General Certificate Of Education Research Articles

Usage patterns of electronic devices for communication and prevalence of nomophobia among General Certificate of Education Advanced Level students in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Introduction: Nomophobia is becoming an increasing concern as a result of inappropriate use of electronic communication devices.Objectives: To describe the pattern of use of electronic communication devices and the prevalence of nomophobia among General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level (A/L) students in Colombo Educational Zone.Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out from January to March 2020 in six of the randomly selected government and government approved private schools within the Colombo Education Zone. A self-administered questionnaire including a culturally adapted nomophobia-questionnaire was used. Data were analysed using SPSS-20.Results: Of 337 students, 336 (99.7%) were regularly using a device for communication, the most preferred (n=319) being mobile phone; 213 owned a mobile phone; 60.4% were spending ≥2 hours/day with these devices, 10.1% spending >5 hours/day. Common uses of devices were listening to music (96.7%), taking photos (85.4%), sending text messages (84.8%) and academic activities (84.5%). Prevalence of moderate and severe nomophobia was 49.8% and 34.2% respectively. Prevalence of severe nomophobia was significantly higher in females (p<0.001) and those studying in grade 13 (p=0.036), government schools (p=0.002), Sinhala-medium (p=0.017) and Science stream (p=0.024).Conclusions: Among GCE A/L students in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 99.7% were regularly using a device for communication. Prevalence of moderate and severe nomophobia was 49.8% and 34.2% respectively.

Effect of Undergraduate Business Students’ Entry Characteristics on Academic Success

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of undergraduate business students’ entry characteristics (West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE), Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE), General Certificate of Education (GCE) ordinary level certificate, and matured entry) on academic success in terms of cumulative grade point average (CGPA), competencies (soft skills), acquired, and overall academic performance. Through a cross-sectional survey, 382 final year business students were selected from two universities in Ghana to participate in the study. Academic records of the students were obtained and complementary primary data were collected from these same respondents through questionnaire administration. Data were analyzed using PLS–SEM. The only statistically significant results the study established were that WASSCE has a positive relationship with competences and overall academic performance, and mature entry also had a negative relationship with competence. The study recommended revisions to the current admission criteria as universities need to entrench individualized curricula to cater the diversity occasioned by the variety of entry qualifications students. While direct applicants (e.g., applicants with WASSCE) may follow the current curriculum, bridging courses may be necessary to bring the mature applicants to the level of the direct applicants to ensure parity of knowledge.

Identifying opportunity, capability and motivation of Sri Lankan 5th grade schoolteachers to implement in-classroom physical activity breaks: A qualitative study.

Classroom-based physical activity interventions have demonstrated positive effects in reducing sedentary behaviour among school children. However, this is an understudied area, especially in low- and middle-income countries such as Sri Lanka. This study aims to explore teachers' opportunity, capability and motivation relating to the implementation of an in-classroom physical activity breaks programme. Twenty-seven teachers were recruited through snowball sampling and participated in semi-structured telephone interviews from early-January to the mid-June 2022. The Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation Behaviour (COM-B) model was used to guide and deductively thematic analyse the interviews. 21 out of the recruited teachers responded to the full study. The mean age of respondents was 39.24 years old ranging from 27 years to 53 years. Teaching experience of the respondents ranged from three to 37 years, and 57% were female. Three teachers had a degree with a teacher training diploma, while others were having General Certificate of Education in Advanced Level with a teacher training diploma as the highest education qualification. Capability factors such as age, dress code, mask wearing, knowledge, skills and workload of the teachers were identified as important factors in implementing a physical activity breaks intervention in a Sri Lankan classroom setting. Classroom space, facilities, student backgrounds and safety were identified as opportunity factors. Obtaining policy level decisions to implement the activity breaks and managing the time of the activities to reduce time lost in education time were identified as motivational factors. During the intervention development phase, implementation facilitators and barriers must be considered carefully. Behaviour change techniques can be utilised to address the identified COM-B factors to ensure a good implementation of the intervention.

Textbooks as ‘Neoliberal artifacts’: a critical study of knowledge-making in ELT industry

ABSTRACT The present study examined the traces of neoliberal ideology in O-level English language textbooks taught in elitist private schools in Pakistan that follow the UK-based international educational system administrated by the University of Cambridge under the General Certificate of Education (GCE). Analysis in the study was informed by Fairclough's CDA writings. Moreover, Bourdieu's views on neoliberalism were also considered to shed some light on neoliberal ideology in the textbooks. Findings suggest that several neoliberal themes were evident in the textbooks under scrutiny, including marketization, consumerism, branding, celebrity culture, competition, individualism, self-responsibility and self-entrepreneurship, mobility, new ‘Othering’ strategy and English as a neoliberal skill. Based on the findings, we argue that the global ELT industry that produces teaching materials, including textbooks for the periphery is a major contributor to the neoliberal world order maintained by the local (political) elite in the government(s) e.g. Pakistan in case of the present study. The textbooks prepare learners for a competitive world rather than a world based on cooperation, mutual progress, and happiness. The study thus questions such neoliberal hegemony encoded in the textbooks and argues for critical examination and selection of the materials for contexts where English is taught as a foreign language.

Edward Emrys Watkin (1900–1978): marine zoologist and educator

The Welsh marine zoologist, Edward Emrys Watkin (1900–1978), studied the population dynamics of Cardigan Bay herring stocks in the 1920s and subsequently worked on amphipod crustaceans in the Clyde Sea Area in Scotland. His published works span a transitional period in the history of biology, when natural history was being formalized into ecology. A graduate, and a staff member, of the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, for 45 years he inspired students with his teaching. His experiences as a teacher and examiner were called upon when, in 1965 and 1971, he edited and co-wrote Biology (with Herbert Tisdale Conway and John Brinley Jones), a textbook on biology for pupils seeking the General Certificate of Education (GCE) O-level qualification. However, the impact of Watkins’s book was lessened because of competition from Donald Gordon Mackean’s Introduction to biology published first in 1962.

Exploring A-level mathematics teachers’ teaching practices and use of technology

<p><span lang="EN-US">Student-centered teaching methods and technology are often viewed as effective tools to raise students’ performance and interest in mathematics learning. Limited research exists on discussion of teaching methods and the use of technology on the general certificate of education (GCE) A-level mathematics. The purpose of this qualitative research where data were collected using semi-structured interviews was to explore how A-level mathematics teachers used teaching methods and technology for the delivery of mathematics instruction. Convenience sampling was applied, the participants were seven A-level teachers from a private college in Johor, Malaysia. The gathered responses were analyzed using thematic analysis based on the approaches suggested by Braun and Clarke. The findings of this research reported that while mathematics teachers revealed they made some attempts in incorporating technology and student-centered teaching approaches to their classes, traditional teaching approaches such as chalk-and-talk and drill-and-practices remained to be the dominant teaching approaches they would use in their classes. In order to have a closer examination between the relationship of students’ interest and students’ performance in mathematics, the researcher suggests the future direction of study on the development of a teaching module which serves as a reference guide to alleviate the mentioned teachers’ concerns.</span></p>

The Effect of Gender on the Relationship between Critical Thinking and Pattern Recognition: Students’ Perspectives

In this qualitative study, individual interviews were conducted on 11 private school students to seek their opinions about the effect of gender on the relationship between critical thinking and cognitive pattern recognition. The participants, age 16 to 19 inclusive with six males and five females, were students recruited from three private schools in Singapore. All the interviewees have enrolled in the General Certificate of Education (GCE) 'O' level preparatory courses. The interview transcripts were analyzed using Qualitative Data Analysis (QDA) Miner software. The majority (64%) of the interviewees agreed that gender influence the relationship between critical thinking and pattern recognition. Two primary themes were identified that affect the effect of gender: the internal character traits of a person and society's influences. Two recommendations were to examine the impact of various internal character traits in more detail and to include interviews from school teachers and administrators to obtain more professional insights.

Teacher-Based Assessment of Speaking in Cameroonian Secondary Schools: The Impact of Teacher Training

Speaking is an important language skill that deserves a place both in English language teaching and English language assessment. However, the assessment of speaking in Cameroonian secondary schools is still neglected in many teacher-based English language tests. Often, attempts made to assess the skill are done either almost always indirectly or informally, leaving a wide gap between tenets professed in the Competency-Based Approach (CBA) to English language teaching and practice in the field. In 2012, the government of Cameroon officially introduced the CBA as the pedagogic paradigm for the teaching of English as a Second Language (ESL), and by extension, assessment in secondary schools. Eight years down the line, little seems to have changed concerning the way speaking has always been assessed, even though the CBA requires that learners practically demonstrate knowledge, skills and values in testing situations. This article set out to evaluate the contribution of teacher training to the assessment of speaking. Data was collected through qualitative and quantitative methods. A total of 259 questionnaires were administered to examiners of the June 2019 marking session of the Cameroon General Certificate of Education (CGCE) as well as members of the Cameroon English Language and Literature Teachers’ Association (CAMELTA). Also, four interviews were conducted with the maximum variation principle in mind. The findings revealed that teacher training, both pre-service and in-service, is a major factor responsible for the neglect of speaking in assessments. It was recommended that teacher-training institutions introduce or expand courses on testing to include direct assessment of speaking and that opportunities be created for in-service teachers to acquire certification on assessment within the framework of the CBA to English language teaching.

STUDY OF THE EXISTING STATUS OF SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT SYSTEM IN UPPER SCHOOL CHEMISTRY OF SRI LANKA

School Based Assessment (SBA) system at Advanced Level classes of Sri Lanka was implemented since 2009. At the beginning there were fifteen assessments to be completed with five practical assessments to get the eligibility for the final examination. There are five assessments that must be completed to get the eligibility for General Certificate of Education in Advanced Level G.C.E (A/L) examination which is implementing from 2019 onwards. This study is mainly focused on the identification of the current status of SBA regarding Chemistry subject as well investigate the drawbacks and remedial actions that can be taken. Marks of the School based assessment in (G.C.E (A/L)) Chemistry should always be used as the measure of teaching-learning process. It should provide the student as well as teacher to evaluate themselves on the lesson that they taught. Unfortunately, this is not happening in our current system and hence is not a landmark of students’ achievement or success of teaching learning process. Therefore most of the teachers use the same teaching and assessing methodology without any change throughout the assigned time period giving minute attention to the achievement of their students and pay much attention to cover whole syllabus rather than checking the conceptual establishment in them. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 356 students of seven provinces and 170 teachers from nine provinces. Teachers were selected from 1AB and 1C schools from the province. Students’ data were collected from two schools of the province from both male and female students of grade12 and 13 according to the number of students in that class. Further the qualitative data collection was done through focused group discussions and interviews. These discussions were conducted in three districts with the participation of eight teachers and twenty eight students. Forty final codes were identified and they were categorized under ten segments. Then sub themes were identified and according to them, seven themes were identified. 75% of the teachers who were participated in the survey had identified the importance of SBA. About 67% of them suggested the more teacher and student friendly assessment system. They requested more guidance from higher authorities, proper training and well-organized assessment models. According to the student point of view, about 60% of them requested more help from teachers to understand the subject matter, reliable marking system which aims to the final examination. Article visualizations:

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Identification of the Factors Affecting the Academic Performance of the Science Undergraduates of the Eastern University, Sri Lanka: A Case Study

Academic performance of Undergraduates in Sri Lankan Universities becomes an important factor among the academics and educators because the employability of the Sri Lankan graduate is growing as a challenge these days. Therefore, there is a need to identify and address the factors affecting the academic performance of Undergraduates in Sri Lankan universities. A survey designed was employed with questionnaires administered to the third year undergraduates of the Faculty of Science, Eastern University, Sri Lanka. The questionnaire covered the socio-economic factors, academic performances of the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Examinations in schools, extra studies of computer courses and English, extra-curricular activities and family backgrounds. The Grade Point Average for the first and second year of studies was used as the responses for the academic performance. The study revealed that gender, mother language, academic grades obtained for English language and general English at the GCE examinations, the stream of study of the degree programme in the University, the number of attempt at the GCE examination to enter the university were the mostly influencing factors. This study therefore recommended giving priority for learning mother language and improving English language and general English in GCE examinations in order to improve the academic performance of the students in the Faculty of Science, Eastern University, Sri Lanka. Keywords: Academic Performance, Undergraduates, GPA, Gender, Proficiency in English. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-15-17 Publication date: May 31 st 2020

Factors Associated with Mathematics Results at G.C.E. (O/L) Examination

The General Certificate of Education (Ordinary Level) (G.C.E O/L) examination is the first most important public certificate examination in Sri Lanka. Most of the candidates „fail‟ the G.C.E (O/L) examination due to their failure in Mathematics, leaving them without any viable option for their future. Identification of factors related to the results of Mathematics is essential to rectify this problem. This paper presents some findings of a study carried out in 2008 to explore the factors related to the results of Mathematics of the G.C.E (O/L) examination. The necessary data were collected from a survey conducted in the Piliyandala Educational Zone. The components of the syllabus that are most weighted in the marking scheme and the components preferred by the students were identified. The external factors that are associated with Mathematics marks were also identified through analysis of variance and regression analysis. Findings are useful to those who design curricula as well as to the teachers and parents.

Susceptibility for varicella and factors associated with immunity among pregnant women in a tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka- a cross-sectional study

BackgroundVaricella during pregnancy can lead to serious maternal and fetal consequences. Although an effective vaccine is available it is not incorporated in to the routine vaccination programs in most of the Asian countries. Objectives of the study were to determine the susceptibility to varicella and factors associated with immunity, among a group of pregnant women attending to a tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka.MethodsA hospital based descriptive cross sectional study was carried out at De Soyza maternity Hospital, Colombo. A sample of 385 pregnant women was selected. Data were collected through an interviewer administered questionnaire; presence of varicella IgG in blood was assessed by a validated commercial ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay.ResultsThe sample had a mean age of 28.5 years and majority was educated beyond General Certificate of Education (GCE) Ordinary Level. We found that 34% of study population was susceptible for the infection. A past history of varicella had a 89.5% positive predictive value and 53.1% negative predictive value for varicella immunity. Varicella sero-positivity was only associated with a lower educational level and number of childhood household members more than four. There was no association of sero-positivity with age.ConclusionThis study demonstrates that a significant proportion of pregnant women of the study population are varicella-susceptible. Pre-pregnancy screening and preventive strategies including vaccination should be evaluated. History of past varicella infection could be a useful screening tool to exclude patients for vaccination.

The effectiveness of teaching science subjects through English medium: A narrative analysis of teacher experiences and perceptions in Sri Lankan secondary schools

This article analyses four narratives told by four teachers teaching science subjects in four different public secondary schools in the district of Gampaha in Sri Lanka. Gampaha is the second most populous district in Sri Lanka, and is known for excellent results in General Certificate of Education (Advanced Level) exams which school leavers sit at the end of the secondary school cycle. The teachers’ narratives focus on the policy and practice of teaching science subjects through English at secondary level, which was reintroduced in a small number of selected government schools in Sri Lanka in 2002. After using the two local languages, Sinhala and Tamil, for nearly half a century, the Sri Lankan education authorities decided to bring back the English medium to the teaching of science subjects at secondary level as a third language option. One of the policymakers’ reasons was an apparent decline in the English-language fluency of students at this level. To implement the new policy, science teachers (who had themselves been taught in Sinhala or Tamil) were asked to teach in English. More than a decade into the English-medium option, the author interviewed four of them. Their testimonies about their experiences in teaching science subjects offer valuable insights into the difficulties experienced by both teachers and students when teaching and learning in a foreign language such as English. The author’s analysis of his respondents’ statements reveals hidden realities which challenge the benefits of reintroducing English as a medium of instruction (MOI) for science subjects. Thus, the lived experiences of the teachers may help to inform language policy in education in Sri Lanka, and perhaps also in other countries.

PREFERENCES FOR MOTIVATIONAL STRATEGIES: A COMPARISON OF STUDENT AND TEACHER PERSPECTIVE IN JAPANESE AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (JFL) CLASSROOM IN SRI LANKA

This study was aimed to investigate the teachers’ and students’ preference of motivational strategies employed in motivating students to learn Japanese language in General Certificate of Education (G.C.E) Advanced Level classes in Sri Lanka. The sample consisted of 27 Japanese as a Foreign Language (JFL) teachers and 275 students. An adapted questionnaire with 28 items was used to measure the perception of students and teachers towards using motivational strategies in JFL classroom. Fourteen items in the questionnaire targeted at measuring traditional strategies while the rest of the items measured innovative strategies. Descriptive statistics was used to find out the mean values of both the teachers’ and students’ preference of strategies and to prepare two lists of motivational strategies according to the priority order of rankings rated by teachers and students. The independent samples T-test was applied to determine the significant level of difference between the two groups. The results indicated that both students and teachers agree on the use of motivational strategies to motivate students. Nevertheless, it is statistically evident that students prefer innovative strategies than traditional strategies while teachers prefer both types of strategies equally. The findings revealed that there is a significant difference between these two motivational strategies as perceived by teachers and students. Article visualizations:

An investigation into the Sawtooth Effect in secondary school assessments in England

ABSTRACTThe ‘Sawtooth Effect’ is where cohort performance on high-stakes assessments drops after assessment reform, and then improves over time as test familiarity increases. Despite its importance, limited research has been conducted to date. In this study, we took a novel approach of using changes in grade boundaries (cut scores) over time as a proxy measure for performance change across a large number of secondary school assessments. Findings were generally consistent with the Sawtooth Effect, suggesting that it took students/teachers around 3 years on average to become familiar with the new tests. Estimates of the magnitude of these changes were also produced. Findings support the need for caution when interpreting changes in performance for new assessments, as any gains that occur may be due to test familiarity, rather than meaningful gains to subject mastery.Abbreviation: GCSE: General Certificate of Secondary Education; GCE A level: General Certificate of Education Advanced Level

A Cognitive Diagnostic Assessment Study of the Listening Test of the Singapore–Cambridge General Certificate of Education O-Level: Application of DINA, DINO, G-DINA, HO-DINA, and RRUM

This study investigates the underlying structure of the listening test of the Singapore–Cambridge General Certificate of Education (GCE) exam, comparing the fit of five cognitive diagnostic assessment models comprising the deterministic input noisy “and” gate (DINA), generalized DINA (G-DINA), deterministic input noisy “or” gate (DINO), higher-order DINA (HO-DINA), and the reduced reparameterized unified model (RRUM). Through model-comparisons, a nine-subskill RRUM model was found to possess the optimal fit. This study shows that students’ listening test performance depends on an array of test-specific facets, such as the ability to eliminate distractors in multiple-choice questions alongside listening-specific subskills such as the ability to make inferences. The validated list of the listening subskills can be employed as a useful guideline to prepare students for the GCE listening test at schools.

Perceived Importance of Information Needs on Breast Cancer among Adults: a Population-Based Survey in the District of Colombo, Sri Lanka

Background:Information needs of Breast Cancer (BC) and its perceived importance has not been adequately assessed in Sri Lanka. The present study aimed to assess cognitive information needs of BC among the adults.Methods:A household survey was conducted among a representative sample (n=1500) of over 18 years of age resident in the district of Colombo not having BC patients in the families. A validated interviewer-administered questionnaire collected information on general and cognitive information needs. Exploratory factor analysis assessed whether any of the aspects of informational needs are redundant and to group the needs.Results:Mean age of the participants was 37.21 (SD = ±9.7) years. Proportion of females was 51.7%, 82.9% were married and 44.1% had been educated up to General Certificate of Education (GCE) Ordinary Level. Exploratory factor analysis revealed all items of the questionnaire to form two groups that were named as “Factual information on BC prevention and early detection (screening and early diagnosis)” and “Factual information on BC diagnosis and treatment”. Results indicated that both groups of information needs were considered as highly important and the group “Factual information on BC diagnosis and treatment” (mean score 4.20 ± 0.75) was perceived as more important than the other group. The perceived importance of information needs was shown to be significantly different based on the sex of the adults, marital status, level of education and the employment status of the participants.Conclusion:This study demonstrates that cognitive information needs on BC are viewed as highly important by the general public. The study identified specific informational needs that are perceived as more important and some socio-demographic characteristics that are associated with higher perceived needs. The study recommends taking into account the findings of the study in designing the content and target groups for education on BC.

Results of the First Steps study: a randomised controlled trial and economic evaluation of the Group Family Nurse Partnership (gFNP) programme compared with usual care in improving outcomes for high-risk mothers and their children and preventing abuse

BackgroundFamily Nurse Partnership (FNP) is a home-based nurse home-visiting programme to support vulnerable parents. Group Family Nurse Partnership (gFNP) has similar aims and materials and was demonstrated to be feasible in implementation evaluations.ObjectivesTo determine whether or not gFNP, compared with usual care, could reduce risk factors for maltreatment in a vulnerable group and be cost-effective.DesignA multisite randomised controlled parallel-group trial and prospective economic evaluation, with eligible women allocated (minimised by site and maternal age group) to gFNP or usual care.SettingCommunity locations in the UK.ParticipantsExpectant mothers aged < 20 years with one or more previous live births, or expectant mothers aged 20–24 years with no previous live births and with low educational qualifications (defined as General Certificate of Education at grade C or higher in neither mathematics nor English language or, if they had both, no more than four General Certificates of Education at grade C or higher).InterventionForty-four sessions of gFNP (14 during pregnancy and 30 in the first 12 months after birth) were offered to groups of between 8 and 12 women with similar expected delivery dates (the difference between the earliest and latest expected delivery date ranged from 8 to 10 weeks depending on the group) by two family nurses (FNs), one of whom had notified her intention to practise as a midwife.Main outcome measuresParenting was assessed by a self-report measure of parenting opinions, the Adult Adolescent Parenting Inventory Version 2 (AAPI-2), and an objective measure of maternal sensitivity, the CARE-Index. Cost-effectiveness was primarily expressed in terms of incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained.Data sourcesInterviews with participants at baseline and when infants were aged 2, 6 and 12 months. Cost information from nurse weekly logs and other service delivery data.ResultsIn total, 166 women were enrolled (99 to the intervention group and 67 to the control group). Adjusting for site and maternal age group, the intention-to-treat analysis found no effect of gFNP on either of the primary outcomes. AAPI-2 total was 7.5/10 [standard error (SE) 0.1] in both arms [difference also adjusted for baseline 0.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) –0.15 to 0.28;p = 0.50]. CARE-Index maternal sensitivity mean: intervention 4.0 (SE 0.3); control 4.7 (SE 0.4) (difference –0.76, 95% CI –1.67 to 0.13;p = 0.21). The sensitivity analyses supported the primary analyses. The probability that the gFNP intervention was cost-effective based on the QALY measure did not exceed 3%. However, in terms ofchangein AAPI-2 score (baseline to 12 months), the probability that gFNP was cost-effective reached 25.1%. A separate discrete choice experiment highlighted the value placed by both pregnant women and members of the general population on non-health outcomes that were not included in the QALY metric.LimitationsSlow recruitment resulted in smaller than ideal group sizes. In some cases, few or no sessions took place owing to low initial group size, and small groups may have contributed to attrition from the intervention. Exposure to gFNP sessions was below maximum for most group members, with only 58 of the 97 intervention participants receiving any sessions; FNs were experienced with FNP but were mainly new to delivering gFNP.ConclusionsThe trial does not support the delivery of gFNP as a means of reducing the risk of child abuse or neglect in this population.Future workA randomised controlled trial with modified eligibility to enable first-time mothers aged < 20 years to be included, and a modified recruitment strategy to enable faster identification of potential participants from antenatal medical records.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN78814904.FundingThis project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme and will be published in full inPublic Health Research; Vol. 5, No. 9. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

English in Cameroon: Issues of Teacher Language Proficiency

Over the last three decades, the standards of English in Cameroon as well as the performance of students in theEnglish language at the General Certificate of Education (GCE) examination have been on a steady decline. Whilemany Cameroonians keep making their way into the English language teaching industry as a result of the rapidexpansion of English as a global lingua franca, the quality of language input administered to learners seems to leavemuch to desire. Thus, although a number of studies have attributed the continuous downward spiralling of standardsto a variety of reasons, this study set out to investigate the extent to which teachers of English as a second language(ESL) in Cameroon master the language they teach, as a demonstration that the teacher is one of the major problemsto be addressed. Our main objectives were to test teachers’ language skills. Employing the Homogeneous PurposiveSampling Technique, a total of 40 ESL teachers in Tiko and Buea Sub-divisions of the South West Region ofCameroon were investigated using questionnaires and interviews. Of the 40, 36 showed difficulties with spelling, 33with punctuation, 30 with pronunciation, 28 with capitalization, 27 with sentence construction, and five withagreement.