




































jonal vol. 5 No. 4  new2.cdr


INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE DIGITALISATION AND THE 
DISSEMINATION OF COVID-19 INFORMATION

By
Marthe Bekele Matanda, PhD

(Applied Linguistics)
marthe.fgbi@gmail.com 

Department of Applied Linguistics & African Languages
The University of Bamenda

&
Victor Ngu Cheo, PhD

(Associate Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication)
vncheo@yahoo.com 

The University of Bamenda

Abstract
his study sets to find out if digitalised linguistic resources exist in indigenous languages, Twhich can be used for the dissemination of COVID-19 information in Cameroon. Since 
December 2019, the COVID-19 virus has spread as a pandemic at an exponential rate 

throughout the world, threatening the development of nations across the globe . The Cameroon 
government has therefore embarked on sensitizing its population through the media, but this is 
mostly carried out in either English or French languages, thus depriving many Cameroonians with 
limited skills in these languages, of the right information. Digitalised linguistic resources present an 
efficient alternative for the dissemination of health-related information. This study therefore aims at 
examining the availability of digitalised linguistic resources during the pandemic, and assessing 
their impact on the lives of Cameroonians. It employed a mixed method for the collection of data. A 
questionnaire was issued to 155 respondents in rural communities in Cameroon. The results reveal 
that SIL, CABTAL and other non-governmental organisations have translated the COVID-19 
information into several indigenous languages and have made them available through the media 
and the internet. Unfortunately, the government does not take advantage of these resources. 
Consequently, many Cameroonians with limited skills in official languages are still ignorant of the 
danger of COVID-19. The study, therefore, recommends collaboration between the government and 
policy makers with organizations involved in the promotion of indigenous languages, for the 
effective sensitisation of the entire Cameroonian population. 

Keywords: COVID-19, CABTAL, Digitalisation; Indigenous language, Government, Rural area. 

Introduction
The late 1950s and early 1960s marked a turning point in African history as this was when most 
African countries obtained independence from their colonial and trusteeship masters. Although the 
latter eventually left, one of their colonial legacies is their languages which remain till date the 
official languages of many former colonies in Africa. Consequently, the use of the imperial language 
quickly gained ground to the detriment of the national languages (Nana, 2016). Since then, English 
and French started gaining ground in Cameroon while the indigenous languages were being 
relegated to the background and given derogatory appellations (Echu, 2003). This was further 
reinforced with the 1961 resolution in the Foumban conference. The East and West Cameroons met 
then, in preparation for the nation's independence. Among the resolutions that were arrived at that 
conference, it was agreed that the official languages of Cameroon would be the two colonial 

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mailto:marthe.fgbi@gmail.com


languages which are English and French (Echu, 2003). Since then, the nation has used either French 
or English in every administrative, political, educational, and social domain. The national languages 
were then termed 'local' and unprofitable to contributing to the development and nation-building. 
Since then, the national languages engaged in the struggle of surviving the ascendency of the colonial 
languages that were dominant in the media, in the educational system, in administration, in politics, 
and every other sphere of life. (Ekanjume-Ilongo, 2016).

There have been a lot of debates on the negative effects of the use of colonial languages over African 
indigenous languages and in Cameroon in particular (Abari et al., 2013; Chumbow, 2010). But, 
despite the overwhelming literature on the importance of the usage of mother tongue, many African 
nations, including Cameroon are still reluctant in promoting indigenous African languages, let alone 
using them for official communication. This has a negative effect on the development of the 
continent. The choice of the language used in communicating official messages to the African 
population is crucial to a country as it affects the efficiency of the message disseminated. Chumbow 
among many other writers believes that the colonial languages that are now used nationwide and that 
are used for the dissemination of official projects should be used as partner languages to our national 
languages which are a great wealth and treasure that should not be undermined when embarking on 
development projects (Chumbow, 2009). The number of languages we have in Cameroon is a fortune 
and resource to the nation and none should be neglected. They are a reflection of the linguistic and 
cultural diversity of Cameroon which, if properly harnessed, can be used to enhance the development 
of the nation (Chumbow, 2009).

Research Problem
 Disseminating information related to COVID-19 in Cameroon can be challenging when one 
considers the fact that, the nation boasts of about 280 indigenous languages and a good number of 
rural communities in which the majority of people are unable to communicate with either English or 
French language. There are some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that have taken upon 
themselves to translate the COVID-19-related information messages from WHO into the national 
languages. Such translated messages were digitalised in order to facilitate the dissemination of 
COVID-19-related information to the entire Cameroonian population. But, these digitalized 
indigenous languages are not extensively exploited for the dissemination of COVID 19 information. 
Thus, leaving the majority of Cameroonians living in rural areas uninformed about the information 
related to the pandemic. Showing that, proper attention is not given to the language used by people in 
rural areas. As Abuiyada (2018) rightly remarks, “most development programmes are designed and 
implemented without giving attention to the exact need of the people at the grassroots level”. The 
exact needs of the people are not met because the language used in communicating on issues 
affecting their needs is foreign to them.
  
Objective of the Study: 
This study aimed at identifying the presence of digitalised resources in indigenous languages for the 
dissemination of COVID-19 information and the extent to which such material is used to 
communicate with the population. The hypothesis states that, there are no digitalised linguistic 
resources in indigenous languages available for the dissemination of COVID-19 information. 
  
Literature Review Overview
Linguistic Situation of Cameroon
There are about 280 languages found in Cameroon (Sutton, 2013). These languages constitute a vast 
resource for the wealth and development of the nation. Every resource can be beneficial to the 
community and can yield outstanding results if it is well managed. However, the latter can also be 

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detrimental or lead to the disaster of that very community when it is poorly managed. As it is for oil, 
wildlife, precious stones, so it is with all other resources (Bamgbose, 2011; Chumbow, 2009; Sutton, 
2013). As a resource among other multiple resources, language should therefore receive the 
appropriate consideration from policy-makers. 

After its independence and reunification in 1961, Cameroon had to choose a language for its 
administrative, educational, political, and social domains. Like any other former colony, the nation 
was faced with the challenge of selecting an indigenous language over others. The leaders, therefore 
opted for a linguistic homogenisation given that the different languages inherited from the imperial 
power, English, and French were to be given equal status (Echu, 2003). The constitution of 1961 at 
Foumban then declared Cameroon a bilingual nation; this was reiterated in the constitution of 1996 
with another clause on the protection and promotion of national languages (Echu 2004). 

After receiving the full powers from the League of Nations to administer Cameroon, Britain and 
France enforced and fostered the use of their languages into Cameroon. The rejection of Cameroon's 
indigenous languages started right after the arrival of the colonial masters on the Cameroonian soil. 
The languages which had been vibrant and useful before their arrival, started to lose their vitality, 
strength and values. Echitchi (2009) posits that, the indigenous languages had lost their prestige to 
the point that, they were not “fit” to be called languages, but “Dialect” or “Patois”. Consequently, 
there is that conscious or unconscious promotion of the imperial languages in Cameroon at the 
detriment of the indigenous languages.

Language experts over the years have seen the need to develop these indigenous languages and use 
them in various areas of development along with the official languages. This idea is supported by 
Chumbow (2009) as according to him, the majority of the population (60-80 percent) does not speak 
the official languages and are automatically marginalized and excluded from development 
programs. But, because a nation is made up of people living in both urban and rural areas, those 
living in rural communities should not be excluded from any development initiative because they 
are linguistically limited. Imoh (2013) remarks that rural people have historically been omitted from 
important information and development programmes. In fact, most development programmes are 
confined in languages that are understood only by the minority of the population, while the majority 
is kept in the darkness of ignorance and are unable to take part in the development of the nation in 
which they are active participants. He therefore, suggests that knowledge should be made available 
to everyone through the democratization of access to knowledge in a language or in languages 
people know best: an African language (Chumbow, 2009). The advent of COVID-19 clearly shows 
the challenges related to communication related to the dissemination of official information in 
Cameroon. 

Communication of COVID-19 Information in Cameroon
The definitions of communication are most often drawn from its etymology from the Latin noun 
Communicatio which means “sharing” or “imparting” (Cobley & Schulz, 2013). It is also derived 
from the Latin word communis which means “to make common”, to “share” (Velentzas & Broni, 
2015).  Communication is therefore a process by which two or more people exchange ideas, facts 
feelings opinions, or expressions in a way that each of them gains a common understanding of what 
is being communicated. According to Velentzas and Broni (2015), communication is "any act by 
which one person gives to or receives from another person information about that person's needs, 
desires, perceptions, knowledge, or affective states”. Salawu (2006) complements it by stating that 
communication is a vehicle for education. When educating, it is important to pay attention to the 
language used for education, for, education cannot effectively take place if there is no common 

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language between the two parties.

It is important to deliver the message to the masses or better still, educate them in the language they 
are familiar with, for it is adequate communication with the masses that yields effective 
collaboration in the education process. Communication is central in changing an individual's 
behaviour, but this needs to be done effectively and efficiently. The successful implementation of 
COVID-19 barrier measures does not only require a simple process of communication, but it should 
aim at establishing an effective communication. Effective communication occurs when the desired 
outcome of information is attained. Some possible purposes of effective communication can be to 
elicit change, generate action, create understanding, inform or communicate a certain idea or point 
of view (Velentzas & Broni, 2015). The absence of effective communication can give rise to an 
opposite outcome. Without effective communication, there will be a sense of continuous 
domination, misunderstanding, misinterpretation; which will result in a lack of collaboration or 
reluctance to co-operate with the policy makers. The issue of effectiveness in communication 
becomes more prominent when it concerns life-threatening issues such as the COVID-19. 

In Cameroon, when faced with the threat of death because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the language 
used in the dissemination of information related to the pandemic has mostly been either English or 
French. The ministerial decree stating the rules for the control and prevention of the pandemic in 
Cameroon clearly states in article 8, “This decree will be registered, published according to the 
emergency procedure, then inserted in the Official Journal in French and English” (Arrêté No 0824 
MINSANTE du 09 Avril 2020). Akumbu (2020) points out that, though the preventive measures are 
clearly stated and available, many Cameroonians who do not understand any of the official 
languages cannot access it, and are consequently exposed to the risk of being uninformed or 
misinformed. The use of the two official languages in the dissemination of information is a way of 
alienating Cameroonians with little or no literacy in the said languages. They unwillingly find 
themselves unable to make informed decisions on how to behave because the language used denies 
them access to basic information about how to keep themselves and their families safe from the 
pandemic. Because “Ignorance is a disease which only knowledge can cure” (Chumbow, 2009), 
many people, regardless of their technical skills, have embarked on a search for the right 
information through any available media so they can be kept safe from the deadly grip of the 
pandemic.

Digitalised Sources of COVID-19 Information in Indigenous Languages
 The COVID-19 pandemic is at the same time a health crisis and a crisis of information. Since its 
advent, there has been an abundant flow of information and misinformation that has led to a 
worldwide infodemic (David & Sommerlad, 2020). Casero-Rippollés (2020) stipulated that, social 
media have generated an extraordinary scale and speed in the dissemination of fake news to the 
public, causing anxiety and fear among citizens and distrust in political institutions. He went further 
by stating that, the rise of fake news indicates the collapse of the traditional news order and the chaos 
of contemporary public communication (Casero-Rippollés (2020). 

The scramble for the true information on issues related to the pandemic caused the populations to go 
beyond the traditional sources of information (radio and television) in order to be informed. So, they 
exposed themselves to information from peers through virtual networks and the digital world. The 
digital world includes television, radio, and newspapers. Information on the pandemic is 
disseminated every day through many media which include emails, websites, newsletters, blogs, 
and other social media (Joharry et al., 2021). All forms of media can be used to reach out to masses in 
rural areas in addition to radio and television which are the most prominent sources of information. 

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Community radios are most often the channels used to transfer information to the community, and 
through which the people in the communities equally express their minds and views on issues raised. 

Akumbu (2020) has identified a few of these media channels through which the information is 
disseminated. These include among others WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube, the 'Key 
Pluridisciplinary Advances on African Multilingualism – Cameroon' (KPAAM-CAM) which has 
stored about 13 languages, community radios and the Cameroon Association for Bible Translation 
and Literacy (CABTAL) which has published a booklet: “What you need to know about the 
Coronavirus or COVID-19” into 63 Cameroonian languages and aims at attaining all languages. 

CABTAL uses various media platforms on their website to share on the issue. SIL International has 
equally developed a reading APP called Bloom Reader in which the digitalised COVID-19 
information is found in various languages. These private and non-governmental initiatives are out to 
provide the right information on COVID-19 to every Cameroonian without any distinction of 
education and thus establish a basis for effective communication between the officials and the 
indigenous people. The information they provide is available to the entire community and should 
therefore be explored and exploited by the government officials to bridge the gap existing between 
the educated ones and the non-educated ones in the nation and ensure that the COVID-19 
information reaches everyone without exception. 

Theoretical Framework
Every language is unique and so is every culture. It is in this view that Sapir theorises that, the 
language habits of an individual's community effectively condition the perception of experience and 
the choices made in interpreting that experience (Sapir, 1921). Troyer (1994) defines language as a 
code that all members of a specific language group learn and share, and through which a significant 
amount of what is known about the world is learned. So, language and culture are intertwined. 
Hence, they cannot be separated. The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis holds the view that, human thoughts 
are shaped by language (Regier & Xu, 2017). Troyer (1994) reports Sapir and his student Benjamin 
Lee Whorf view of language which is considered as a mould for thoughts. It tries to establish the fact 
that, the way we perceive the world is predetermined by the structure of the language we speak. The 
cultural belief of an individual has a great influence on his personal understanding of the worldview. 
Language and culture are inextricably related. We cannot understand or appreciate one without the 
knowledge of the other.

Every information passed down to an individual regardless of the channel used has to consider the 
subconscious agreement each individual has with his language. Failure to take that into 
consideration might mean failure in attaining the intended objective. There cannot be effective 
communication with an individual when the language used for the sharing of information is not a 
common one for the sender and the receiver. An individual's language subconsciously determines 
what has to be accepted or integrated in our minds, and this is greatly influenced by the language 
used. Whorf (1956) cited in Schafer (2000) states: “The background linguistic system of each 
language is itself the shaper of ideas, the programme and guide for the individual's mental activity, 
for his analysis of impressions”. A person would not be able to imagine things in any other way than 
the way dictated by his/her language (Troyer, 1994). That difference in linguistic structure causes 
speakers of different languages in some sense to see the world differently. 

According to the Sapir-Whorf theory, we are at the mercy of our languages. People live in distinct 
worlds because they speak different languages. That is, speakers see the world through the mental 
map constructed by their language; they cannot see the world in any other way. The Sapir-Whorf 

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hypothesis (1921) posits that, an individual's language subconsciously determines what has to be 
accepted or integrated in the mind, and this is greatly influenced by the language through which the 
message is received. 

The COVID-19 pandemic cannot be considered as a major threat to Cameroonians when such 
information is provided to them through foreign languages. The linguistic implications of the Sapir-
Whorf hypothesis are applicable to the language used for the transmission of COVID-19 
information. The information related to the pandemic is officially disseminated in either English or 
French which are two western languages. These languages are not culturally bound to 
Cameroonians; they are imported from the colonial masters' nations. Though they serve as languages 
of education and of any official-related information, they are still not the languages in which 
Cameroonians are culturally bonded. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis in this study highlights the urgent 
need and vital importance to use the digitalised COVID-19-related information for the effective 
sensitisation of the population. 

Methodology
In this study, the researcher makes use of the mixed-method case study propounded by Zoltan 
Dornyei. This method involves both the quantitative and qualitative methods, which according to 
Dornyei (2007), are used to measure overlapping, but also different facets of a phenomenon. The 
results from this method are yielding an enriched understanding by illustrating, clarifying, or 
elaborating on various aspects under study. These aspects include the use of COVID-19 indigenous 
linguistic resources available. 

Purposive and random sampling techniques were employed in this study to determine the 
participants of a survey. A descriptive analysis was used to investigate both the availability and the 
use of digitalised resources of indigenous languages towards the response against COVID-19. In 
addition, an interview with the director of CABTAL revealed that COVID-19 information has been 
translated into many indigenous languages of Cameroon, and later digitalised. 

Table 1: Distribution of Respondents According to Personal Information

Marital Status of Participants 

Gender Frequency Percentage 
Male 70 45.2 
Female 85 54.8 
Total 155 100.0 

Marital Status Count Percentage 
Married 69 44.5 
Single 67 43.2 
Widow 18 11.6 
Widower 1 6 
Total 155 100.0 

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Educational Qualifications of Respondents 
Educational Level Count Percentage 
CEP 56 36.1 
BEPC  51 32.9 
Probatoire  14 9.0 
Baccalaureate  19 12.3 
License   5 3.2 
Master  2  1.3 
Autre 8 5.2 
Total   155 100.0 
Where do You Live?  

 

Area Count 
Rural area 135 
Urban area 20 
Total   155 

Region  Count Percentage 
North West  7 4.5 
West 50 32.3 
Centre 52 33.5 
South 3 1.9 
Littoral 42 27.1 
South West 1 .6 
Total 155 100.0 
Your First Language:  
Language Count Percentage 
English 3 1.9 
French  37 23.9 
Local language  74.2 115 
Total   155 100.0 

Your Age Range:  
Age Range Count Percentage 
25-35  26 16.8 
36-45   41 26.5 
46-55  39 25.2 
56-65  24 15.5 
66-above 25 16.1 
Total 155 100.0 

 
Source: Researchers' (field survey, 2021) 

From the table above, 45.2% of the respondents were male and 54.8% were females. Findings 
presented on the table revealed that 44.5% of the respondents were married, 43.2% single, 11.6% 
widows and 0.6% was widowers. Findings still unveiled as presented on the above table that for 
educational qualification, 36.1% of the respondents indicated that they had CEP, 32.9% indicated 

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that they were of the BEPC certification, 12.3% indicated that they had obtained the Baccalaureate 
certificate, 9.0% indicated that they has the Probatoire certificate, 5.2% indicated that they had other 
certificates, 3.2% indicated that they had License and 1.3% indicated that they had Masters. 87.1% 
of the respondents indicated that they live in the rural area and 12.9% indicated that they live in 
urban areas. The table above reveals that 33.5% of the respondents were from the Centre Region, 
32.3% from the West Region, 27.1 from the Littoral Region, 4.5% from the North West Region, 
1.9% from the South Region and 0.6% from the South West Region of Cameroon. Findings as 
presented on the table above revealed that 74.2% of the respondents indicated that their first 
language was their mother tongue, 23.9% indicated that it was French and 1.9% indicated that it was 
English language. From the above table, 26.5% of the respondents indicated that they were between 
the age of 36-45 years of age, 25.3% indicated that they were between the age of 46-55 years of age, 
16.8% indicated that they were between the age of 25-35, 15.5% of the respondents indicated that 
they were between the ages of 56-65 and 16.1% indicated that they were above 66 years of age. 

Table 2: Distribution of respondents according to linguistic information

Which of the following languages do you depend on most for COVID-19 information? 
Languages Frequency Percentage  
English   12 5.9% 
French   82 40.4% 
Local language  109 53.7% 
Total   203 100.0% 
In the diffusion of information, there exist linguistic injustices in French/English with 
regards to maternal languages. 
Yes   108 69.7% 
No   40 25.8% 
Don't know  7 4.5% 
Total   155 100.0% 
I have already seen a banner on COVID-19 sensitisation in a local language. 
Always 22 14.2% 
Often   12 7.7% 
Sometimes  12 7.7% 
Rarely  15 9.7% 
Never   94 60.6% 
Total 155 100.0% 

 
Source: Researchers' (field survey, 2021) 

From the above table, 5.9% depend most on English language for the COVID-19 information.  
40.4% of the respondents indicated that they depend on French language and 53.7% indicated that 
they depend on their mother tongue.  Findings for this research presented on the table above 
revealed that 69.7% of the respondents agreed that in the diffusion of information, there exist 
linguistic injustices in French/English with regards to local languages, 25.8% disagreed and 4.5% 
were neutral. From the above table, 60.6% of the respondents indicated that they have never seen a 
banner on COVID-19 sensitisation in a local language, 14.2% indicated that they always see the 
banner, 9.7% indicated that they rarely see the banner and 7.7% indicated that they often and 
sometimes see the banner on COVID-19 respectively.

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Findings and Discussion
The findings revealed by this study show that, the majority of respondents have the BEPC equivalent 
to O/l as their highest qualification. Most of them live in rural areas and have their local languages as 
their first languages. It equally reveals 53% of the population under study depends most on their 
local languages for information related to COVID-19. So, 69.7% believe that, there exists linguistic 
injustice in the diffusion of information about the pandemic. In fact, 60.6% affirm that they have 
never seen a banner on COVID-19 in their local languages. The statistics revealed by this study show 
that, the efforts of SIL, CABTAL and other NGOs towards the translation of COVID-19 information 
into indigenous languages and the efforts of making them available through the internet and other 
digital resources are not extensively exploited. The digitalized information about the COVID-19 
could be used by the policy makers as a valuable tool to reach out to the people in rural areas, 
particularly those with low literacy rate. Unfortunately, such information is still hidden to policy 
makers and is yet to be uncovered and exploited.  

Conclusion and Recommendations
The COVID-19 pandemic has been claiming lives since its outbreak in the nation. The present study 
has shown that, the majority of the people living in rural areas in Cameroon are not receiving the 
information in their local language. Therefore, there is no effective communication established 
between the policy makers and the population. However, SIL, CABTAL, and other NGOs have 
provided the COVID-19 information in local languages and have stored them in the internet and 
other digital services so they can be available to every Cameroonian. For digitalised linguistic 
resources present an efficient alternative for the dissemination of health-related information. 
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 information in digital resources is still veiled and thus unexploited by 
the Cameroon government. Consequently, many Cameroonians are still left ignorant of the danger 
the pandemic represents in their lives and communities. This study therefore recommends that, the 
government should establish a collaborative system between the government and these NGOs that 
promote the use of indigenous languages such as SIL, CABTAL and others. This collaboration will 
enable the government or policy makers to extensively make use of the indigenous languages for the 
effective sensitisation of the Cameroonian population for official communication. 

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