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Rationalizing the Attitude-Acquisition Conundrum in Cameroon Pidgin English

Why elitist attitudes towards these dialects cannot - and should not - hinder the growth and spread of Pidgin Englishes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 August 2015

Vincent A. Tanda
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Extract

This paper seeks to rationalize the attitude-acquisition conundrum which is witnessed with Cameroon Pidgin English (CPE), an English-based pidgin spoken in Cameroon. According to Baker (1992: 10), ‘attitude’ refers to a hypothetical construct used to explain the direction and persistence of human behavior. In second-language acquisition literature, the use of the term ‘attitude’ has very often conjured up associated notions such as behavior, motivation, prestige and importance, which are seen to be important determinants of levels of success in L2 learning/acquisition. A positive attitude is said to fortify the motivation to learn a language; to be a successful learner, a positive attitude towards the target language is necessary. However, as McKenzie (2008: 4) notes, the relationship between attitude and L2 learning/acquisition is a rather complex one, which varies according to social context. Among other things, a positive attitude towards an L2 is also driven by factors such as (1) the socioeconomic value of the L2, (2) the L2's status-raising potential and (3) its perceived instrumental value.

Type
Research Article
Information
English Today , Volume 31 , Issue 3 , September 2015 , pp. 17 - 21
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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