This paper considers Pentecostal churches whose
names include such globalising terms as “all nations”, “global”,
“international”, “universal” and “world”, with a view to uncovering the nature
of their language management, as it has not been made explicit in any document.
The data come from some 35 churches located in various residential areas of the
city of Yaounde. In each church, five members were contacted i.e. one pastor, one church official,
one choir leader and one male and one female congregants. The instruments used
were a questionnaire, informal discussions, interviews and participant
observation. A total of 40 highly motivated research assistants were involved
in the data collection process, which took place in January and February 2016.
The framework used for the analysis was the structural-functional model. The
analysis revealed that the services of these churches contained four to 13
parts and that the languages used to realise these parts were French and
English, with translation from one language to the other being systematic. When
tongue speaking was used, translation was not done. During Testimonies,
congregants not sufficiently competent in French or English occasionally
switched to Pidgin or a few Cameroonian languages. Most of these churches were
found not to be represented in other countries outside Cameroon and those that were said to use English singly or in combination
with other languages, not with French.
Cite this paper
Kouega, J. (2018). Language Management in “International” Pentecostal Churches in Cameroon. Open Access Library Journal, 5, e4646. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1104646.
Dieu, M. and Renaud, P. (1983) Atlas Linguistique de l’Afrique Centrale: Le Cameroun [Linguistic Atlas of Central Africa: Cameroon]. ACCT, CERDOTOLA, DGRST, Paris/Yaounde.
Lewis, M.P., Simons, G.F. and Fennig, C.D. (Eds.) (2014) Ethnologue: Languages of the World. 17th Edition, SIL International, Dallas, Texas. http://www.ethnologue.com
Kaplan, R. (2011) Macro Language Planning. In: Hinkel, E., Ed., Handbook of Research in Second Language Teaching and Learning, Routledge, New York, Vol. 2, 924-935.
Spolsky, B. (2012) What Is Language Policy? In: Spolsky, B., Ed., The Cambridge Handbook of Language Policy, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 3-15. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511979026.003
Kouega, J.P. (2008) Language, Religion and Cosmopolitanism: Language Use in the Catholic Church in Yaounde-Cameroon. International Journal of Multilingualism, 5, 140-153. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790710802152347
Kouega, J.P. and Ndzotom, M.A.W. (2011) Multilingual Practices in Presbyterian Churches in Cameroon. International Journal of Innovative and Interdisciplinary Research, 1, 44-58. http://www.auamii.com/jiir/Vol-01/issue-01/X6.Kouega.pdf
Kouega, J.P. and Baimada, F.G. (2012) Language Use in the Islamic Faith in Cameroon: The Case of a Mosque in the City of Maroua. Journal of Language and Culture, 3, 10-19. http://www.academicjournals.org/JLC
Albakry, M.A. and Ofori, D.M. (2011) Ghanaian English and Code-Switching in Catholic Churches. World Englishes, 30, 515-532. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-971X.2011.01726.x
Myers-Scotton, C. (2003) Code-Switching: Evidence of both Flexibility and Rigidity in Language. In: Dewaele, J.M., Housen, A. and Li, W., Eds., Bilingualism: Beyond Basic Principles, Multilingualism Matters, Clevedon, 189-203.
Afutendem, L.N. (2015) Language Choice in Christian Denominations in the Northwest Region of Cameroon. Nka’ Lumière: Revue Interdisciplinaire de la Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines, Université de Dschang, 14, 75-91.
Constable, D. (1977) Bilingualism in the United Republic of Cameroon. English Language Teaching Journal, 29, 249-253. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/XXXI.3.249
Tchoungui, G. (1983) Focus on Official Bilingualism in Cameroon: Its Relationship to Education. In: Koenig, E.L., Chia, E. and Povey, J., Eds., A Sociolinguistic Profile of Urban Centers in Cameroon, Cross Road Press, Los Angeles, 93-116.
Echu, G. (1999) Le Bilinguisme Officiel au Cameroun: Critique et Perspectives. In: Echu, G. and Grundstorm, A.W., Eds., Official Bilingualism and Linguistic Communication in Cameroon, Peter Lang, New York, 189-201.