Author: Grace Bunmi Sanni, Dinatu Iwala
Department: Department of French, Nasarawa State University, Keffi / Department of French, Nasarawa State University, Keffi
Date: 16/06/2025
False friends are a major obstacle and trap for secondary school students who are learning French as a second language (L2) at Al-ansar Center for Comprehensive Education Abuja, Nigeria. In French, some trick words share a deceptive resemblance with their English equivalent in terms of spelling and pronunciation, but have completely different meanings. This situation inevitably leads to comprehension and production errors on the part of learners. This study, used the didactic research theory to examine the problems of false friends and their impact on the acquisition of French by secondary school students in Abuja. It analyzes the factors that contribute to confusion related to these words, such as negative transfer of knowledge from English to French and a lack of specific vocabulary. In addition, the study used quantitative and qualitative methods of enquiry to examine the negative consequences of false friends on the development of students' language skills, hindering their fluency in speaking and writing and potentially leading to demotivation. This study highlights the need to implement effective teaching strategies to raise students' awareness on the use of False friends and equip them with tools to identify and avoid them. Keywords: False friends, French L2 acquisition, didatics, secondary learning.
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