Language, Home, and Belonging in Migratory Contexts

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.