28/06/2026
For an impressive 21 years, the "Express Certificate Oral English Textbook" has stood as an unwavering cornerstone for countless learners forging their path to spoken English mastery. This enduring resource hasn't merely existed; instead, it has dynamically evolved and meticulously refined its approach through six successive editions, each powerfully building upon the strengths of its predecessors to precisely meet the ever-changing needs of students and educators alike. This journey of relentless improvement underscores a deep, unwavering commitment to delivering truly effective and relevant materials for mastering oral communication skills.
The remarkable longevity of the "Express Certificate Oral English Textbook" speaks volumes about its initial design and its remarkable adaptability. Spanning nearly a quarter-century, the fact that it has warranted six distinct editions highlights a proactive, forward-thinking approach to seamlessly incorporating pedagogical advancements, reflecting crucial shifts in language use, and diligently addressing feedback from its users. This progressive development ensures that learners aren't just engaging with static content but are benefiting immensely from a resource that has been meticulously honed and perfected over time.
The commitment to producing six editions over 21 years reveals a dedicated team of authors and publishers deeply invested in the success of their learners. This iterative process allows for the vital incorporation of real-world feedback from teachers and students, guaranteeing that the textbook remains practical, genuinely engaging, and perfectly aligned with the demands of contemporary English language learning.
Each new edition unleashed thoughtful revisions and enhancements, while later versions integrated more intricate aspects of conversational English, such as cultural context, as well as powerful strategies for effective communication in diverse settings. The resourceful incorporation of new technologies or updated teaching methodologies also played a significant role in sculpting these successive iterations.
The Genesis: First Edition (April 2004)
The inaugural edition of Express Certificate Oral English debuted in April 2004. It was a modest, 128-page book. However, it rapidly captivated both students and teachers. This edition was ingeniously designed to impart the fundamental principles of correct word pronunciation through audio-visual aids, especially in an era where the study of traditional textbooks was swiftly becoming obsolete. Thus, this first edition, forged from a decade of exclusive research undertaken at Excel Coaching Centre in Edo State into developing oral English proficiency, proved profoundly relevant. It addressed a critical void, having been discovered that there was a pervasive poor orientation and a stark disinterest in phonetics, particularly among students. Most importantly, little to no significant impact had been made over the years by other texts. Indeed, most pre-existing texts relegated phonetics to a mere afterthought, dedicating only five-or-six-page overviews within broader grammar contexts.
Expanding Horizons: Second Edition (January 2006)
The second edition of Express Certificate Oral English emerged in January 2006, a comprehensively revised and expanded version of its predecessor. This edition was propelled by the pressing need to integrate a dedicated section for the extensive treatment of "Exam Hints on Test of Orals." To achieve this crucial objective, additional past questions from WAEC, NECO, and JAMB were meticulously developed into Practice Exercises within each chapter and cleverly embedded in the step-by-step "magic formula" discussed in Section II. This strategic inclusion was designed to instill in students the diverse standards and styles of questions, presented with conciseness, across various syllabuses.
A New Vision: Third Edition (March 2009)
he third edition of Express Certificate Oral English graced the shelves in March 2009. It represented a further refined and expanded iteration of the second. The paramount relevance of this edition ignited the imperative to transform its original lecture format into a series of two distinct books, crafted to comprehensively address the requirements of both Junior and Senior Schools’ Certificate Examinations. This necessity spurred the release of the third edition. To forge ahead with this clear objective, the title was rebranded from "The Magic in Oral English" to "Express Certificate Oral English."
Elevating Quality: Fourth Edition (March 2013)
he fourth edition of Express Certificate Oral English was unveiled in March 2013. The impetus behind this edition sprang from the desire to elevate the series into a truly qualitative teaching aid while solidifying its stature as an indispensable reference material. This ambitious goal was achieved by ingeniously creating class-by-class supplementary workbooks that span the entire series. These workbooks encapsulate all the relevant work schedules for the respective classes, meticulously stipulated in the 2012 current Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC), as published by the Nigeria Education Research and Development Council (NERDC).
A Promise Fulfilled: Fifth Edition (August 2019)
The fifth edition of Express Certificate Oral English made its highly anticipated appearance in August 2019. This edition was aptly described as "The Promised Edition." It marked the triumphant fulfillment of a promise made back in 2009: to develop the original manuscripts into a series of two books covering both Junior and Senior Schools Certificate Examinations requirements. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the third edition was indeed written and published, but the accompanying junior school edition was not.
When the third edition hit the market in 2009, it garnered a massive reading audience, yet it was merely an overture of even greater promises waiting in the wings. Ten years later, the publishers eventually convened over this fifth edition, and resolved to reignite the agenda of publishing the junior secondary edition. As at that time, the series of two books had been meticulously organized around establishing an unassailable platform for learning pronunciation in a sensational, almost transformative way—akin to when a warm wind traverses cold airstreams. The outcome, without a doubt, was not going to fall below expectation.
A New Curriculum, A New Era: Sixth Edition (August 2022)
The sixth edition of Express Certificate Oral English, launched in August 2022, represents a significant evolution. Unlike the original 2004 unified edition, these new junior and senior secondary editions are meticulously crafted for each class level. This design strategically aligns with the new National Curriculum for Universal Basic Education (UBE), issued by the Nigeria Education Research and Development Council (NERDC) and in compliance with the National Council on Education (NEC) directives.
The book comprehensively covers the curriculum's structure, objectives, and learning activities from JSS 1 to SS 3. It expertly integrates various communication designs to precisely meet student learning objectives, including continuous assessments to rigorously test knowledge at the end of each term. Furthermore, the language has been simplified, making it a perfect 'teach-yourself' resource for modern learners.
Most importantly, to elicit vital feedback on students’ cognitive rationality, additional past questions from the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), the National Examination Council (NECO), the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) have been cleverly adapted into the continuous assessments, completed with a carefully embedded workbook. Most of the exercises in the workbook were drawn from the rich tapestry of the author’s 20-plus years’ chalkboard experience since 1998. They are meticulously targeted at testing students’ understanding of the scheme of work each week. This objective has been undertaken to revert to the original master plan of transforming the 2004 unified edition (The Magic in Oral English) into a captivating handbook that unequivocally guarantees ‘Express Certificate’ in all Oral English examinations.
In a world where educational resources are constantly shifting and evolving, the "Express Certificate Oral English Textbook" stands as a shining testament to the power of continuous improvement. Its six successive editions over the past two decades eloquently demonstrate a progressive spirit, ensuring that learners continue to reap immense benefits from a resource that is not only time-tested but also consistently refined to tackle the challenges and seize the opportunities of mastering spoken English. This enduring legacy cements its status as an invaluable asset for anyone seeking to confidently and articulately express themselves in English.
