Can (Or Should) RP Serve as the Model for the Teaching of English Pronunciation in Cameroon?

Abstract

This paper presents the case for and against the continued adoption of RP, but argues that the spread of English to many parts of the world should change our perception of what constitutes Standard English – that the speech of a tiny minority in Britain can no longer be considered the norm by which all others must be judged. In presenting Cameroon Standard English as the most suitable model for Cameroon, the author’s position is that we must recognize that English has become a cosmopolitan tongue and must cultivate a cosmopolitan attitude toward its various standard forms.