The Effectiveness of Communicative Language Teaching in Improving French Oral Skills at Nigerian Secondary Schools: A Meta-Analysis

Communicative language teaching has been widely adopted in Nigerian secondary school French syllabi as a policy-endorsed methodology, yet the cumulative evidence base for its effectiveness in improving oral French skills under Nigerian classroom conditions has not been synthesised. This study conducts a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies examining the effectiveness of communicative language teaching interventions on oral French proficiency in Nigerian secondary schools. A comprehensive literature search across five databases identified 34 eligible studies published between 2015 and 2024 that reported quantitative oral proficiency outcomes for communicative versus non-communicative instructional conditions. Effect sizes were computed using Cohen's d, and random effects meta-analysis was applied to pool results. Heterogeneity was examined through moderator analyses testing study design, class size, intervention duration, and geopolitical zone as potential moderating variables. Results yield a pooled effect size of d=0.62 (95% CI: 0.48-0.76), indicating a moderate positive effect of communicative language teaching on oral French proficiency in Nigerian secondary schools. Heterogeneity was substantial (I2=71%), with class size and intervention duration identified as significant moderators. Interventions of twelve weeks or longer in class sizes below 40 students produced effect sizes above 0.80. Studies from South West Nigeria had systematically higher effect sizes than those from North East contexts, suggesting ecological moderating factors. The study provides the first quantitative synthesis of communicative language teaching effectiveness evidence for Nigerian French education and identifies priority conditions for maximising instructional impact. Keywords: communicative language teaching, French oral skills, meta-analysis, secondary schools, Nigeria