The government, various ministerial departments and individuals are taking measures to ensure that both official languages are used in the country.
Bonjour! How do you do? Ça va bien…..thank you. These are some of the phrases some Cameroonians use in a bid to express themselves in the two official languages, English and French. In Cameroon, official bilingualism is absent or not effective as it is supposed to be. Most national figures from whom other citizens could emulate their bilingual competence, will speak only English or French when they are supposed to take the lead for others to follow even if symbolically. At times some of them openly say “Ne me posez pas de question en anglais” meaning do not ask me a question in English.
However, the government, over the years, has taken necessary measures to improve the country’s bilingualism. From creating Pilot Bilingual Training Centres to instituting a National Bilingualism Week, particularly in schools amongst others, the State does not only incite but also exposes Cameroonians to learning situations where they can master spoken English and French. In spite of these measures, some people still think there is no need to master both official languages for as they say, “it is Cameroon that is bilingual and not its citizens”.
Nowadays, it is rare to see the official name of a government institution in just one official language. Although at times some of the names are poorly translated into the English language, efforts are being made to ensure that the names of institutions officially appear in the English and French languages. The creation of bilingual primary and secondary schools in all the nooks and crannies of the country is also another vivid demonstration of government’s will to see citizens bilingual from tender ages. However, some Cameroonians think that bilingualism is an affair of school children while some teachers still feel that it is a problem of teachers of the English language. Private initiative has also joined in increasing the number of bilingual primary and secondary schools created in the country. It has even been noticed that most parents in the French speaking parts of the country send their children to English schools.
