Pedagogic Implications of Regionally-determined Varieties of Cameroon English

摘要

With much regional variation in Cameroon English, language learning and teaching becomes very much affected in Cameroon. As the same users make use of the various forms of English as the changing circumstances require, it becomes more and more difficult for them to make clear distinctions between the varieties, and somehow all of these varieties find their way into the classroom. The classroom becomes a compendium of different home languages and cultures and there are implications for the teaching and learning of English as well as implications for the use of English as a medium of instruction. At the level of the learning and teaching of English, the dilemma of the teacher and the textbook writer lies in the question of the standard or variety to pursue in the teaching/learning process. Should it be a foreign, imported standard like British or American English or a local standard that has not yet been described and standardised? Many researchers, policy makers and language planners have spurred up discussions on the usefulness as well as the pervasiveness of the varieties and their implications for communicating with a national or international audience through the medium of English. There is also an impressive amount of code-switching and code-mixing. The implications for the acquisition of appropriate writing skills and the implications for communicating with a national or international audience through the English medium are also discussed.View full textDownload full textKeywordsCameroon Englishes, standards, varietiesRelated var addthis_config = { ui_cobrand: "Taylor & Francis Online", services_compact: "citeulike,netvibes,twitter,technorati,delicious,linkedin,facebook,stumbleupon,digg,google,more", pubid: "ra-4dff56cd6bb1830b" }; Add to shortlist Link Permalink http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1358684X.2011.575255