Application Of Audio Visual Aids In The Teaching Of English Language In Owerri North Local Gonernment Area, Imo State

Background of the study

English language is a global prestigious system of human communication used either by spoken or written, consisting of words in a structured and conventional way. It is the official language in Nigeria, which used in education, government, administrative, law, and commerce. On this account, it is necessary to ensure that, the secondary school students are given the basic and fundamental facet of English language. In order to achieve this; there must be instructional materials like Audio visual aids which are permeating the educational system as tools for effective teaching and learning. With audio visual, the communication of information can be done in a more effective manner and it can be an effective instructional medium for delivering information. Audio visual access to knowledge is one of the possibilities of information and communication technology that has tremendous impact on learning. The instructional media have emerged in a variety of resources, and equipment, which can be used to supplement or complement the teacher’s efforts in ensuring effective learning by students. It is recognized that conventional media technologies can no longer meet the needs of our teaching and learning processes; as a result they are being replaced by audio visual technology. This technology provides a learning environment that is self-paced, learner-controlled and individualized.

Audio visual is defined as the combination of various digital media types such as text, images, sound and video, into an integrated multi-sensory interactive application or presentation to convey a message or information. In other words, audio visual means “an individual or a small group using a computer to interact with information that is represented in several media, by repeatedly selecting what to see and hear next” (Agnew, Kellerman and Meyer, 2011).
Reisman (2010) described audio visual as a ray of “computer-driven interactive communication system, which create, store, transmit and retrieve, textual, graphic and audio tory networks of information.

Fetterman (2016) also viewed audio visual as those resources used for instruction that include one or more media such as graphics, video, animation, image and sound in addition to textual information. He identified four important characteristics of audio visual as:
• Audio  visual systems are integrated
• The information content must be represented digitally
• The interface to the final presentation of media.

The power of audio visual lies in the fact that it is multi-sensory, stimulating the many senses of the audio lance. It is also interactive, enabling the end users of the application to control the content and flow of information. This has introduced important changes in the educational system and impact the way we communicate information to the learners (Neo and Neo, 2013).Ogunbote and Adesoye (2016) expressed that audio visual technology adds new dimension to learning experiences because concepts were easier to present and comprehend when the words are complemented with images and animations.

The evolution of audio visual has made it very possible for learners to become more involved in their work. With audio visual technologies, they can create audio visual applications as part of their project requirements. This would make them active participant in their own learning process, instead of just being passive learners of the educational content.
Reinsman (2014) expressed that audio  visual involves processing, storage, generation, manipulation and retention of audio  visual system, and the resources could include text files, pictures, video, audio , databases, archives, library catalogs, course notes, relevant links to various websites and easy access to search engines available on the Internet (Shuell and Ferber, 2011).

Audio visual in Education has been extremely effective in teaching individuals a wide range of subjects. Audio visual is changing the way we communicate with each other. The way we send and receive messages is more effectively done and better comprehended.
While a lecture can be extremely informative, a lecture that integrates pictures or video images can help an individual learn and retain information much more effectively.