Language, Home, and Belonging in Migratory Contexts

The Case of Camfranglais

Constance Mbassi Manga

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English

Routledge
16 May 2025

Sociolinguistics; Bilingualism & multilingualism; Semantics; Regional studies; Colonialism & imperialism

Series: Routledge Studies in Sociolinguistics

This book presents a study of the role and functions of Camfranglais (CFrA) for diasporic Cameroonians living in the West, showcasing how closely language relates to identity and the role CFrA plays in negotiations of 'home' and 'belonging' for these diasporic Cameroonians.

Mbassi Manga adopts an integrated approach, bringing together the lenses of Critical Discourse Analysis and Linguistic Ethnography to the analysis of data on Camfranglais (CFrA), a hybrid urban language form from Cameroon that combines elements of French, English, Pidgin English, and Cameroonian vernaculars. Drawn from a discussion on interviewees’ accounts of the place and value of language in their life trajectories, and markers of identity, 'home' and 'belonging' in Facebook chats, the data analysis highlights CFrA's symbolic value and its role as an expression of a diasporic Cameroonian identity. The book concludes on the place and importance of non-official language use and other intracommunity cultural practices in the lived experiences of so-called migrants, as tools promoting well-being and positive integration in Western host societies.

This book will be of interest to scholars in Sociolinguistics, Linguistic Anthropology, Discourse Analysis, and Decolonial Studies.

By: Constance Mbassi Manga
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
ISBN: 9781032750927
ISBN 10: 1032750928
Series: Routledge Studies in Sociolinguistics
Pages: 266
Publication Date: 16 May 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Trained as a translator and interpreter, Constance Mbassi Manga works in the Creative Language Services industry and in Higher Education. After getting a Master's in Research from Kings College, London, she completed her PhD at Lancaster University, UK.