Is there indeed a Cameroon Francophone English?

Abstract

For decades, research tradition in Cameroon regarded Cameroon English (CamE) as the sole legitimate and prestigious accent of English used in everyday (verbal) communication in the country. A significant paradigm shift has been observed in the last two decades, though. In fact, a sizable number of Francophones have embarked on the study of English and do use it on a daily basis. Cameroon Francophone English (CamFE), long regarded as an appendage to Cameroon English—what Kouega (1991) and Simo Bobda (1994) referred to as a performance variety of Cameroon English—, has reportedly developed and is still in the process of developing stable and distinctive features that mark it off from Cameroon English (Safotso 2012; Essomba Fouda 2013, 2022;  Essomba Fouda & Atechi 2016; Atechi 2015; Simo Bobda 2013). This paper aims to discuss CamFE as a new variety of English that has cropped up in Cameroon. It adduces evidence in support of the existence and distinctiveness of this variety, and, most importantly, seeks to settle the dust raised by several attempts to clearly define the concept of CamFE.

Key Words: Cameroon Francophone English, Cameroon, Francophones, Cameroon English, Anglophones

DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/15-6-02

Publication date: July 28^th 2025