Second Language Acquisition and the Role of Input in Learning French Among Hausa Speakers in Sokoto State

Input quality and quantity are foundational variables in second language acquisition theory, yet their specific role in French language learning by Hausa first language speakers in a low-input, non-immersive educational context such as Sokoto State has not been empirically investigated. This study examines the relationship between input characteristics and French acquisition outcomes among Hausa-speaking secondary school learners in Sokoto State, drawing on Krashen's input hypothesis, VanPatten's input processing theory, and usage-based acquisition frameworks. A quasi-experimental design combined pre- and post-test proficiency measurement with systematic variation of input conditions across four matched school groups: high authentic audio-visual input, high teacher talk input, standard classroom input, and low input. Input exposure was monitored through weekly classroom observation logs over a sixteen-week experimental period. Proficiency tests assessed listening comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and reading accuracy. Results demonstrate significantly superior proficiency gains in the high authentic audio-visual input group across all three assessed skill areas, with the greatest advantage in listening comprehension. Hausa-French phonological distance was confirmed as a significant moderating factor, with learners requiring more targeted phonological input than those in comparable Yoruba-speaker studies. Input frequency for specific grammatical structures predicted accurate production of those structures in spontaneous writing tasks. The study provides empirical support for input-rich instructional approaches in Hausa-speaker French classrooms and recommends audio-visual resource investment as the highest pedagogical priority for French learning in Sokoto State. Keywords: second language acquisition, input hypothesis, Hausa speakers, French language, Sokoto State