The English Speech of Francophone Primary School Teachers and <i>Cours Moyen Deux (CM2) </i> Pupils in Cameroon

Jean-Paul Kouega; Emmanuel Ombouda Onana

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijll.20180603.15

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The English Speech of Francophone Primary School Teachers and Cours Moyen Deux (CM2) Pupils in Cameroon

Jean-Paul Kouega, Emmanuel Ombouda Onana

Published in International Journal of Language and Linguistics (Volume 6, Issue 3)

Received: 5 May 2018 Accepted: 28 May 2018 Published: 19 June 2018

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Abstract

This paper examines the English spoken productions of primary school teachers and their graduating pupils in Cameroon, with the aim of checking how much English is learnt by the time the primary child moves to the secondary education level. The data came from classroom observations, tape-recording of lessons as they were taught and a spoken performance test taken by the pupils. The work is couched within the structural approach to phonology, and the error analysis and the contrastive methods of analysis were used to describe the data. A number of interesting findings were obtained. First, francophone primary school teachers in Cameroon are not proficient in English and they cannot therefore teach the subject even though they were summoned to do it. Second, many francophone primary school pupils learn very little English and, as a result, secondary school teachers have no choice but to start the English subject from scratch. Characteristically, these pupils’ spoken productions exhibit various features at the level of consonants like substitution, cluster simplification and realisation of silent letters. At the vocalic level, spelling pronunciation causes monophthongs to be replaced by foreign sounds, and diphthongs and triphthongs to be monophthongised. Most interestingly, vowel nasalization is systematic in specific contexts.

Published in	International Journal of Language and Linguistics (Volume 6, Issue 3)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijll.20180603.15
Page(s)	90-100
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Cameroon, Consonant, Francophone English, Learner English, Vowel

References

[1]	MINEDUC (Ministère de l’Education: Ministry of Education). (2001). Programmes officiels de l’enseignementprimaire (Niveaux I, II et III) (Official syllabi for primary education (Levels I, II, and III)). Yaounde, Cameroon: Imprimerie Saint John.
[2]	Kouega, J. P. (2003). English in Francophone elementary grades in Cameroon. Language and Education: An International Journal, 17 (6), 408–420.
[3]	MINEDUC (Ministère de l’Education: Ministry of Education). (2000). Final report on the reinforcement of bilingualism in the Cameroon education system. Yaounde.
[4]	Constable, D. (1977). Bilingualism in the United Republic of Cameroon. English Language Teaching Journal, 29 (3). 249–253.
[5]	Tchoungui, G. (1983). Focus on official bilingualism in Cameroon: Its relationship to education. In Koenig, E. L., Chia E., and Povey J. (eds.). A sociolinguistic profile of urban centers in Cameroon. 93–116. Los Angeles: Cross Road Press.
[6]	Kouega, J. P. (1999a). Forty years of official bilingualism in Cameroon. English Today, 15 (4), 38-43.
[7]	Kouega, J. P. (2005). Promoting French-English individual bilingualism through education in Cameroon. Journal of Third World studies 22 (1), 185-196. On-line version: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3821/is_200504/ai_n13642809.
[8]	Kouega, J. P. (2007). The language situation in Cameroon. CILP (Current Issues in Language Planning), 1-94.
[9]	Kouega, J. P. (2008). Bilingualism at tertiary level education in Cameroon: The case of the University of Yaounde II (Soa).http://www.isb6.org/static/proceedings/kouega.pdf, (1 September 2017).
[10]	Biloa, E. (1999). Bilingual education at the University of Yaounde I: The teaching of French to English-speaking students. Official bilingualism and linguistic communication in Cameroon, 53-74. Peter Lang: New York.
[11]	Echu, G. (1999). Le bilinguisme official au Cameroun: Critique et perspectives. In Echu, G. & Grundstrom A. W., Eds., Official bilingualism and linguistic communication in Cameroon, 189-202. Peter Lang: New York.
[12]	Simo Bobda, A. (2004). Tendances des recherches sur le bilinguisme (Français-Anglais) au Cameroun. Revue Internationale des Arts, Lettres et Sciences Sociales (RIALSS), 1 (1), 39–57.
[13]	Ombouda Onana, E. (2008). The oral performance of Ewondo learners of English: A case study conducted in Lycee de Mefomo. Unpublished “Maîtrise” dissertation, University of Yaounde I.
[14]	Sokeng Piewo, S. C. (2011). The English language proficiency of Francophone secondary school leavers in Cameroon. Unpublished PhD Thesis, University of Yaounde I.
[15]	Kouega, J. P. & Sokeng Piewo, S. C. (2013). Performance of Francophone secondary school leavers in English structure and written expression English Linguistics Research, 2/1, 86-106. On-line version: http://dx.doi.org/10.5430/elr.v2n1p86.
[16]	Abang, R. N. (2006). The teaching of English in francophone primary schools: A phonological perspective. Unpublished "Maîtrise" dissertation, University of Yaounde I.
[17]	Simo Bobda, A. (1994). Aspects of Cameroon English phonology. Bern: Peter Lang.
[18]	Kouega, J. P. (1999b). Some major speech traits of Cameroon media news in English. English Studies, 80 (6), 540-555.

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Jean-Paul Kouega, Emmanuel Ombouda Onana. (2018). The English Speech of Francophone Primary School Teachers and Cours Moyen Deux (CM2) Pupils in Cameroon. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 6(3), 90-100. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20180603.15

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Jean-Paul Kouega; Emmanuel Ombouda Onana. The English Speech of Francophone Primary School Teachers and Cours Moyen Deux (CM2) Pupils in Cameroon. Int. J. Lang. Linguist. 2018, 6(3), 90-100. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20180603.15

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AMA Style

Jean-Paul Kouega, Emmanuel Ombouda Onana. The English Speech of Francophone Primary School Teachers and Cours Moyen Deux (CM2) Pupils in Cameroon. Int J Lang Linguist. 2018;6(3):90-100. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20180603.15

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@article{10.11648/j.ijll.20180603.15,
  author = {Jean-Paul Kouega and Emmanuel Ombouda Onana},
  title = {The English Speech of Francophone Primary School Teachers and Cours Moyen Deux (CM2)  Pupils in Cameroon},
  journal = {International Journal of Language and Linguistics},
  volume = {6},
  number = {3},
  pages = {90-100},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijll.20180603.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20180603.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijll.20180603.15},
  abstract = {This paper examines the English spoken productions of primary school teachers and their graduating pupils in Cameroon, with the aim of checking how much English is learnt by the time the primary child moves to the secondary education level. The data came from classroom observations, tape-recording of lessons as they were taught and a spoken performance test taken by the pupils. The work is couched within the structural approach to phonology, and the error analysis and the contrastive methods of analysis were used to describe the data. A number of interesting findings were obtained. First, francophone primary school teachers in Cameroon are not proficient in English and they cannot therefore teach the subject even though they were summoned to do it. Second, many francophone primary school pupils learn very little English and, as a result, secondary school teachers have no choice but to start the English subject from scratch. Characteristically, these pupils’ spoken productions exhibit various features at the level of consonants like substitution, cluster simplification and realisation of silent letters. At the vocalic level, spelling pronunciation causes monophthongs to be replaced by foreign sounds, and diphthongs and triphthongs to be monophthongised. Most interestingly, vowel nasalization is systematic in specific contexts.},
 year = {2018}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - The English Speech of Francophone Primary School Teachers and Cours Moyen Deux (CM2)  Pupils in Cameroon
AU  - Jean-Paul Kouega
AU  - Emmanuel Ombouda Onana
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DO  - 10.11648/j.ijll.20180603.15
T2  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JF  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
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AB  - This paper examines the English spoken productions of primary school teachers and their graduating pupils in Cameroon, with the aim of checking how much English is learnt by the time the primary child moves to the secondary education level. The data came from classroom observations, tape-recording of lessons as they were taught and a spoken performance test taken by the pupils. The work is couched within the structural approach to phonology, and the error analysis and the contrastive methods of analysis were used to describe the data. A number of interesting findings were obtained. First, francophone primary school teachers in Cameroon are not proficient in English and they cannot therefore teach the subject even though they were summoned to do it. Second, many francophone primary school pupils learn very little English and, as a result, secondary school teachers have no choice but to start the English subject from scratch. Characteristically, these pupils’ spoken productions exhibit various features at the level of consonants like substitution, cluster simplification and realisation of silent letters. At the vocalic level, spelling pronunciation causes monophthongs to be replaced by foreign sounds, and diphthongs and triphthongs to be monophthongised. Most interestingly, vowel nasalization is systematic in specific contexts.
VL  - 6
IS  - 3
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Author Information

Jean-Paul Kouega

Department of English, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
Emmanuel Ombouda Onana

Language Unit, Management Sciences and Business School, Catholic University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon

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APA Style

Jean-Paul Kouega, Emmanuel Ombouda Onana. (2018). The English Speech of Francophone Primary School Teachers and Cours Moyen Deux (CM2) Pupils in Cameroon. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 6(3), 90-100. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20180603.15

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ACS Style

Jean-Paul Kouega; Emmanuel Ombouda Onana. The English Speech of Francophone Primary School Teachers and Cours Moyen Deux (CM2) Pupils in Cameroon. Int. J. Lang. Linguist. 2018, 6(3), 90-100. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20180603.15

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AMA Style

Jean-Paul Kouega, Emmanuel Ombouda Onana. The English Speech of Francophone Primary School Teachers and Cours Moyen Deux (CM2) Pupils in Cameroon. Int J Lang Linguist. 2018;6(3):90-100. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20180603.15

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@article{10.11648/j.ijll.20180603.15,
  author = {Jean-Paul Kouega and Emmanuel Ombouda Onana},
  title = {The English Speech of Francophone Primary School Teachers and Cours Moyen Deux (CM2)  Pupils in Cameroon},
  journal = {International Journal of Language and Linguistics},
  volume = {6},
  number = {3},
  pages = {90-100},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijll.20180603.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20180603.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijll.20180603.15},
  abstract = {This paper examines the English spoken productions of primary school teachers and their graduating pupils in Cameroon, with the aim of checking how much English is learnt by the time the primary child moves to the secondary education level. The data came from classroom observations, tape-recording of lessons as they were taught and a spoken performance test taken by the pupils. The work is couched within the structural approach to phonology, and the error analysis and the contrastive methods of analysis were used to describe the data. A number of interesting findings were obtained. First, francophone primary school teachers in Cameroon are not proficient in English and they cannot therefore teach the subject even though they were summoned to do it. Second, many francophone primary school pupils learn very little English and, as a result, secondary school teachers have no choice but to start the English subject from scratch. Characteristically, these pupils’ spoken productions exhibit various features at the level of consonants like substitution, cluster simplification and realisation of silent letters. At the vocalic level, spelling pronunciation causes monophthongs to be replaced by foreign sounds, and diphthongs and triphthongs to be monophthongised. Most interestingly, vowel nasalization is systematic in specific contexts.},
 year = {2018}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - The English Speech of Francophone Primary School Teachers and Cours Moyen Deux (CM2)  Pupils in Cameroon
AU  - Jean-Paul Kouega
AU  - Emmanuel Ombouda Onana
Y1  - 2018/06/19
PY  - 2018
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20180603.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijll.20180603.15
T2  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JF  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JO  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
SP  - 90
EP  - 100
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-0221
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20180603.15
AB  - This paper examines the English spoken productions of primary school teachers and their graduating pupils in Cameroon, with the aim of checking how much English is learnt by the time the primary child moves to the secondary education level. The data came from classroom observations, tape-recording of lessons as they were taught and a spoken performance test taken by the pupils. The work is couched within the structural approach to phonology, and the error analysis and the contrastive methods of analysis were used to describe the data. A number of interesting findings were obtained. First, francophone primary school teachers in Cameroon are not proficient in English and they cannot therefore teach the subject even though they were summoned to do it. Second, many francophone primary school pupils learn very little English and, as a result, secondary school teachers have no choice but to start the English subject from scratch. Characteristically, these pupils’ spoken productions exhibit various features at the level of consonants like substitution, cluster simplification and realisation of silent letters. At the vocalic level, spelling pronunciation causes monophthongs to be replaced by foreign sounds, and diphthongs and triphthongs to be monophthongised. Most interestingly, vowel nasalization is systematic in specific contexts.
VL  - 6
IS  - 3
ER  -

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