Examining the Nativisation of English in a Cameroonian ESL Textbook

Abstract

The spread of English over the centuries to various parts of the world has brought the language into contact with many other languages and cultures, thereby leading to the development of different varieties of English. In Cameroon, however, official educational policy prescribes British English as the standard variety used in schools. This paper examines a Cameroonian English as a Second Language textbook – Mastering English: Student’s Book for Form 5 – with the main aim of identifying and analysing instances in which indigenous resources are appropriated and used in the textbook. Based on the theory of nativisation of New Englishes, the study adopts a stand-alone document analysis design. Data for the study are collected by reading through the sentences, dialogues and passages used in the textbook, and identifying and recording the various instances of the use of indigenous resources in the textbook. The resources identified are classified according to grammatical, discoursal and semiotic levels. These elements are analysed within the context of their use, and explanations are advanced to justify their rationale in the textbook. The findings reveal that the nativisation of English in the textbook is predominantly realized through the borrowing of lexical items from indigenous languages to express local realities such as naming and socio-cultural practices, the inclusion of thematic concerns true to the local socio-cultural and economic environments, and the use of images of items unique to the Cameroonian identity. This shows that despite the officially prescribed educational policy, language used in the textbook integrates features reflecting the local realities. The paper ends by recommending that educational policy should opt for the adoption and implementation of a more standardised variety of Cameroon English, which will suit the communicative aspirations of learners and eventually users of English in Cameroon.