Thanks Mr. Nsom for this piece of information. On perusing of the attachment, one is tempted to ask what they authors mean by National Language. Do they mean and intend that each of the 239 tribal languages referred to in their study is a national language? If that is what they are talking about, then I am sorry to say that they have missed the point. Each of the 239 languages (if indeed they are not more) is not a national language. Those are tribal or ethnic dialects or tongues of expression. Some do not even qualify to be called a tribal language. Many are spoken by a few hundreds/thousands of people. Additionally some of those so called languages are dying or dead languages.
Like many things Cameroon, these so called education experts are trying to put the cart before the horse. What they ought to have done or to do is to first identify not more than three or four local languages that can or will be spoken across the board in the entire territory. Secondly, the chosen languages should be reduced into writing so that teachers handling the subject should have a common base of operation. How do you teach a dialect which has not been reduced into writing in Primary School or worse still in Secondary School? Thereafter, teachers should be trained in the teaching methods to be adopted. Is all this worth the pains given that the chosen language will not help any student to advance a specific academic goal? They are unable to agree on a few common languages because they do not have the political will to handle the situation. For example why choose dialect A instead of B?
Secondly, cultural promotion can be done without formally teaching the language from which the culture takes its roots. I think what they are proposing to do is not worth the pains of spending valuable school hours doing. Cameroon which is officially bilingual (French & English ) has for more than fifty years not been able to promote effective bilingualism. Now someone thinks or believes that we can handle the teaching/promotion of 239 tribal dialects in our education formal system? Wonders will never end.
Mbeseha
From: NSOM Joseph <nsomjoe@yahoo.com>
To: BOYO <boyo@yahoogroups.com>; Afoakom <afoakom@yahoogroups.com>; cameroon_politics@yahoogroups.com; ambasbay@googlegroups.com; patriots <cameroonpatriots@yahoogroups.com>; crtv <crtvmorningsafari@yahoo.com>
Cc: Awah Paschal Kum <awahpaschal@yahoo.fr>
Sent: Monday, October 29, 2012 6:22 AM
Subject: Copy of Reforms in English sub system of Education
Like many things Cameroon, these so called education experts are trying to put the cart before the horse. What they ought to have done or to do is to first identify not more than three or four local languages that can or will be spoken across the board in the entire territory. Secondly, the chosen languages should be reduced into writing so that teachers handling the subject should have a common base of operation. How do you teach a dialect which has not been reduced into writing in Primary School or worse still in Secondary School? Thereafter, teachers should be trained in the teaching methods to be adopted. Is all this worth the pains given that the chosen language will not help any student to advance a specific academic goal? They are unable to agree on a few common languages because they do not have the political will to handle the situation. For example why choose dialect A instead of B?
Secondly, cultural promotion can be done without formally teaching the language from which the culture takes its roots. I think what they are proposing to do is not worth the pains of spending valuable school hours doing. Cameroon which is officially bilingual (French & English ) has for more than fifty years not been able to promote effective bilingualism. Now someone thinks or believes that we can handle the teaching/promotion of 239 tribal dialects in our education formal system? Wonders will never end.
Mbeseha
From: NSOM Joseph <nsomjoe@yahoo.com>
To: BOYO <boyo@yahoogroups.com>; Afoakom <afoakom@yahoogroups.com>; cameroon_politics@yahoogroups.com; ambasbay@googlegroups.com; patriots <cameroonpatriots@yahoogroups.com>; crtv <crtvmorningsafari@yahoo.com>
Cc: Awah Paschal Kum <awahpaschal@yahoo.fr>
Sent: Monday, October 29, 2012 6:22 AM
Subject: Copy of Reforms in English sub system of Education
Here comes a copy of the new reforms for the Anglophone sub system of education. Find time to actually understand what they are proposing there. These reforms are expected to go operational this academic year. SEE ATTACHMENT Nsom Joseph BUCREP - Yaounde BP 12932 Yaounde Telephone: 77218948 You can take a child out of the village. But you cannot take the village out of the child. |
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