Authors : Abdulraheem, Fatai

Volume/Issue : Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 12 - December

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/4az8963d

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25dec770

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Abstract : The French Language Acculturation Programme in Nigerian Colleges of Education is designed to equip future French teachers with the linguistic proficiency, cultural competence, and socio-communicative skills necessary for effective engagement in Francophone environments. Despite its importance, students have increasingly faced barriers that hinder their full participation, including financial limitations, visa and travel difficulties, low initial language proficiency, cultural adjustment challenges, security concerns, and limited access to healthcare. Insights from structured interviews with staff at the Nigerian French Language Village (NFLV), Badagry, and the Pan-African University Institute (PAUI), Porto-Novo revealed that, while institutional practical and logistical challenges such as delayed visa processing, high programme costs, and inadequate pre-departure preparation continue to restrict student engagement. The main aim of this paper isto identify, analyse, and explain these barriers, drawing on student questionnaires, participation records, and staff interviews to capture both the prevalence and intensity of the challenges. Furthermore, it explores innovative interventions to strengthen the acculturation programme, including expanded TETFund scholarships, institutional agreements to facilitate visa and travel processes, systematic exposure to French media and language labs, comprehensive pre-departure cultural orientation, selection of secure Francophone destinations, and guidance on accessing healthcare abroad. The findings are expected to provide valuable insights for policymakers, educational administrators, and teacher trainers, ultimately contributing to the development of a more effective, accessible, and sustainable French Language Acculturation Programme in Nigerian Colleges of Education.

Keywords : Acculturation; French Language; Colleges of Education; Student Participation; Francophone Immersion.

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