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Assessing Anglais Paper Instructions Set by Francophone Primary School Teachers in Guidiguis, Far-north Cameroon

Received: 16 August 2025     Accepted: 27 August 2025     Published: 9 December 2025
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Abstract

This study aims to assess the linguistic quality of Anglais paper instructions set by Francophone primary school teachers. Guided by the Error Analysis framework, 40 authentic CM2 question papers were examined. The analysis revealed recurrent word order and subject–verb agreement errors, alongside frequent orthographic mistakes. These issues were largely attributed to negative transfer from French and an incomplete mastery of English grammatical and orthographic conventions. Such errors compromise the clarity of instructions, risk confusing learners during assessments, and potentially undermine the objectives of Cameroon’s bilingual education policy. The study recommends targeted in-service teacher training focused on English grammar and assessment language, the development of clear instructional guidelines, and the institution of systematic quality control measures to ensure the production of accurate and comprehensible paper materials in English.

Published in International Journal of Language and Linguistics (Volume 13, Issue 6)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijll.20251306.13
Page(s) 228-235
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Error Analysis, Francophone Primary School Teachers, Instructions, Negative Transfer, Question Papers

References
[1] Anthony, A. (2008). Output strategies for English Language Learners: Theory to practice. The Reading Teacher, 61(6), 472-482.
[2] Bachman, L. F., & Palmer, A. S. (1996). Language testing in practice: Designing and developing useful language tests. Oxford University Press.
[3] Corder, S. P. (1967). The significance of learners’ errors. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 5(4), 161-170.
[4] Ellis, R., & Collins, L. (2009). Input and second language acquisition: The roles of frequency, form, and function. Modern Language Journal, 93(3), 329–348.
[5] Fakeye, D. O. (2012). Teachers’ knowledge and students’ learning outcomes in English language. World Journal of English Language, 2(3), 41–48.
[6] Fornkwa, J. (2013). Aspects of francophone Cameroon English inflectional morphology: The case of the –S inflections. Macrothink Institute. International Journal of English Language Education, 1(1), 15-39.
[7] Gass, S. M. (1997). Input, interaction, and the second language learner. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
[8] Kimberly, R. (2009). Teacher knowledge and its impact on learning. Educational Leadership, 66(5), 14–19.
[9] Kouega, J.-P., & Sokeng, S. C. P. (2013). Written English performance of Francophone secondary school-leavers in Cameroon. Journal of Education and Practice, 4(28), 112–121.
[10] Lightbown, P. M. (1992). Getting quality input in the second/foreign language classroom. In C. Kramsch & S. McConnell-Ginet (Eds.), Text and context: Cross-disciplinary perspectives on language study (pp. 187–197). D. C. Heath.
[11] Meutem, K. L. M., & Noyomdi, F. M. (2024). When the blind lead the blinds: Analysing the written English productions of Francophone primary school teachers in Far-North Cameroon and the need for pedagogic reforms. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 12(1), 47–52.
[12] Noyomdi, F. M. (2022). Assessing the English written production of francophone primary school teachers in far north Cameroon [Unpublished master’s dissertation]. University of Maroua, Cameroon.
[13] Sokeng, S. C. P. (2014). Grammatical errors in the written English of French-speaking university students in Cameroon. International Journal of English Language Studies, 4(2), 33–49.
[14] Swain, M. (1988). Manipulating and complementing content teaching to maximize second language learning. TESL Canada Journal, 6(1), 68–83.
[15] Taboh, & Landon, M. (2017). English in Cameroon: Issues of teacher Language Proficiency. International Journal of English Language Teaching, 4(1), 20-31.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Grand, E. W. L. (2025). Assessing Anglais Paper Instructions Set by Francophone Primary School Teachers in Guidiguis, Far-north Cameroon. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 13(6), 228-235. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20251306.13

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    ACS Style

    Grand, E. W. L. Assessing Anglais Paper Instructions Set by Francophone Primary School Teachers in Guidiguis, Far-north Cameroon. Int. J. Lang. Linguist. 2025, 13(6), 228-235. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20251306.13

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    AMA Style

    Grand EWL. Assessing Anglais Paper Instructions Set by Francophone Primary School Teachers in Guidiguis, Far-north Cameroon. Int J Lang Linguist. 2025;13(6):228-235. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20251306.13

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijll.20251306.13,
      author = {Ebenezert Welyang Le Grand},
      title = {Assessing Anglais Paper Instructions Set by Francophone Primary School Teachers in Guidiguis, Far-north Cameroon},
      journal = {International Journal of Language and Linguistics},
      volume = {13},
      number = {6},
      pages = {228-235},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijll.20251306.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20251306.13},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijll.20251306.13},
      abstract = {This study aims to assess the linguistic quality of Anglais paper instructions set by Francophone primary school teachers. Guided by the Error Analysis framework, 40 authentic CM2 question papers were examined. The analysis revealed recurrent word order and subject–verb agreement errors, alongside frequent orthographic mistakes. These issues were largely attributed to negative transfer from French and an incomplete mastery of English grammatical and orthographic conventions. Such errors compromise the clarity of instructions, risk confusing learners during assessments, and potentially undermine the objectives of Cameroon’s bilingual education policy. The study recommends targeted in-service teacher training focused on English grammar and assessment language, the development of clear instructional guidelines, and the institution of systematic quality control measures to ensure the production of accurate and comprehensible paper materials in English.},
     year = {2025}
    }
    

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    AB  - This study aims to assess the linguistic quality of Anglais paper instructions set by Francophone primary school teachers. Guided by the Error Analysis framework, 40 authentic CM2 question papers were examined. The analysis revealed recurrent word order and subject–verb agreement errors, alongside frequent orthographic mistakes. These issues were largely attributed to negative transfer from French and an incomplete mastery of English grammatical and orthographic conventions. Such errors compromise the clarity of instructions, risk confusing learners during assessments, and potentially undermine the objectives of Cameroon’s bilingual education policy. The study recommends targeted in-service teacher training focused on English grammar and assessment language, the development of clear instructional guidelines, and the institution of systematic quality control measures to ensure the production of accurate and comprehensible paper materials in English.
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