Language and Legal Proceedings: Analysing Courtroom Discourse in Cameroon (1st ed. 2021)

By: Endurence Midinette Dissake

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Synopsis: This book investigates language-related problems which arise in courtroom discourse in the Republic of Cameroon, in Central Africa. While Cameroon has over 250 national languages, court cases are conducted in the two official languages: English and French. This is despite the fact that 40% of the adult population is illiterate in these languages, and means that lay litigants often encounter language-related problems during trials. In this study, the author makes use of Speech Act Theory and Interactional Sociolinguistics to analyse the speech acts of both legal professionals and lay litigants as observed in 37 legal cases, demonstrating how the use of exoglossic languages in a highly multilingual nation constitutes a serious issue. The book will be of interest to students and scholars of Forensic Linguistics, Language Policy and Planning, and Discourse Analysis, particularly those with an interest in the African context.

Book Quality:: Publisher Quality
ISBN-13:: 9783030763497
Related ISBNs:: 9783030763480
Publisher:: Springer International Publishing
Date of Addition:: 07/18/21
Copyrighted By:: The Editor
Adult content:: No
Language:: English
Has Image Descriptions:: No
Categories:: Nonfiction, Social Studies, Language Arts, Foreign Language Study, Sociology
Submitted By:: Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:: This is a copyrighted book.