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DOI: 10.15862/11FLSK326 (https://doi.org/10.15862/11FLSK326)

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Nucha A.I., Shlenskaya N.M., Pestova M.S. [Language policy in the republic of cameroon and the need for distance education solutions: target audience analysis and education accessibility] World of Science. Series: Sociology, Philology, Cultural Studies, 2026, Vol. 17, No. 3. Available at: https://sfk-mn.ru/PDF/11FLSK326.pdf (in Russian). DOI: 10.15862/11FLSK326

Language policy in the republic of cameroon and the need for distance education solutions: target audience analysis and education accessibility

Nucha Arouna Illiassou
Moscow University named after A.S. Griboyedov, Moscow, Russia
E-mail: nuchaarouna99@gmail.com
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4817-0987

Shlenskaya Nataliya Markovna
Russian State University of Social Technologies, Moscow, Russia
E-mail: teaver@yandex.ru
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0199-2393
RSCI: https://elibrary.ru/author_profile.asp?id=482793
WoS: https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/rid/AAB-2776-2019
SCOPUS: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.url?authorId=57204974077

Pestova Maria Sergeevna
Russian University of Cooperation, Mitishi, Russia
E-mail: maria.s.pestova@yandex.ru
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7996-9636
RSCI: https://elibrary.ru/author_profile.asp?id=649194
SCOPUS: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.url?authorId=57200243252

Abstract. This article analyzes the relationship between the official language policy of the Republic of Cameroon, the actual functioning of French-English bilingualism, and the needs of the French-speaking population for accessible English language programs. This article is relevant because the linguistic and educational situation in Cameroon requires further study. Despite the equality of French and English enshrined in the country’s constitution, the actual level of English proficiency among the French-speaking majority (approximately 80 % of the population) remains low, as educational programs do not take into account the principles of multilingualism. The public education system is organized as two parallel subsystems (English and French), with minimal interaction. The purpose of this study is to characterize the current linguistic situation and the target audience of potential distance learning solutions for French-speaking Cameroonians using an analysis of historical, legal, and statistical sources, as well as survey results. This study also aims to assess the conditions determining the demand for such solutions. This article examines the historical background to the emergence of bilingualism in the Republic of Cameroon, the current linguistic situation, the phenomenon of the «policy of no policy» in language education, and the consequences of the English-language crisis. Data on the availability of digital educational technologies in the country and the dynamics of the African e-learning market are analyzed, as well as the competitive landscape of existing distance learning platforms. It concludes that the French-speaking majority in Cameroon currently requires additional English language instruction programs that could be offered remotely. The article’s materials may be useful both to researchers of language policy in French-speaking Africa and to developers of educational technologies.

Keywords: language policy; bilingualism; Cameroon; English as a foreign language; digital education; target audience; distance learning

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