Language Policy and Identity Construction

The (dis)empowerment of languages through language policy in multilingual postcolonial communities often shapes speakers’ identification with these languages, their attitude towards other languages in the community, and their choices in interpersonal and intergroup communication. Focusing on the dynamics of Cameroon’s multilingualism, this book contributes to current debates on the impact of politic language policy on daily language use in sociocultural and interpersonal interactions, multiple identity construction, indigenous language teaching and empowerment, the use of Cameroon Pidgin English in certain formal institutional domains initially dominated by the official languages, and linguistic patterns of social interaction for politeness, respect, and in-group bonding. Due to the multiple perspectives adopted, the book will be of interest to sociolinguists, applied linguists, pragmaticians, Afrikanists, and scholars of postcolonial linguistics.

Ellen Hurst, Cape Town University:
It is nice, and refreshing, to get such a comprehensive look at the language situation in one specific African country, from a number of different perspectives and through different lenses. Sometimes, diverse aspects of the language situation cross over and shed light on each other in a way that is only made possible through having multiple objects of study. The author demonstrates the link between colonialism and the contemporary language situation in action, without being deterministic about it. There is a rather optimistic feeling that the language situation is really in the hands of Cameroonians rather than policy-makers or linguists.