Leveraging speaking and listening pedagogies for anti-corruption education in contemporary Nigeria

Abstract

Corruption remains one of the major impediments to Nigeria's socio-economic and political development. Despite the numerous strategies employed to combat corruption, scholars have given limited attention to the role of language education in shaping ethical orientation. This paper examines how speaking and listening pedagogies can serve as instruments for promoting anti-corruption values among learners in contemporary Nigeria. Adopting a qualitative and conceptual approach, the study draws on extant literature on corruption, language education, and twenty-first-century pedagogical practices. It explores learner-centred strategies such as discussion, role-playing, and storytelling as mechanisms for developing critical thinking, communication, creativity, collaboration, and moral consciousness among learners. The paper argues that speaking and listening instruction extends beyond communicative competence and provides opportunities for fostering ethical values and responsible citizenship. It concludes that integrating anti-corruption themes into English language instruction can contribute to national development and recommends the incorporation of twenty-first-century skills and value-based education into language curricula.