greater effect to the teaching and learning of French as the second international language, especially at public schools.
11. Language textbooks recommended for schools should be guided by research findings on their qualities.
12. Teaching and learning of languages should take particular cognizance of the multicultural nature of Nigerian Classrooms.
13. In integrating technology into language teaching and learning culturally-relevant ICT software should be developed for effective teaching and learning of languages in schools.
14. Language teacher preparation programmes in colleges of education and faculties of education in Nigerian Universities should place more emphasis on communicative skills, cultural sensitivity skills and pedagogical skills of preservice teachers.
15. Creativity should be integrated into language and literature lesson plan, instructional guide and actual instruction.
16. Regular capacity building workshops should be organized for language and literature teachers especially on ICT integration into language and literature instruction.
17. Language and Literature teaching should be made participatory, collaborative and interactive between teachers and students.
18. Modern assessment techniques such as portfolio, anecdotal record, role-play, project, checklists and rating scales should be embraced by language and literature teachers for holistic assessment of language attainment of learners.
19. Language skills should be taught integratively, not in isolation.
20. The IALE is ready and willing to collaborate with relevant agencies of government at all levels in ensuring that major proposals from this conference are implemented.
21. Language educators need to be proactive and look for ways of maximizing the strengths in the NPE for the benefit of the entire nation in a way that can bring about unity in diversity.
22. Language educators in Nigeria should come together to carry out a review of the Nigerian Language Policy as a practical step to improve sustainability in language.
23. The preoccupation of the language educators should be the organization of National Language Policy or/ and Curriculum conference from which we will come out to emphasize what needs to be emphasized.
24. IALE should as a matter of urgency, sponsor language educators to engage in very aggressive advocacy and sensitization programmes in urban and rural areas, among the various segments of the society across the six geo-political zones of the country to promote language and language education issues on behalf of the Association.
25. There is the need for IALE to organize Research at least on biennial basis, as a way of disseminating research findings on language education.
Conclusion
We, as an Association need to take practical steps to reshape and redirect the quality and quantity of language use, teaching and learning taking cues from what other sister professional associations (STAN, MAN, SOSSAN etc.) do in their fields/disciplines. If we do not blow our trumpet, nobody will blow it for us. The time is now!