Extract

Sociolinguistically speaking, Camfranglais is viewed as (1) a register and (2) a sociolect. Furthermore, (3) its use and importance has grown since the end of the 1990s.

One of the main functions of Camfranglais is as a youth identity language. Youngsters learn it as they grow up, now even as early as in primary school. It is used in different peer-groups as a marker of in-group belonging and ­solidarity. As an identity marker, it is also used to indicate belonging to urban youth and ­modernity. For the biggest Camfranglais Facebook group (Ici on Topo le ­Camfranglais: Le Speech des vrais man du Mboa) it is “le speech des vrais man du mboa” [the way of speaking known only to true Cameroonians]. This broader Cameroonian dimension makes Camfranglais not a uniquely youth ­phenomenon. ­However, youths tend to speak it more often and better than grown-ups, who tend to speak more formally. Camfranglais is predominantly a phenomenon of the urban youth in major urban centres, but in some rural centres it may be found in secondary schools as well. In some peer-groups, it is important to be able to speak Camfranglais so as to prove one’s social maturity. ­However, ­­Camfranglais is no longer necessarily spoken with antilinguistic intentions. Youths who use it do not necessarily want to hide something, although this is still a possibility. Typically, parents would not want their children to speak Camfranglais, as they view it as an impediment to speaking and writing formal French. In its...