Aspects of Pidgin in the English Production of Primary School Pupils in Kumba

This study examines some salient grammatical features in the English production of Anglophone class six primary school pupils who are fluent in Cameroon Pidgin English. The endeavour was carried out within the theoretical framework of Error Analysis propounded by Corder (1974). There were a total of 122 participants in the study. These participants were asked to write compositions on the following topics: How did you spend your Christmas holiday, Narrate an event that made you very happy, and narrate any story of your choice. Spoken data were collected by recording pupils’ activities in and out of class. Errors were identified and classified under two main categories: verbs and prepositions. A questionnaire was administered to some 150 parents and teachers, to seek their opinion on pupils’ use of Cameroon Pidgin English. The study was conducted to answer one main question. The main question is: “Are there any verb and preposition features in the English production of Anglophone class six pupils which are affected by Cameroon Pidgin English?” Findings revealed that the English production of Anglophone class six primary school pupils contained a number of grammatical features that can be traced to their mastery and consistent use of Cameroon Pidgin English.

Pidgin English, English language, primary school pupils

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