Social networks, popular culture, and the development of a regional Cameroonian French across sub-Saharan Francophone Africa
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Over six (06) decades, French in Africa has now become a varied language. Its contact with African national and vehicular languages gives rise to new varieties. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digitalization of economies and societies worldwide. The advent of media and new technologies has further broadened the spectrum of flow to these new languages. It is within this dynamic linguistic, digital entertainment, and social context that my research unfolds. I explore African French vernaculars in social media and music as a cultural trend that can inform contemporary perceptions of linguistic norms. This cultural phenomenon not only enriches our understanding but also shapes contemporary perspectives on French spoken in Sub-Saharan Francophone Africa. I investigated the typology of Cameroonisms (Atindogbe & Belinga b'Eno, 2014), examining them through a lens of key idiomatic phrases that serve as fundamental elements in the diffusion, popularization, and stability (figement) (Krieg-Planque, 2009). Significantly, my work aims to address the lack of previous research that thoroughly explores the regional and international aspects of Cameroon French phraseology (CF), with a specific focus on popular culture, especially through songs, and within the realm of social media, particularly emphasizing YouTube comments, as a means of understanding the social meaning of language use in interpersonal interactions conducted through mediated social systems. Both qualitative and quantitative data, account for the distribution with reference to variables of language regionalism, geolocation, digitalization, and speakers' attitudes and perceptions regarding these linguistic phenomena common to sub-Saharan Africa. In summary, my research delves into the intricate interplay between language, technology, and society, with a particular focus on the evolving landscape of African French in the digital era. It partially fits in the emerging research discipline of computational sociolinguistics, which integrates aspects of sociolinguistics and computer science in studying the relation between language and society from a computational perspective. It demonstrates how vernacular French optimizes digitalization and enhances the discoverability of Francophone content. Additionally, it highlights the key role of the evolving dynamics of online communities in comment spaces over time. Understanding the social dimensions of linguistic style contextualization in online writing carries significant implications for the design of language technology, the conceptualization of social systems, and language policies.
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Ph. D.