CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.0 Background to the study

English is a Germanic language, which means it evolved from a group of languages spoken by Germanic tribes that settled in England during the 5^th and 6^th centuries. The English Language as we know it today has been heavily influenced by other languages, including Latin, French, and Scandinavian languages. Old English, which was spoken in England between the 5^th and 6^th centuries is quite different from modern English for example, it had complex dramatical inflections, and some words that were common in old English are no longer used today.

The Norman conquest of England in 1066 had a significant impact on the English Language. French became the language of the ruling class, and many French words were adopted into the English language. The Great Vowel Shift, which occurred in the 15^th and 16^th centuries changed the way the vowels in English were pronounced. This is one of the reasons that English is so difficult for non-native speakers to learn. William Shakespeare was a major influence on the English language. He introduced many vowel words and phrases, many of which are still used today. English has been influenced by many other languages and cultures as it was taken as language of trade and colonization and it is currently spoken all over the world. The English language has been shaped by technological advancements, the internet and social media have had a significant impact on the way we use and understand English language. This summarizes the history of English language shaped by many factors over the centuries. 

English was transplanted to Africa in three different ways: Firstly, through trade contact along with the African West Coast, which occurred from the 15^th century onward, giving rise to the Pidgin English in West Africa. Secondly, native varieties in Africa are spoken by descendants of British settlers and others who shifted to English as their native language. Thirdly, colonization from the 19^th century led to the development of non-native varieties of English. Initially, only the small local elite gained access to high proficiency in mission schools but, after independence from the mid-20^th century, a massive expansion of the national education granted access to English language education for a larger part of the indigenous population, providing the input, resulting in lower levels of attainment than among the local elites.

English first arrived in Cameroon around the 16^th century when the British together with the Dutch established slave trade at the Coast of Bimbia. The language gained grounds in the 17^th century. The 18^th century saw the institution of colonialism and even though the Germans were the earliest colonial powers in Cameroon, they had very little interest in enhancing their own language. This meant a final consolidation of the English language in the country because English forms of education and institutionalization and English became an official language in the Western Cameroon. Cameroon pidgin on the other hand, was discouraged and thought of an inferior variety. Cameroon therefore considers English as a second Language (ESL) in the country because it originated from Foreign Speakers of English (FSE).

Since Currie (1952) used the term ‘Sociolinguistics’ for the first time, the field has experienced an outstanding qualitative and quantitative growth. Within linguistics concerned with the scientific study of the relationship between language and society, which entails practicing a different way of doing linguistic that is very much influenced by work in the social sciences. It is empirical research i.e. based on observation, specifically focusing on how human beings actually use language in social interaction in real, everyday life situation and studies languages exclusively in their naturalistic social context (Lav1997; Trudgill1983a).

Sociolinguistic is a multidisciplinary branch of linguistic knowledge that developed partly out of anthropology, partly out of ethnography party out of Sociology and partly big dialectology as natural epistemological heritage, which conditioned both theoretically and methodologically this field and conferred it with an interdisciplinary stance. The work of Dell Hymes and his anthropology and folklore-based information, John Gumperz and his interactional ethnographic studies, Joshua Fishman, and his sociology of language, and Williams Labov and his linguistic variation, constitute the disciplinary matrices of this field.

Four types of Englishes exist in Africa, identifiable in terms of History, functions and linguistic characteristics. West African Pidgin English has a History going back to the 15^th century, 400years before formal colonization. Creole varieties of English have a history going back to repatriation of slaves in the 19^th century. Second language variety which are the most widespread on the continent, are professionally associated with British colonialization and education systems.

As with most parts of the world, English continues to grow in Africa, long after the day of British trading, slavery, exploitation and colonization. The forms and functions of English have long diversified on the continent, depending on the history of particular regions and the nature of the contacts may be extended to include island of the main land of Africa.

With the population of 15,803,220 in habits and a surface area of 475,442km², Cameroon is a highly multilingual African country having 247 indigenous languages, two official languages (English and French) and a linguafranca (Pidgin English). In addition, some foreign language like Spanish and German are very present in the second system while Arabic is the language of Islam. In 1884-1916, the British and the French (1916-1960) tended to promote the language of the colonizers to the detriment of indigenous languages. The latter suffered severe linguistic persecution, as the various colonial administrators sought to eradicate them the school system. Unfortunately, foreign languages are still dominant while indigenous languages are relegated to the background. In addition to the policy of official language bilingualism which seeks to promote the use of English and French nationwide, Spanish and German equally occupy an important place in the school system. Thus, inspired of the timid efforts made in the standardization of alphabetical system of Cameroonian indigenous languages, the absence of a clearly defined language policy in Cameroon constitutes a major handicap to the development of these languages.

1.1 Statement of problem

Cameroon is blessed with a variety of about 247 different languages, with English and French as the two official languages. These two official languages are taught in schools nationwide, but it is noticed that most people after studying English language as a major or minor course, still find it difficult to attain Standard English pronunciation. This scenario was expected to be different in the English-speaking part of Cameroon (the Anglophone Cameroonians) since it’s their primary language, but the situation seems to be the same or even worse. The challenge of Anglophone Cameroonians attaining Standard English Pronunciation is the reason for this research, knowing fully that these people have everything it takes to attain the expected standard of English pronunciation.

1.2 Aim and objectives of the Study

This research aims to investigate from a sociolinguistic perspective some challenges faced by Anglophone Cameroonians in attaining Standard English pronunciation.

1) Study the negative influence of Pidgin English on Anglophone Cameroonians to attaining Standard English pronunciation.

2)         Study the effect of indigenous languages on Anglophone Cameroonians to attaining Standard English pronunciation

3)         Study the negative effect of French language on Anglophone Cameroonians to attaining Standard English pronunciation

4)         Study the relevance of English language to the Anglophone Cameroonians.

1.3 Research questions

The following research questions guided study:

1. To what extend does Pidgin English act as a barrier to the Anglophone Cameroonians in attainment of Standard English pronunciation?
2. By what magnitude is French language a barrier to the Anglophone Cameroonians when in attainment of Standard English pronunciation?