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Cameroon Official Language: A Deep Dive into Linguistic Diversity
Introduction:
Cameroon, a vibrant nation in Central Africa, boasts a breathtaking tapestry of cultures, each interwoven with unique linguistic threads. Unlike many countries with a single dominant language, Cameroon's linguistic landscape is exceptionally diverse, posing fascinating questions about official languages, national identity, and communication. This comprehensive guide will unravel the complexities of Cameroon's official language situation, exploring its history, the roles of English and French, the impact on education and governance, and the challenges and opportunities presented by this linguistic richness. We'll delve into the everyday realities of multilingualism and its effect on Cameroonian society, providing a clear and informative overview for anyone seeking to understand this fascinating aspect of Cameroon's identity.
1. The Historical Context of Cameroon's Official Languages:
Cameroon's linguistic complexity is deeply rooted in its colonial past. The country was colonized by both Germany and later divided between France and Britain. This division resulted in the enduring legacy of French and English as official languages. Before colonization, numerous indigenous languages flourished, reflecting the country's rich ethnic diversity. The impact of colonial rule profoundly shaped language usage, leading to a complex interplay between indigenous languages and the official languages imposed by colonial powers. Understanding this history is crucial to grasping the current linguistic landscape. The unequal distribution of resources and opportunities along linguistic lines further complicates the situation, reflecting historical power imbalances.
2. French and English: Two Official Languages, Two Realities:
While both English and French hold official status, their practical application varies significantly across the country. The Anglophone regions (Northwest and Southwest) primarily use English in administration and education, while the Francophone regions predominantly employ French. However, the reality is far more nuanced. Many Cameroonians are bilingual or even multilingual, speaking both official languages along with one or more indigenous languages. This multilingualism is a defining feature of Cameroonian society, but it also presents significant challenges in terms of communication, education, and national unity. The distribution of resources and opportunities often reflects a bias towards either French or English, depending on the region, which creates social and political tensions.
3. The Role of Indigenous Languages in Cameroon:
Cameroon is home to over 250 indigenous languages, each carrying a wealth of cultural and historical significance. While French and English dominate official spheres, indigenous languages remain vital for everyday communication within communities. They are the languages of the home, the market, and traditional practices. The preservation and promotion of these languages are crucial for maintaining cultural diversity and identity. However, the dominance of French and English in education and government poses a significant threat to the survival of many indigenous languages. Efforts to integrate indigenous languages into the education system are ongoing but face numerous challenges, including resource constraints and a lack of standardized materials.
4. The Impact on Education and Governance:
The dual-language system in Cameroon presents both opportunities and challenges for education. Bilingual education programs aim to foster proficiency in both English and French, but their effectiveness varies. The unequal distribution of resources often results in disparities in the quality of education between Anglophone and Francophone regions. Similarly, governance is impacted by the linguistic divide. Effective communication and participation in political processes require proficiency in either French or English, potentially marginalizing individuals who are not fluent in either official language. This situation can exacerbate existing inequalities and hinder national unity.
5. Challenges and Opportunities of Linguistic Diversity:
Cameroon's linguistic diversity is a source of both strength and challenge. The richness of its languages reflects its cultural heritage, but the dominance of French and English presents a threat to indigenous languages. Bridging the linguistic divide requires deliberate policy interventions, including promoting bilingual education, supporting the development of indigenous language resources, and fostering inclusivity in governance. The creation of a truly inclusive society where all languages are valued and respected requires a long-term commitment to linguistic equality and the empowerment of all linguistic communities. Opportunities lie in leveraging this diversity for economic and cultural development, recognizing the value of multilingualism in a globalized world.
Article Outline:
Title: Understanding the Official Languages of Cameroon: A Comprehensive Guide
Introduction: Briefly introduce Cameroon's unique linguistic situation and the scope of the article.
Chapter 1: Historical Context: Explore the colonial influences and their impact on language usage.
Chapter 2: French and English: A Dual Official System: Analyze the practical application of French and English, and the challenges this creates.
Chapter 3: The Role of Indigenous Languages: Discuss the significance of indigenous languages and the threats to their survival.
Chapter 4: Impact on Education and Governance: Examine the influence of language on education and political processes.
Chapter 5: Challenges and Opportunities: Assess the challenges and opportunities presented by linguistic diversity.
Conclusion: Summarize the main points and offer concluding thoughts on the future of language in Cameroon.
(The detailed content for each chapter is provided above in the main article body.)
FAQs:
1. What is the primary language spoken in Cameroon? There is no single primary language. French and English are official languages, and hundreds of indigenous languages are also spoken.
2. Is English widely spoken in Cameroon? English is an official language, mainly spoken in the Northwest and Southwest regions, but French is more widely used overall.
3. How many languages are spoken in Cameroon? Over 250 languages are spoken in Cameroon, including French and English.
4. What is the impact of linguistic diversity on Cameroonian society? It creates both opportunities and challenges, influencing education, governance, and national unity.
5. Are efforts being made to preserve indigenous languages? Yes, but these face numerous challenges, including resource constraints and a lack of standardized materials.
6. What are the main challenges in implementing bilingual education? Resource disparities, teacher training, and the development of suitable educational materials.
7. How does the linguistic landscape affect political participation? Proficiency in either French or English can be a barrier to participation for those who don't speak either.
8. What role does multilingualism play in Cameroonian identity? It is a fundamental aspect of Cameroonian identity, reflecting its rich cultural heritage.
9. What is the future of language in Cameroon? The future depends on effective policies that promote linguistic equality and the preservation of indigenous languages.
Related Articles:
1. The History of Colonization in Cameroon and its Linguistic Legacy: Discusses the impact of German, French, and British colonial rule on the country's language landscape.
2. Bilingual Education in Cameroon: Challenges and Successes: Explores the effectiveness of bilingual education programs and the obstacles they face.
3. Indigenous Languages of Cameroon: A Cultural Treasure Trove: Showcases the richness and diversity of Cameroon's indigenous languages and their cultural significance.
4. Language and Politics in Cameroon: The Anglophone Crisis: Examines the role of language in the ongoing Anglophone crisis.
5. The Economic Impact of Linguistic Diversity in Cameroon: Analyzes the economic implications of multilingualism in Cameroon.
6. Language Policy in Cameroon: A Critical Evaluation: Provides a critical assessment of Cameroon's language policies and their effectiveness.
7. Preserving Cameroon's Linguistic Heritage: Strategies for Language Revitalization: Discusses strategies for the preservation and revitalization of indigenous languages.
8. Multilingualism and National Unity in Cameroon: Examines the relationship between linguistic diversity and national unity in Cameroon.
9. Comparative Analysis of French and English Usage in Cameroon: Compares and contrasts the use of French and English in different regions of Cameroon.
| cameroon official language: Language Policy and Identity Construction Eric A. Anchimbe, 2013-01-01 The (dis)empowerment of languages through language policy in multilingual postcolonial communities often shapes speakers identification with these languages, their attitude towards other languages in the community, and their choices in interpersonal and intergroup communication. Focusing on the dynamics of Cameroon s multilingualism, this book contributes to current debates on the impact of politic language policy on daily language use in sociocultural and interpersonal interactions, multiple identity construction, indigenous language teaching and empowerment, the use of Cameroon Pidgin English in certain formal institutional domains initially dominated by the official languages, and linguistic patterns of social interaction for politeness, respect, and in-group bonding. Due to the multiple perspectives adopted, the book will be of interest to sociolinguists, applied linguists, pragmaticians, Afrikanists, and scholars of postcolonial linguistics. |
| cameroon official language: English in Cameroon Hans-Georg Wolf, 2013-06-10 The multilingual situation in Cameroon and the status of English as a co-official language constitute a unique and fascinating case for sociolinguistic investigation. Drawing from first-hand material, the author investigates several aspects of this complex configuration, including the historical development of English in Cameroon, the various languages and lingua franca areas, the linguistic policy, the de facto status of English and the situation in the anglophone provinces. The speech community of the Anglophones is highlighted as a rare example of an ethnicity tied to the second language. Apart from important sociolinguistic findings, the work includes a novel, corpus-based analysis of Cameroon English. Certain lexical phenomena are explained by the cognitive coding of culture - particularly the African cultural model of community, which also underlies the self-perception of the Anglophones - a perspective hitherto neglected in the study of the New Englishes. |
| cameroon official language: The English of Francophone Speakers in Cameroon Jean-Paul Kouega, 2019-11-14 Scientific Study from the year 2019 in the subject Didactics for the subject English - Pedagogy, Literature Studies, University of Yaoundé 1 (Faculty of Arts), language: English, abstract: This work, which describes the English of these francophone users, comprises an introduction, seven chapters grouped into two parts, and a conclusion. The introduction overviews the historical background of the country and its geographic and linguistic situations. Part One deals with the didactics of English in Cameroon; it comprises three chapters which take up in turn the languages in the education system of the country, the teaching of English in primary and secondary schools as well as tertiary level institutions. Part Two, which tackles the description of the English speech of francophone users, first outlines the research design. Then it takes up the sound system of francophone English, focusing on the realisations of consonants and vowels, and stress placement. Next it examines the vocabulary of this variety of English and finds that it is characterised by an excessive use of direct loan, calque, and false friends. This is followed by a description of the morpho-syntactic features of the variety. The frequent features identified can be grouped under 12 major categories of items, i.e., verb tenses, articles, the plural form in noun phrases, pronouns, word order, subject-verb agreement, adverbs, prepositions, question formation, negation, verbs in embedded clauses, and serial verbs. Lastly, drawing from the findings outlined in these linguistic analyses, the researcher makes an appraisal of Cameroon’s French-English official bilingualism policy. The various measures taken over the years by Government to promote official bilingualism are evaluated first. Then the consequences of the failure of this policy are considered. Finally a way forward is proposed: there is a need to adopt a new syllabus purposely designed to enhance bilingual competence among francophones in the country. Francophone English as Kouega notes, is a dialect of English that is developing in a number of Expanding Circles countries where French has hitherto been the sole or primary medium of instruction. In Cameroon, francophone children learn English as a subject from primary school alongside other subjects like geography, which are taught in French. English is taught as a subject from the primary to the tertiary level of education. It is taught in all schools as part of the implementation of the country’s French-English official bilingualism policy that was adopted in 1961 when French Cameroon and English Cameroon united to form a federal state. |
| cameroon official language: English in Cameroon Hans-Georg Wolf, 2001 The multilingual situation in Cameroon and the status of English as a co-official language constitute a unique and fascinating case for sociolinguistic investigation. Drawing from first-hand material, the author investigates several aspects of this complex configuration, including the historical development of English in Cameroon, the various languages and lingua franca areas, the linguistic policy, the de facto status of English and the situation in the anglophone provinces. The speech community of the Anglophones is highlighted as a rare example of an ethnicity tied to the second language. Apart from important sociolinguistic findings, the work includes a novel, corpus-based analysis of Cameroon English. Certain lexical phenomena are explained by the cognitive coding of culture - particularly the African cultural model of community, which also underlies the self-perception of the Anglophones - a perspective hitherto neglected in the study of the New Englishes. |
| cameroon official language: Language Planning in Africa Nkonko Kamwangamalu, Richard Baldauf Jr., Robert Kaplan, 2016-04-08 This volume focuses on language planning in the Cameroon, Sudan and Zimbabwe, explaining the linguistic diversity, historical and political contexts, current language situation (including language-in-education planning), the role of the media, the role of religion and the roles of non-indigenous languages. The authors are indigenous to the situations described, and draw on their experience and extensive fieldwork there. The extended case studies contained in this volume draw together the literature on each of the polities to present an overview of the existing research available, while also providing new research-based information. The purpose of this volume is to provide an up-to-date overview of the language situation in each polity based on a series of key questions, in the hope that this might facilitate the development of a richer theory to guide language policy and planning in other polities where similar issues may arise. This book comprises case studies originally published in the journal Current Issues in Language Planning. |
| cameroon official language: New Views on Cameroon English Martin Liboska, 2004-10-03 Seminar paper from the year 2004 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: good+, University of Duisburg-Essen (Institute for Foreign Language Philology - Anglistics/American Studies), course: Hauptseminar English Varieties, language: English, abstract: English in West Africa is a complex field of investigation in the broader context of the “World Englishes”. For many years, researchers have focused on linguistic characteristics of the numerous varieties of English in this area and mostly subsumed them under the label “English in Africa” or “West African English” (WAE) (e.g., Spencer 1971; Todd 1984b; Kachru 1995, Schmied 1991). Only little attention has been paid to the single national varieties1 including Cameroon English (henceforth CamE), which is in fact a very interesting case for sociolinguistic analysis due to its status as a co-official language beside French in a multilingual environment. This paper aims to show that new approaches to the national West African varieties, in this case CamE, try to fill the gap of comparative research in this linguistic area. The first part of this paper shall introduce the reader to the complexity of the linguistic situation in West Africa in general. The status, function, and use of English in the anglophone West African countries will be determined in chapter 2. Then I will give an overview about the development of the two most important varieties of English spoken there, namely Pidgin English (PE) and WAE. This chapter will therefore serve as a basis of knowledge for the third chapter, which is the main part of this paper and deals with the new approach of Hans-Georg Wolf (2001) to “English in Cameroon”. By showing the results of the author’s study about the extraordinary sociolinguistic situation in Cameroon on the one hand and the lexical peculiarities of CamE on the other hand, I will support his main thesis, which classifies CamE as a distinct national variety within the linguistic region of West Africa. Finally, I will draw a conclusion and give proposals for further studies in this field of investigation. |
| cameroon official language: A Grammar of Cameroonian Pidgin Nkemngong Nkengasong, 2016-01-14 This volume represents a comprehensive description of the structure of Cameroonian Pidgin, including an overview of its socio-cultural context, writing system, sounds, word formation, word classes and sentence structures. It comprises a corpus of 540 Cameroonian Pidgin proverbs and a rich glossary of over 1000 words and expressions typical of Cameroonian Pidgin which are helpful in understanding the characteristic features of the language, as well as the cultural, the social, and the philosophical contexts of the Cameroonian Pidgin speaker. Written with the first-hand experience of a “native speaker”, it will be of interest to ordinary users, as well as students, researchers and professional linguists interested in the way the language functions. Indeed, it represents a useful resource for anyone wishing to learn or know about Pidgin, especially tourists and professionals traveling to West and Central Africa. |
| cameroon official language: State-Building and Multilingual Education in Africa Ericka A. Albaugh, 2015-07-02 How do governments in Africa make decisions about language? What does language have to do with state-building, and what impact might it have on democracy? This manuscript provides a longue durée explanation for policies toward language in Africa, taking the reader through colonial, independence, and contemporary periods. It explains the growing trend toward the use of multiple languages in education as result of new opportunities and incentives. The opportunities incorporate ideational relationships with former colonizers as well as the work of language NGOs on the ground. The incentives relate to the current requirements of democratic institutions, and the strategies leaders devise to win elections within these constraints. By contrasting the environment faced by African leaders with that faced by European state-builders, it explains the weakness of education and limited spread of standard languages on the continent. The work combines constructivist understanding about changing preferences with realist insights about the strategies leaders employ to maintain power. |
| cameroon official language: Language Planning and Language Education Chris Kennedy, 1984 |
| cameroon official language: Language and Interaction in the Chinese Community in Cameroon Jocelyne Kenne Kenne, 2023-10-31 This book is the first in-depth treatment from a linguistic perspective of the Chinese presence in Africa. It is essentially a detailed study on communication in various domains between Chinese immigrants in Cameroon and the local community with whom they interact. In eight chapters this well-organized book is able to give a relatively detailed sociolinguistic description of the host country, Cameroon, provide a good theoretical background of the study, outline the methodology used for the study which involved mainly a questionnaire survey, semi-structured interviews, and field observations before drawing conclusions to the study. This is a brilliant contribution to a growing literature on the global Chinese diaspora. - Adams Bodomo, Professor of African Studies (Chair of Linguistics and Literatures) at the University of Vienna, Austria |
| cameroon official language: Education and Language. The National Identity In Cameroon Pauline Ngongang, 2021-12-23 Master's Thesis from the year 2018 in the subject African Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: B+, , course: Peace,Conflict and International relations, language: English, abstract: The main objective of this work is to investigate how national identity in Cameroon can be constructed around education and language. The specific objectives are the following: To investigate how the education system in Cameroon promotes/ support national identity and nation building, to examine how language can support nation building in Cameroon, to investigate the challenges of nation building in Cameroon. Since November 2016, Cameroon has witnessed violent conflicts due mainly to its colonially brewed linguistic cum cultural divide. What is now referred to as the ‘Anglophone Crises’ has manifested seriously in the struggle by the English-speaking minority to preserve its language, education and judiciary systems, against perceived threats of assimilation by the majority French-speaking population who tend to dominate the central government, given that they are in majority. Therefore, this work set out to show that the absence of national identities, especially in the languages and education systems adopted by Cameroonians, poses serious challenges to achieving durable peace and sustainable nation-building. A qualitative content analysis was used for the study. Content in the social studies where materials read and collected from both primary and secondary sources to determine patterns and generate themes. The study was analyzed descriptively and presented in graphs, tables, and charts, while critically the study found that although common understanding is growing across the English-speaking and French-speaking Cameroonian population, the State has done far too little to create, popularize, and mainstream concrete tokens of national identity, such that over time the evolved ‘Cameroonian’ identity progressively displaces the alien and divisive “Francophone and Anglophone” identities. Accordingly, a multi-stakeholder, all-inclusive and continuing national dialogue process should be institutionalized to construct national identities to serve pivots upon which national policies on communication, education, and adjudication are anchored. Achieving the above outcomes, however, calls for political will, sincerity of purpose, and sound diversity management and peacebuilding policy implementation capacities. |
| cameroon official language: Sociolinguistic Fieldwork Natalie Schilling, 2013-04-11 Looking for an easy-to-use, practical guide to conducting fieldwork in sociolinguistics? This invaluable textbook will give you the skills and knowledge required for carrying out research projects in 'the field', including: • How to select and enter a community • How to design a research sample • What recording equipment to choose and how to operate it • How to collect, store and manage data • How to interact effectively with participants and communities • What ethical issues you should be aware of. Carefully designed to be of maximum practical use to students and researchers in sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology and related fields, the book is packed with useful features, including: • Helpful checklists for recording techniques and equipment specifications • Practical examples taken from classic sociolinguistic studies • Vivid passages in which students recount their own experiences of doing fieldwork in many different parts of the world |
| cameroon official language: Introduction to Cameroon Gilad James, PhD, Cameroon is a country in central Africa that is bordered by Nigeria to the west, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, Equatorial Guinea to the south, and Gabon to the southwest. It has a diverse geography, including coastal plains, rainforests, savannas, and the volcanic peaks of Mount Cameroon in the west. Cameroon is home to over 250 different ethnic groups, each with its own language and cultural traditions. French and English are both official languages in the country, reflecting its colonial history as a protectorate of Germany, then a League of Nations mandate administered by France and Britain before it gained independence in 1960. Cameroon is one of the most developed countries in the region, with a relatively stable political system and a growing economy based on natural resources such as oil, cocoa, and timber. However, it faces many social and economic challenges, including high levels of poverty, inequality, and corruption. Despite this, Cameroon has a vibrant arts and music scene, and has produced famous cultural figures such as author Mongo Beti and musician Manu Dibango. Its national football team, known as the Indomitable Lions, has also achieved international success, winning the Africa Cup of Nations five times. |
| cameroon official language: Language and National Identity in Africa Andrew Simpson, 2008-02-07 This book focuses on language, culture, and national identity in Africa. Leading specialists examine countries in every part of the continent - Egypt, Morocco, Sudan, Senegal, Mali, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Zanbia, South Africa, and the nations of the Horn, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Somalia. Each chapter describes and examines the country's linguistic and political history and the relation of its languages to national, ethnic, and cultural identities, and assesses the relative status of majority and minority languages and the role of language in ethnic conflict. Of the book's authors, fifteen are from Africa and seven from Europe and the USA. Jargon-free, fully referenced, and illustrated with seventeen maps, this book will be of value to a wide range of readers in linguistics, politics, history, sociology, and anthropology. It will interest everyone wishing to understand the dynamic interactions between language and politics in Africa, in the past and now. |
| cameroon official language: Manual of Romance Languages in Africa Ursula Reutner, 2023-12-18 With more than two thousand languages spread over its territory, multilingualism is a common reality in Africa. The main official languages of most African countries are Indo-European, in many instances Romance. As they were primarily brought to Africa in the era of colonization, the areas discussed in this volume are thirty-five states that were once ruled by Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal, or Spain, and the African regions still belonging to three of them. Twenty-six states are presented in relation to French, four to Italian, six to Portuguese, and two to Spanish. They are considered in separate chapters according to their sociolinguistic situation, linguistic history, external language policy, linguistic characteristics, and internal language policy. The result is a comprehensive overview of the Romance languages in modern-day Africa. It follows a coherent structure, offers linguistic and sociolinguistic information, and illustrates language contact situations, power relations, as well as the cross-fertilization and mutual enrichment emerging from the interplay of languages and cultures in Africa. |
| cameroon official language: Language Policy and Identity Construction Eric A. Anchimbe, 2013-01-07 The (dis)empowerment of languages through language policy in multilingual postcolonial communities often shapes speakers’ identification with these languages, their attitude towards other languages in the community, and their choices in interpersonal and intergroup communication. Focusing on the dynamics of Cameroon’s multilingualism, this book contributes to current debates on the impact of politic language policy on daily language use in sociocultural and interpersonal interactions, multiple identity construction, indigenous language teaching and empowerment, the use of Cameroon Pidgin English in certain formal institutional domains initially dominated by the official languages, and linguistic patterns of social interaction for politeness, respect, and in-group bonding. Due to the multiple perspectives adopted, the book will be of interest to sociolinguists, applied linguists, pragmaticians, Afrikanists, and scholars of postcolonial linguistics. |
| cameroon official language: Language Planning in Africa Nkonko Kamwangamalu, Richard Baldauf Jr., Robert Kaplan, 2016-04-08 This volume focuses on language planning in the Cameroon, Sudan and Zimbabwe, explaining the linguistic diversity, historical and political contexts, current language situation (including language-in-education planning), the role of the media, the role of religion and the roles of non-indigenous languages. The authors are indigenous to the situations described, and draw on their experience and extensive fieldwork there. The extended case studies contained in this volume draw together the literature on each of the polities to present an overview of the existing research available, while also providing new research-based information. The purpose of this volume is to provide an up-to-date overview of the language situation in each polity based on a series of key questions, in the hope that this might facilitate the development of a richer theory to guide language policy and planning in other polities where similar issues may arise. This book comprises case studies originally published in the journal Current Issues in Language Planning. |
| cameroon official language: African Multilingualisms Pierpaolo Di Carlo, Jeff Good, 2020-01-17 Although multilingualism is the norm in the day-to-day lives of most sub-Saharan Africans, multilingualism in settings outside of cities has so far been under-explored. This gap is striking when considering that in many parts of Africa, individual multilingualism was widespread long before the colonial period and centuries before the continent experienced large-scale urbanization. The edited collection African Multilingualisms fills this gap by presenting results from recent and ongoing research based on fieldwork in rural African environments as well as environments characterized by contact between urban and rural communities of speakers. The contributors—mostly Africans themselves, including a number of emerging scholars—present findings that both complement and critique current scholarship on African multilingualism. In addition, new methods and tools are introduced for the study of multilingualism in rural settings, alongside illustrations of the kinds of results that they yield. African Multilingualisms reveals an impressive diversity in the features of local language ideologies, multilingual behaviors, and the relationship between language and identity. |
| cameroon official language: Perspectives on Translation and Interpretation in Cameroon Emmanuel Chia, Joseph Che Suh, Alexandre Ndeffo Tene, 2009 Perspectives on Translation and Interpretation in Cameroon is the first volume of a book series of the Advanced School of Translators and Interpreters (ASTI) of the University of Buea. It opens a window into the wide dynamic and interesting area of translation and interpretation in a multilingual Cameroon that had on the eve of independence and unification opted for official bilingualism in French and English. The book comprises contributions from scholars of translation in the broad area of translation, comprising: the concept of translation and its pedagogy, the history of translation and, the state of the art of translation as a discipline, profession and practice. The book also focuses on acquisition of translation competences through training, and chronicles the history of translation in Cameroon through the contributions of both Cameroonian and European actors from the German through the French and English colonial periods to the postcolonial present in their minutia. Rich, original and comprehensive, the book is a timely and invaluable contribution to the growing community of translators and interpreters in Africa and globally. |
| cameroon official language: Language, Identity and Symbolic Culture David Evans, 2018-05-31 Language is integral to the construction of personal, socio-cultural and socio-political identities. Language, Identity and Symbolic Culture closely investigates the relationship between language and identities, offering a comprehensive yet progressive view of how linguistics relates to development and education, both in theoretical and real world applications. Progressing from a theoretical core examining the connection between language and individual identity, this book moves on to look at the wider socio-political discourse involving the marginalization and resistance of communities in the world. Beginning with the philosophical paradigms of language, Evans questions whether language shapes personal identities in its daily use or whether language is simply a tool for describing, rather than creating, the world. Extrapolating on this, the contributors utilise case studies from across the globe to see how these linguistic perspectives are played out in the real world, considering the role of language in issues surrounding power, colonization, marginalization and education. Language, Identity and Symbolic Culture offers a view of language identity conflicts around the world and an understanding of the opportunities of political and cultural emancipation created through language and open discourse. |
| cameroon official language: Translators Through History Jean Delisle, Judith Woodsworth, 2012 Acclaimed, when it first appeared, as a seminal work a groundbreaking book that was both informative and highly readable Translators through History is being released in a new edition, substantially revised and expanded by Judith Woodsworth. Translators have played a key role in intellectual exchange through the ages and across borders. This account of how they have contributed to the development of languages, the emergence of literatures, the dissemination of knowledge and the spread of values tells the story of world culture itself. Content has been updated, new elements introduced and recent directions in translation scholarship incorporated, providing fresh insights and a more nuanced view of past events. The bibliography contains over 100 new titles and illustrations have been refreshed and enhanced. An invaluable tool for students, scholars and professionals in the field of translation, the latest version of Translators through History remains a vital resource for researchers in other disciplines and a fascinating read for the wider public. |
| cameroon official language: The Handbook of Educational Linguistics Bernard Spolsky, Francis M. Hult, 2010-02-01 The Handbook of Educational Linguistics is a dynamic, scientifically grounded overview revealing the complexity of this growing field while remaining accessible for students, researchers, language educators, curriculum developers, and educational policy makers. A single volume overview of educational linguistics, written by leading specialists in its many relevant fields Takes into account the diverse theoretical foundations, core themes, major findings, and practical applications of educational linguistics Highlights the multidisciplinary reach of educational linguistics Reflects the complexity of this growing field, whilst remaining accessible to a wide audience |
| cameroon official language: Language and Decolonisation Finex Ndhlovu, Sabelo J. Ndlovu-Gatsheni, 2024-07-23 Language and Decolonisation is the first collection to bring together views from across scholarly communities that are committed to the agenda of decolonising knowledge in language study. Edited by leading figures in the field, the chapters offer new insights on how ‘decolonising’ can be adopted as a methodology for charting the next steps in solving practical language-related problems in educational and related social policy areas. Divided into two sections, the book covers the coloniality of language, the materiality of culture and colonial scripts, the decolonisation imperative, multilingualism discourse and decolonisation, and decolonising languages in public discourse. With 20 chapters authored by experts from across the globe, this pioneering collection is an essential reference and resource for advanced students, scholars, and researchers of language and culture, sociolinguistics, decolonial studies, racial studies, and related areas. |
| cameroon official language: Language, Literature, and the Dynamics of Conflict Eunice Ngongkum, Hans Fonka, 2023-12-18 Informed by a global space animated by various conflicts, this book brings a refreshing perspective on how the disciplines of literature and language engage this phenomenon. In its shift from a purely political interrogation of conflict, the volume provides a broad analytic canvas on which human behaviour in such contexts can be examined. This is an ultimate invitation to a re-visioning of socio-cultural parameters of identity construction, borders, natural resources, religion, cultural values, beliefs, governance, ideology, and globalisation. The book’s varied perspective, animated by a rich diversity of literary and linguistic approaches, gives it an interdisciplinary emphasis that will appeal to readers across disciplines. Its ultimate message is that conflict is not subject-bound. The liberal analysis of different aspects makes the volume an invaluable asset not only to literature and language scholars but also to everyone with inclinations towards conflict creation and management. |
| cameroon official language: Le bilinguisme officiel au Cameroun Évolution actuelle et dynamique George Echu, 2023-07-17 |
| cameroon official language: Choosing the Language of Transnational Deals Patrick L. Del Duca, 2010 This book takes a comparative look at cross-border secured lending and commercial dispute resolution. It illustrates how parties involved in transactions can effectively structure their business to maximize their control of the language choice in which they deal. The book integrates investigations of national legal systems and various international organizations to illustrate the new institutitional dynamics through which the languages of transnational commerce and finance are being defined. |
| cameroon official language: Protecting Minority Language Rights / Protéger les Droits des Langues George Ngwane, 2023-05-24 In this succinct, well-framed work, noted activist and scholar George Ngwane tackles the issue of minority language rights with alacrity. The book will offer those interested in linguistic rights insights into the dilemmas facing African countries, set against the backdrop of developments in the international framework for the promotion of linguistic rights. In drawing on Cameroonian policies of which he remains a key influencer, George Ngwane offers practical insights and bold solutions that should prove insightful for those tasked with determining the intricacies by which African development potential can be realised through measures that promote both the identities and the future socio-economic and development trajectories of their countries. |
| cameroon official language: Dominant Language Constellations Joseph Lo Bianco, Larissa Aronin, 2020-09-07 This volume is dedicated to the concept and several applications of Dominant Language Constellations (DLC), by which it advances understanding of current multilingualism through addition of a novel perspective from which to view contemporary language use and acquisition. The term Dominant Language Constellation denotes the set of a person’s or group's most expedient languages, functioning as an entire unit and enabling an individual or group to meet their needs in a multilingual environment. The volume presents pioneering contributions that employ DLC as the lens for analysing a wide array of issues. These include multilingual syntactic development, cross-linguistic interaction and multilingual production in formal and informal educational contexts, as well as linguistic profiles of multilingual groups used in elementary school and higher education. Other DLC issues include discussions of how identity, emotions and attitudes operate in various minority and majority contexts. Because the DLC concept does not assume any inherent hierarchy of languages it can serve as a framework public policy in multilingual countries/communities faced with challenging policy determinations regarding choice of languages for use in education settings and more widely in social institutions and the economy. Some chapters develop and extend the DLC concept, others adapt and apply it to a variety of contexts, both global and local. Many chapters feature educational and social settings across large parts of the world– Africa, Australia, Europe, North America (Canada and the USA) and Southeast Asia. The volume can serve as supplementary reading for courses on multilingualism, sociolinguistics, language policy and planning, educational linguistics, Second and Third Language Acquisition. |
| cameroon official language: Multilingualism Xiaoming Jiang, 2022-02-02 This book promotes understanding of multilingualism based on the research efforts at the frontiers with state-of-the-art approaches or novel interdisciplinary perspectives. It addresses issues of the impact of multilingualism on cultural awareness and national identity, gives an overview on how multilingual speakers benefit themselves in learning and communicative competence, and describes the association between multilingualism and media, health, and society. |
| cameroon official language: Language Contact in a Postcolonial Setting Eric A. Anchimbe, 2012-10-01 This timely book brings together research on the features and evolution of Cameroon English and Cameroon Pidgin English, approached from a variety of innovative multilingual frameworks that focus on the emergence of mother tongue speakers. The authors illustrate how language and population contact, history (colonialism), multilingualism, translation, and indigenization have contributed to shaping the norms of postcolonial Englishes and Pidgins. Employing naturalistic data, the volume provides a new fascinating perspective that better situates and supplements existing research in the fields of African Englishes and Creolistics. It is particularly of key interest to sociolinguists, contact linguists, Africanists, Anglicists, creolists and historical linguists. |
| cameroon official language: International Journal of Language Studies (IJLS) – volume 5(1) Mohammad Ali Salmani-Nodoushan, 2011-03-30 Papers in this issue include: (1) Ana María Díaz Collazos & Diego Pascual y Cabo, Vocalic instability in L3 acquisition: The case of falling diphthongs [aj] [oj] among Japanese learners of Spanish; (2) Samuel Atechi, Pidgin English in Cameroon: To teach or not to teach; (3) Mostafa Zamanian & Reza Mobashshernia, A survey of PhD programs in TEFL: Curricular strengths and weaknesses in Iranian universities; (4) Saeed Taki, Cross-cultural communication and metaphorical competence; (5) Mohammad Ali Salmani Nodoushan, The place of genre analysis in international communication; (6) Kamal Heidari Soureshjani & Nasser Rashidi, On the Iranian EFL learners' working memory in reading: Does gender make any difference? (7) Shih-min Li & Huei-ling Lai, Hakka aspectual Ted4 constructions: A constructional approach; (8) Parviz Birjandi, Parisa Daftarifard & Rense Lange, The effects of dynamic assessment on Rasch item and person hierarchies in second language testing |
| cameroon official language: Sociolinguistic and Structural Aspects of Cameroon Creole English Aloysius Ngefac, 2016-08-17 Based on current data, the book provides a detailed sociolinguistic and structural description of Cameroon Creole English, with a special focus on aspects that are often used in creolistic literature as putative defining features of bona fide prototypical creoles. It is the first comprehensive research monograph on the language that describes and situates its sociolinguistic and structural aspects within the context of current creolistic debate and answers the following unanswered questions: How is the evolutionary trajectory of the language and which theory of pidgins and creoles genesis best accounts for its origin and development? What is its current sociolinguistic status? Is the language a pidgin or a creole? What is the typological distance between the language and its main lexifier? What is its relationship with the other West African contact languages and other creole languages? In spite of the controversy that characterizes the field of creolistics regarding the defining characteristics of pidgins and creoles, the book suggests, for instance, that, if the different routes to creolization are recognized, it will be much easier to come up with putative characteristics that define the developmental status of any contact language, as is the case with Cameroon Creole English. |
| cameroon official language: Society and Change in Bali Nyonga Jude Fokwang, Kehbuma Langmia, 2011-02-08 Contemporary Bali Nyonga is a rapidly growing town of over 80,000 in habitants, sixteen kilometres southwest of Bamenda, the capital of the North West region, Cameroon. If Cameroon has been aptly referred to in many circles as Africa in miniature, then Bali Nyonga, since its founding in the mid 19th century is emblematic of this so-called multicultural region. This book is about change in Bali Nyonga, but it is also about change in a typical postcolonial African setting grappling with a challenging new world reality. It aims to provide cutting-edge analyses of cultural change in Bali as well as inspire a new kind of scholarship in the Cameroon Grasslands championed by indigenous intellectuals. The contributors to this volume come from diverse academic backgrounds and as will be evident in the various chapters, their disciplinary perspectives have largely shaped their approaches to the topics under study. Hence, this book draws on anthropological, theological, literary and media studies perspective. |
| cameroon official language: The Languages of Nation Carol Percy, Mary Catherine Davidson, 2012-07-25 This collection brings together research on linguistic prescriptivism and social identities, in specific contemporary and historical contexts of cross-cultural contact and awareness. Providing multilingual and multidisciplinary perspectives from language studies, lexicography, literature, and cultural studies, our contributors relate language norms to frameworks of identity beyond monolingual citizenship - nativeness, ethnicity, politics, religion, empire. Some chapters focus on traditional instruments of prescriptivism: language academies in Europe; government language planners in southeast Asia; dictionaries and grammars from Early Modern and imperial Britain, republican America, the postcolonial Caribbean, and modern Germany. Other chapters consider the roles of scholars in prescriptivism, as well as the more informal and populist mechanisms of enforcement expressed in newspapers. With a thematic introduction articulating links between its breadth of perspectives, this accessible book should engage everyone concerned with language norms. |
| cameroon official language: International Handbook of Urban Education William T. Pink, George W. Noblit, 2008-09-03 The universality of the problematics with urban education, together with the importance of understanding the context of improvement interventions, brings into sharp focus the importance of an undertaking like the International Handbook of Urban Education. An important focus of this book is the interrogation of both the social and political factors that lead to different problem posing and subsequent solutions within each region. |
| cameroon official language: Journal of Applied Linguistics: Selected Papers Hussain Al-Fattah Ahmad, 2015-12-10 Selected papers from the Journal of Applied Linguistics (Dubai) edited by Hussain Al-Fattah Ahmad |
| cameroon official language: International Journal of Language Studies (IJLS) – volume 9(1) Mohammad Ali Salmani Nodoushan, |
| cameroon official language: Essays on Language, Communication and Literature in Africa Joyce T. Mathangwane, Akin Odebunmi, 2016-02-08 Essays on Language, Communication and Literature in Africa explores language choice questions, together with domain-driven lingua-communicative and literary resources situated within the discourses of law, culture, medicine, visual art, politics, the media, music and literature in Africa. It identifies the distinctive African paraphernalia of these discourses, and foregrounds their real-world and mediated cultural and societal values, and highlights the Western presence through the inclusion of aspects of Shakespearean perspectives which bear universal tidings and speak to the African gender tradition. The chapters’ attention to verbal and visual artistic communicative mechanisms underlines such engagements as multilingualism policies, socio-political declension, social dynamism and cultural interventions that characterise the African setting. These realities are discussed in impressive detail, authoritative scholastic depth and effective stylistic tones that reflect the authors’ familiarity with the facets of African societies deducible from language, communication and literature. |
| cameroon official language: The Palgrave Handbook of Language Policies in Africa Esther Mukewa Lisanza, |
| cameroon official language: Crossing Linguistic Borders in Postcolonial Anglophone Africa Jemima Anderson, Valentine N. Ubanako, 2014-11-10 The papers collected in this volume discuss applied, pedagogical and ideological issues related to language use in selected countries in post-colonial Anglophone Africa. The collection represents new voices in linguistics from Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria, and is structured in four sections, covering the following themes: • languages in contact • language identity, ideology and policy • communication and issues of intelligibility • language in education The volume discusses the linguistic paradoxes and complexities that have emerged from the contact between English, (and/or) French and indigenous African languages. Some of the papers collected here discuss the characteristics, functions and peculiarities of the emerging varieties of languages that have developed in these post-colonial African States. Furthermore, the book offers empirical data on up-to-date research drawn from the expertise of budding and established scholars in the areas under discussion, and demonstrates the rich body of research that is developing in post-colonial Africa. Some of the areas covered in this volume include the linguistic products of bilingualism in Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, and new linguistic and sociocultural borders of Cameroonian Pidgin-Creole, which bridge the ideological gap between English and French speaking communities in Cameroon, unofficial language policy and language planning in the country and discourse choices in Cameroonian English. This book is an ideal resource for graduate students and researchers interested in the areas of sociolinguistics, applied linguistics, discourse analysis and World Englishes. |
