CAMEROON PIDGIN ENGLISH (CPE) AS A TOOL FOR EMPOWERMENT AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

There has been a general consensus among language researchers that language is a key factor in economic development. This is because education and sensitisation are crucial elements in developmental endeavour. Given that there is no effective education without language, it is evident that language is one of the essential ingredients for nationhood. Unfortunately, the efforts that have been made in Cameroon in the past have yielded very little dividend for a number of reasons, one of which is the multiplicity of languages. In this paper, we show that Cameroon Pidgin English (CPE) is a highly appropriate language for adoption as a pedagogical language in cities and other urban centres in Cameroon. This language, then, may not be the curse that it has been made to appear in the past, but rather a blessing in disguise.