Community Interpreting in Cameroon

Cameroon by virtue of its colonial past, has embraced several exogenous cultures, civilizations and languages. This has no doubt left an indelible mark on the linguistic landscape of the country. From the Carthaginians, Greeks, Portuguese through the Germans to the French and English, the linguistic landscape of Cameroon could not remain the same and the impact can still be felt today. One of the most obvious consequences of these contacts is that English and French have remained vital communication mediums in the country. The introduction of these exogenous languages into an already extremely diverse linguistic repertoire entailed and still entails the use of middle men (referred to as interpreters) for effective communication. As it stands, there is no Cameroonian who can boast of being cleared of any linguistic challenges in a country where 70% of the citizens are rural and do not master the languages used in public domains. Access to public utility such as health care services is a considerable challenge which can only be overcome with the help of interpreters.