Godfrey Tangwa AKA "Rotcod Gobata": COLONIALISM AND LINGUISTIC DILEMMAS IN AFRICA : CAMEROON AS A PARADIGM (REVISITED)

Tangwa at a glance

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Ilongo Sphere: Writer and Poet

By George Echu

QUEST: An African Journal of Philosophy Volume XIII No. 1-2, 1999

Prolegomena

Godfrey Tangwa's article titled "Colonialism and Linguistic Dilemmas in Africa: Cameroon as a Paradigm" posits that the Berlin conference of 1884 constitutes a landmark in the history of Africa in that the continent was divided between European imperialists in an attempt to reap the benefits of its natural resources, without any regard for "the linguistic, cultural or political state of affairs on the continent". In fact, Tangwa's problematic is clearly stated in the following terms:

The linguistic dilemma facing African countries can be very simply stated: should African countries (themselves colonial creations) continue using the languages and systems of education inherited from colonialism or jettison these as undesirable colonial legacies in preference for indigenous languages and systems of education ?

The whole paper evolves around this pertinent and controversial question which has attracted a lot of intellectual debate in recent times. In other words, should African countries try to unmake history by refuting the past which remains part and parcel of them ? Is the choice really easy, if at all there is a choice to be made ?

That is the question ; and there lies the main thrust of Tangwa's argumentation. The author's position is absolutely clear: Africans should continue using the received languages "as vehicles for national unity, integration, development, as well as for international and global interaction", while at the same time "reversing the colonial policy whereby indigenous language were purposely marginalised". This notwithstanding, he fails to propose a language planning policy whereby both the received languages on the one hand and indigenous language on the other could be used side by side for the benefit of Cameroonians in particular and Africans at large.

Click here to print or download complete article in PDF format

For the genesis of the colonialism and language debate see:

Tangwa, Godfrey “ Colonial Legacy and the Language Situation in Cameroon” Quest Vol. VI No 2, 1992. p. 62.

UROH, Chris, Colonialism and the language question: a reply to godfrey tangwa, in Quest 8/2 (1994) 130‑140. - Colonialism; history; language; TANGWA,

February 2006