Mastery of Subject Matter and the Emphasis on Instructional Resources among Secondary School Teachers of English Language

The teacher is a key variable in the teaching-learning context, implying that no meaningful talk about improved English teaching and learning is possible without attention to teacher development. The point is this: whatever students will benefits from English instruction is a function of who the teacher is academically and professionally-what he knows, believes and does. Ukeje (2000) captures this supreme importance of the teacher as follows:If the child is the centre of the educational system, teachers are the hubs of the educational process. For it is upon their number, their education and training, their quality and devotion to duty, their effectiveness and efficiency, their competence and their productivity depend on the effectiveness, the capability and the possibilities of the entire educational system and enterprise. The realization of the potentialities of organized education as a veritable instrument for social change and national reconstruction depends largely on the teachers. Excellent educational policies are meaningless unless there are equally excellent teachers to see to their realization. Various governments may vote sufficient funds as enabling resources for education, adequate material resources may be procured, but unless the teachers are properly prepared and positively motivated, little productivity will happen. From what has been said so far about the critical role the teacher plays, it is perhaps clear that if the English teaching efforts are not yielding the desired results, the teacher factor is the first place is to look for the cause, that is why the logical question to ask at this point is, what arrangement is in place for preparing English teacher? It is of course clear that the question can only be answered intelligently within the context of teacher education programmes generally. The objective of this paper is to show how adequate subject matter and instrument can be used enhance effective teaching of English language.