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.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Historical overview
Cameroon before colonisation
Contacts with Europeans
The colonisation process
The status of a mandated territory
The status of a trust territory
Independence of French Cameroon
Partition of British Cameroons and federation with French Cameroon
Evolution from federation to the unitary state
Challenges facing the unitary state
Geographic overview (ethnic groups, population, economy)
Language situation in Cameroon (official, vehicular and minority languages)
Part One: Didactics of English in Cameroon
Chapter One
Languages in the education system of the country and English in primary school
1.1 The Cameroon education system
1.2 Languages in education
1.2.1 French
1.2.2 English
1.2.3 Latin and Greek
1.2.4 Arabic, German and Spanish
1.2.5 Chinese, Italian, and Portuguese
1.2.6 Indigenous languages
1.3 The teaching of English in francophone primary schools
1.3.1 Primary schools in the country
1.3.2 Primary teacher training
1.3.3 Syllabus
1.3.4 Total number of hours per year officially allocated to English
1.3.5 Materials used in class
1.3.6 Formal assessment of pupils’ English and their pupils
1.3.7 Evaluation of the teaching of English at the primary level
Chapter Two
The teaching of English in secondary schools
2.1 Primary teacher preparation institutions
2.2 Technical and professional secondary education institutions
2.3 General secondary education institutions
2.3.1 Section with English as a subject
2.3.2 Section with English as a medium of instruction
Chapter Three
The teaching of English in tertiary level institutions
3.1 English at the University of Bamenda
3.2 English at the University of Buea
3.3 English at the University of Douala
3.4 English at the University of Dschang
3.5 English at the University of Maroua
3.6 English at the University of Ngaoundere
3.7 English at the University of Yaounde I
3.8 English at the University of Yaounde II
Part Two: Description of the English speech of francophone users
Research design (textual material, informants, and procedure
Chapter Four
The sound system of francophone English
4.1 Consonant
4.2 Vowels
4.2.1 RP monophthongs
4.2.2 RP diphthongs
4.2.3 RP triphthongs
4.2.4 Nasal vowels
4.3 Stress in the corpus
Chapter Five
The lexicon of francophone English
5.1 Direct loan
5.2 Calque
5.3 False friends
5.3.1 Common false friends
5.3.2 Confusables
5.3.3 Coined cognates
Chapter Six
The morpho-syntax of Francophone English
6.1 Verb tenses
6.2 Articles, the plural form in noun phrases, and pronouns
6.3 Word order, subject-verb agreement, and adverbs
6.4 Prepositions
6.5 Question and negation formation
6.6 Verbs in embedded clauses and serial verbs
6.7 Other features
6.7.1 Wordiness
6.7.2 Use of Romance words
6.7.3 Pragmatic and cultural features
Chapter Seven
Appraisal of Cameroon’s French-English official bilingualism policy
7.1 Measures taken by Government to promote official bilingualism and their evaluation
7.2 Consequences of the failure of the official bilingualism policy
7.3 A way forward
7.3.1 A working definition of bilingualism
7.3.2 Designing a new syllabus to enhance bilingual competence
7.3.3 Advantages and benefits of the new syllabus
Conclusion
References
Research Objectives and Themes
This study aims to describe the English variety used by Francophone speakers in Cameroon, a country characterized by its bilingual landscape. The core focus is to evaluate the effectiveness of the French-English official bilingualism policy implemented in the nation's educational institutions, specifically analyzing how the English language is taught and how it is acquired by learners in primary, secondary, and tertiary contexts.
- Historical evolution of Cameroon and its linguistic landscape.
- Didactics of English within the Francophone education sub-system.
- Linguistic description of Francophone English (phonology, lexicon, and morpho-syntax).
- Appraisal of the government's official bilingualism policy and its impact on proficiency.
- Proposed strategies and future directions for enhancing bilingual competence in Cameroon.
Book Excerpt
Geographic overview
Under this heading the country’s ethnic groupings, its population, and its economy are considered in turn. Four major ethnic groups are identified in Cameroon. These are: Bantu, Fulani, Semi-Bantu, and Sudanese (Neba 1987, Kouega 2007, Atlapedia 2017). As Neba (1987:46) pointed out, the Bantu people, also known as Equatorial Bantu, occupy the southern half of the territory and include the following communities: the Bafia, Bassa, Bulu, Eton, Ewondo, Fang, Kaka and Maka. The Fulani, also known as Fulbe, are found in the low lands in the whole of the northern half of the country. The Semi-Bantu, referred to elsewhere as West highlanders or Grassfield, are in the Northwest and West regions and include: the Aghem, Bafut, Bamileke, Bamun, Kom, Mbembe, Nso, Tikar, and Widikum. Lastly, the Sudanese or Kirdi, who sought refuge in the high lands in the northern half of the country, include: the Baya, Dourou, Fali, Kapsiki, Laka, Mboum, and Tupuri. In some works, the Bantu people are subdivided into two groups, i.e., the Equatorial Bantu found in the Centre and South regions of the country and the North-western Bantu occasionally referred to as the Sawa, who live in coastal areas. They are the Bakossi, Bakweri, Bayang and Douala. The number of people making up each of these ethnic groups has never been disclosed as successive governments do not want to include questions on ethnicity and language in their censuses. In addition, there are a few aliens who come from other African countries like Chad and Nigeria. There are also a few Non-Africans of various nationalities including: British, Canadian, Chinese, Cypriot, French, German, Greek, Indian, Lebanese, Syrian, U.S. and a few others.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides the historical, geographical, and linguistic background necessary to understand the co-habitation of the Francophone and Anglophone communities in Cameroon.
Chapter One: Details the languages within the Cameroonian education system and specifically analyzes the pedagogical approach to English in primary schools.
Chapter Two: Investigates the teaching of English in various secondary school institutions, including primary teacher preparation and technical/general education schools.
Chapter Three: Explores the role of English as a medium of instruction and as a subject in tertiary level institutions, including state universities.
Chapter Four: Offers a linguistic analysis of the sound system of Francophone English, focusing on consonants, vowels, and stress placement.
Chapter Five: Examines the lexicon of Francophone English, identifying the heavy influence of French through direct loans, calques, and false friends.
Chapter Six: Describes the morpho-syntactic features of Francophone English, categorizing the most frequent grammatical deviations found in the study.
Chapter Seven: Appraises the official French-English bilingualism policy, evaluates its failures, and proposes a new syllabus design to improve competency.
Keywords
Francophone English, Cameroon, Bilingualism, Official bilingualism policy, Language acquisition, Education system, Didactics, Morpho-syntax, Lexical interference, Phonology, Second Language Learning, Teacher training, Sociolinguistics, Linguistic policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this research?
The work focuses on the English language as it is spoken and learned by Francophone users in Cameroon, evaluating how this dialect is developing in an educational environment where French is the dominant language.
What are the central themes of the book?
The book covers the history of Cameroon, the structure of its educational system, the didactics of teaching English, a linguistic analysis of the English used by Francophones, and a critical appraisal of national bilingualism policies.
What is the main goal or research question?
The primary goal is to assess the success of Cameroon's official bilingualism policy since 1961 and to explain why, despite decades of instruction, learners struggle to achieve proficiency in their second official language.
What scientific methods does the author use?
The author uses empirical data collection, including the analysis of examination scripts and structured tests given to science students, combined with participant observation and interviews with teachers and officials.
What does the main body of the work treat?
The body is divided into two parts: the first examines how English is taught in primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions; the second provides a formal linguistic description of the speech patterns, vocabulary, and grammar of Francophone English users.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include Francophone English, Cameroon, official bilingualism, language acquisition, educational didactics, and linguistic interference.
How does the author propose to improve the bilingualism policy?
The author suggests an incentive scheme where obtaining certificates in both official languages becomes a mandatory requirement for civil service recruitment and promotion, paired with a significant overhaul of the current school syllabus.
What is the "Anglophone problem" discussed in the text?
It refers to the sociopolitical malaise and marginalization felt by the Anglophone population due to the erosion of their Anglo-Saxon culture and the dominance of French-inspired administrative and educational systems since Reunification.
- Quote paper
- Jean-Paul Kouega (Author), 2019, The English of Francophone Speakers in Cameroon, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/505457
