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Surveying Cameroon English: evidence from previous research Daniel A. Nkemleke

This research paper delves into the nuances of Cameroon English, examining its origins, characteristics, and evolving context. From defining Cameroon English to exploring its foci and features, the study offers valuable insights for understanding this unique linguistic variation in a diverse linguistic landscape.

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Surveying Cameroon English: evidence from previous research Daniel A. Nkemleke

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  1. Surveying Cameroon English: evidence from previous research Daniel A. Nkemleke Department of English Guest Scholar, University of Massachusetts, at Boston (2009/2010)

  2. Outline 1. Introduction: situating Cameroon 2. Defining Cameroon English 3. Foci of Cameroon English 4. Approaches to Cameroon English 5. Some features of Cameroon English 6. Conclusion: Future perspectives Daniel A. Nkemleke

  3. Introduction: situating Cameroon • A Central African country, with a population of about 20 million (roughly French 80 % English 20 %??) • A Former British, French and German colony, but which has adopted French and English as official languages, along sides 248 indigenous languages, a lingua franca (Cameroon Pidgin English), and an emerging urban language- Camfranglais (English + French + indigenous languages) Daniel A. Nkemleke

  4. Introduction: situating Cameroon, con‘t • The first university was created in 1963, and in 1992 five others were added. Recently, another one was created in the Far North Region of the country and in the North West • There are a number of private universities run by various church groups and individuals Daniel A. Nkemleke

  5. Introduction: situating Cameroon, con‘t • The Anglophone sub-system of education was designed following the British system (formally London GCE Ordinary and Advanced Levels): • 5 years of secondary school, 2 years of high school, 3 years of university studies (general education: GCE O/L, GCE A/L, BA/BSC Degree) • technical education (largely French-oriented) Daniel A. Nkemleke

  6. 2. Defining Cameroon English Cameroon English has been defined in terms of its reliance on orality and contact with Pidgin English, in terms of the level of education of its accepted users, in relation to its accepted regional speakers, the functions, especially formal and official, for which it is used, the institutional settings in which it operates, and the extent of its indigenization within the Cameroonian ecology. Daniel A. Nkemleke

  7. Defining Cameroon English, con‘t • The following questions have confronted researchers, who have sought to define what Cameroon English really is: • Is Cameroon English a continuum from CPE to educated English or ethnic varieties or accents to educated English, or a stable system with identifiable features? Daniel A. Nkemleke

  8. Defining Cameroon English, con‘t • Does Cameroon English have a Standard? • Are there a set of accepted users and functions? • Which accents are acceptable in Cameroon English? • Are there speakers who could be considered reference points of what is correct or incorrect in the variety of English spoken in Cameroon? Daniel A. Nkemleke

  9. 3. Foci of Cameroon English • 1950-1980 • classification of indigenous languages (e.g. Ardener 1956) • bilingualism and multilingualism (e.g. Fonlon 1963, Mbassi-Manga 1964) Daniel A. Nkemleke

  10. Foci of Cameroon English con‘t • the so-called ‘language problem’ in Cameroon (e.g. Ngijol 1964, Fonlon 1969) • structure and status of Pidgin English (e.g. Schneider 1960, 1963, Kerkvliet 1957) Daniel A. Nkemleke

  11. Foci of Cameroon English, con‘t • spotlight on the status, Standards, distinctive features, and accents of English in Cameroon (Todd, 1982 a, b) • Pidgin English research (Mbangwana, 1983) Daniel A. Nkemleke

  12. Foci of Cameroon English, con‘t • 1990- present: a second generation of scholars • Cameroon English phonology (Simo Bobda, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2010; Tamfu, 1989; Atechi, 2006) • General usage problems (Simo Bobda, 2002, post-graduate dissertations) Daniel A. Nkemleke

  13. Foci of Cameroon English, con‘t • Camfranglais (Kouega, 2003) • Pragmatics, syntax, interferences, sociolinguistics, ELT (Mbangwana, 1991, 1992, 1993; Mforteh 2006, 2007; Nkemleke 2004, 2006; Sala, 2003, 2010, Wolf, 2001) Daniel A. Nkemleke

  14. Foci of Cameroon English, con‘t • Corpus linguistics (Tiomajou 1993; Nkemleke 2003, 2004 a, b, 2005, 2007, 2008 a, b, 2009) Daniel A. Nkemleke

  15. 4. Approaches to Cameroon English Daniel A. Nkemleke

  16. Approaches to Cameroon English, con‘t Daniel A. Nkemleke

  17. Approaches to Cameroon English, con‘t Daniel A. Nkemleke

  18. Approaches to Cameroon English, con‘t Daniel A. Nkemleke

  19. Approches to Cameroon English, con‘t Daniel A. Nkemleke

  20. Approaches to Cameroon English, con‘t Daniel A. Nkemleke

  21. 5. Some features of Cameroon English • Lexical peculiarities owing to contextualization (“frnchificaation“ of the lexcicon) “bon de caisse” (pay voucher) “arrété” (decree) “bordereau” (mail enclosure slip) “chargé de mission” (government official) “Concours” (competitive examination) “Crédit foncier” (estate bank) “Mandat” (money order) “Rappel” (arrears) Daniel A. Nkemleke

  22. Some features of Cameroon English, con‘t • Lexical peculiarities owing to contextualization (nativization of the lexicon) (to) eat sb. (fixed expression). Definition: ‘to cause sb. to get sick or die by means of witchcraft in order to take the person’s life forces, i.e., to become rich’.Text example: The mother was suspected to have eaten her own child. Underlying conceptualizations: witchcraft is eating, people are resources [target domains witchcraft,  people] [source domains  resources,  eating]. (Source: Wolf, 2001) Daniel A. Nkemleke

  23. Some features of Cameroon English, con‘t • (to) eat money (fixed expression). Definition: ‘to extort money from sb.’, ‘to use somebody else’s money’, ‘to waste money’, ‘to embezzle money’. Text example: How many million promises can fill a bucket when you eat money the way locusts eat tons of green. Underlying conceptualizations: money is food, being corrupt is eating, being in power is being able to eat [target domains  resources,  corruption] [source domain  eating]. (Source: Wolf 2001) Daniel A. Nkemleke

  24. Some features of Cameroon English, con‘t • kola(n.). Definition: 1. ‘fruit used as a stimulant, often offered as gift to guests’ (Cola acuminata and Cola epidonta). 2. ‘corruption, bribe; money.’ Text example: He therefore tells the Chief of Manawhoneybee village that his... name can only go on the radio if [he] brought something; and of course, the chief gives him money (kola). Underlying conceptualizations: money is food, a bribe is a gift, being in power is being able to eat [target domains  resources,  corruption] [source domain  eating,  gift giving]. (Source: Wolf 2001) Daniel A. Nkemleke

  25. Some features of Cameroon English, con‘t • thick madame (fixed expression). Definition: ‘wealthy, influential woman’. Text example: ... simply trying to go to where… a “thick madame” with strong connections can send them [criminals] back to “work” just with a couple of phone calls? Underlying conceptualization: being important is being big, being big is being important,[1] being rich is being big, enrichment is eating [target domains  resources, material wealth, power] [source domain  physical size]. (Source: Wolf, 2001) Daniel A. Nkemleke

  26. Some features of Cameroon English, con‘t • makalapati (makala pati). (n.). Source language: Duala, Basaa (makala), Ewondo (mekali). Definition: 1. ‘a sort of doughnut’ 2. ‘a bribe’. Text example: For sure, we shall still fight to end the makalapati. Underlying conceptualization: a bribe is food, being in power is being able to eat [target domains  resources,  corruption]. (Source: Wolf, 2001) Daniel A. Nkemleke

  27. Some features of Cameroon English, con‘t (Modals) Daniel A. Nkemleke

  28. Some features of Cameroon English, con‘t (Central modals: CCE vs LOB corpus) Daniel A. Nkemleke

  29. Some features of Cameroon English, con‘t (Primary vs. tentative forms) Daniel A. Nkemleke

  30. Some features of Cameroon English, con’t (Sementic functions of central modals) Daniel A. Nkemleke

  31. Some features of Cameroon English, con’t (Adjectival expressions of modality) Daniel A. Nkemleke

  32. Some features of Cameroon English, con’t (Modal lexical verbs expression of modality) Daniel A. Nkemleke

  33. 6. Conclusion: Corpus linguistics, the future ?? • The Corpus of Cameroon English (1992-94) • ICE-CAM on-going (since 2008… • Written (400,000 words) • Spoken component (100,000 words) Daniel A. Nkemleke

  34. END THANK YOU FOR LISTENING ! Daniel A. Nkemleke

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