Emploi des ideogrammes (les accents) par les etudiants de la premiere annee du departement de Français de University of Education, Winneba

Abstract

This study is based on the fact that students of the Department of French Education at the University of Education, Winneba find it difficult to use accents in French. It started when we discovered during an orthographic test, that most of the students did not know the nature and the functions of the different accents in French, making it difficult for them to learn the French orthography. Our objectives were to identify and suggest solutions to the challenges faced in using these accents in order to be able to master the French orthography. Two theories were considered: the theory of Catach which best explains the complex nature of the French orthography, and the cognitivists’ theory. We proceeded by the action method: test-intervention-posttest. Analysis of the data from the test showed that the problem is real and needed to be treated. It has three main sources: the absence of accents in English, the complex nature of the French orthography and the negligence of some teachers towards these accents due to the fact that manuals don’t give importance to their teaching. The English also has some impact on the learning of the French orthography with regard to the use of accents. After intervention, analysis of the posttest’s data identified that though our method of intervention yielded good results, some of the challenges still remain. Our suggestion is that more attention should be given to the teaching of accents in French because they play an important role in mastering the French orthography.