Beyond a Common Code
Cameroon Pidgin English - the Language of the Elite and the Masses
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22258809 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Rachel Ayuk Ojong Diba (0009-0009-7224-0613, University of Buea, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 2 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 22-29 |
| Publication date | 2021-01-19 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Critical Studies in language and literature (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2732-4605 • E-ISSN: 2732-4605 |
| Publisher | Global Talent Academy (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.46809/jcsll.v2i2.55 |
| OpenAlex | W3128390539 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 8 |
The principal purpose of this paper is to underline the usefulness and efficacy of Cameroonian Pidgin English (CPE) in dealing with the intense multilingualism of Cameroonians in a rural enclave in Cameroon and in the Diaspora. CPE is a highly stigmatized but extensively used language of wider communication in Cameroon. Cameroon is second only to Papua New Guinea in terms of its multiplicity of languages for a relatively small population and the shunned CPE is the language that trudges through this multi-ethnicity, multiculturalism and multilingualism to not only provide a feeling of togetherness to Anglophone Cameroonians but to also allow them communicate efficiently and cordially. CPE was incipiently a language for the uneducated, this contribution shows that today CPE is not only the language of the common people; it is also the language of the Cameroonian elite. Using qualitative data – recordings of natural conversations from individuals in Lower Fungom and written conversation from online fora comprising Cameroonians of all walks of life, this contribution demonstrates that CPE is an emblematic language which Cameroonians use when communication would otherwise be impossible and still use it even when there is an option (though one-legged) of other languages. The paper demonstrates how multilingualism functions even in rural circles. It is also demonstrates the benefits of Pidgins and Creoles in linguistically diverse settings, which are relatively uncommon
Creole language · Diaspora · Elite · Linguistics · Local language · Multiculturalism · Multilingualism · Pedagogy · Pidgin · Political science · Population · Sociology · Computer Science · Gender Studies · Linguistics, Language Diversity, and Identity · Multilingual Education and Policy
The role of emotion in computer-mediated communication
Lower Fungom linguistic diversity and its historical development
Spatial Reasoning and GIS in Linguistic Prehistory. Two Case Studies from Lower Fungom (Northwest Cameroon)
The Cameroonian experience in mother tongue education planning
Ethnologue
Modern Englishes
Strategies of Neutrality
Modern Englishes
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |