Performance des apprenants kényans du FLE en orthographe du français dans les écoles secondaires du comté de Vihiga

Abstract

The present study focuses on teaching and learning of French spelling in Kenya. French spelling, characterized by complex and often opaque rules, constitutes a major obstacle for Kenyan learners whose mastery of it frequently remains partial and fragile throughout their schooling. Consequently, despite several years of learning French, many Kenyan students experience spelling difficulties and continue to make errors in their written work. This study is grounded in Piaget’s (1964) constructivist theory, which is based on the idea that learners construct knowledge based on their interaction with the environment. It adopts a descriptive approach and was conducted in ten public secondary schools in Vihiga County, Kenya. The study population consisted of 183 students. A systematic sampling technique was used to select the study sample. Forty- six students took a spelling test, and their written productions were analyzed quantitatively by classical content analysis method. The findings indicate that although the students were able to complete the tasks given, their overall spelling proficiency remains insufficient. Their written work revealed recurring errors particularly in subject-verb agreement, gender marking, pronoun usage, the omission of accents, and certain syntactic constructions. These findings highlight the need for targeted pedagogical strategies, including encouraging the reading of classical literary texts and exposing students to writing workshops that emphasize both the grammatical and lexical spelling in French. Such measures would contribute to a lasting improvement in the teaching and learning of French spelling in Kenya.