Contextual Barriers to Implementing the Direct Method in French Language Teaching in Nigeria

Abstract

This qualitative document review analyses the contextual and systemic barriers to the effective use of the Direct Method in French language instruction across Nigerian schools. Drawing on ten national policy papers, five Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) reports (2013–2025), and twenty peer-reviewed studies, the study identifies major constraints such as overcrowded classrooms, insufficiently trained teachers, limited instructional materials, and inadequate learner readiness. Anchored in Krashen’s Input Hypothesis and Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, findings reveal that while the Direct Method promotes communicative competence, its application requires context-sensitive adaptation in under-resourced educational systems. The paper concludes with practical recommendations for teacher retraining, methodological hybridisation, and policy reform to align instructional realities with linguistic goals. The study contributes to applied linguistics and African education policy by illustrating how global language teaching methods can be localised for sustainability.