Language choice, education and community identity

This paper is an examination of the pedagogical and cultural impact of the PROPELCA (Operational Research Project for the Teaching of Cameroonian Languages) mother-tongue education program being implemented in the Bafut, Kom and Nso' language communities of the Northwest Province of Cameroon. Using research carried out in 2002-2003, the author compares the instructional quality and cultural relevance of the PROPELCA program with those of the standard English-medium primary classroom as found in those communities. The author argues that mother-tongue education can play a vital role in broader movements aimed at minority language development and improved educational effectiveness.