3/10/2024 0 Comments Pidgin english dictionary![]() I argue that the best orthographic conventions for the language should be fed by the GACL because, by so doing, we respect some of the principles that govern the adoption of a good orthography for any language. The paper revisits some of the proposals that have been made so far towards adopting an orthography for Cameroon Pidgin English (CPE) and proposes one that draws on the General Alphabet of Cameroon Languages (GACL) contained in Tadadjeu and Sadembouo (1984). While recognizing Pidgin as a West African language, the paper will be looking at the advantages of adopting it as a language of education in the English medium educational system in Cameroon. Focusing on the Cameroon example, the paper posits that a codified and harmonized form of Pidgin, which indeed is a West African language, would successfully replace English as a language of education and national integration since it serves as a lingua franca between the different language communities. These attempts have however not been successful as they hardly go beyond primary education, and the failure has been partly due to the problems of adaptation and lack of political will, but most especially because of the rather too wide linguistic diversity of the countries involved. This need has led to attempts in some countries to replace English with indigenous languages as media of instruction. It re-emphasizes the strong need to strive for linguistic independence in West Africa, especially in the domain of Education due to the advantages inherent in such a venture. This paper explores the role Pidgin can play in the linguistic decolonization of English speaking West African communities. ![]() It is also demonstrates the benefits of Pidgins and Creoles in linguistically diverse settings, which are relatively uncommon. The paper demonstrates how multilingualism functions even in rural circles. 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. 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. 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 is a highly stigmatized but extensively used language of wider communication in Cameroon. 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.
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