Cameroun

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.