The Department of Linguistics and African Languages at the University of Bamenda witnessed a historic moment on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, as Bernard Sanda Talah successfully defended his doctoral thesis titled "Developing Orthography for Multi-dialectal Languages: A Study of Yamba."
The panelists for the defence included prominent figures in the field with Prof. Mbangwana Paul as Chairperson, Rapporteurs I: Prof. Vincent A. Tanda and Prof. Wega A. Simeu. The examiners were Prof. Afutendem Lucas N. and Prof. Nicoline Agbor Tabe with Prof. Asonganyi Esther as member.
In an exclusive interview with The Hilltop Mail, Dr. Bernard Sanda Talah shared the inspiration behind his thesis choice. He cited the urgency to preserve endangered languages, such as Yamba, amidst the challenges posed by linguistic diversity and the imperative to promote linguistic rights and mother tongue education, aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals and Cameroon's decentralization ordinance.
"What inspired me was first of all, one of the UN Sustainable goals on linguistic right and the use of mother tongue or minority languages in education. The benefits of this are enormous. In addition, Cameroon is on the track of promoting the use of our mother tongues as per the 2004 decentralization ordinance." He said
Reflecting on his emotions before, during, and after the defence, Dr. Talah expressed a mix of anxiety, determination, and satisfaction. He acknowledged the rigorous scrutiny from the panelists during the defence, emphasizing the ongoing need for research and innovation in linguistic studies. Despite the challenges, Dr. Talah emerged triumphant, earning an excellent grade for his groundbreaking research.
"My feelings before the defence was that of anxiety given that I had a college of experts in the domain to test the veracity of my claims of developing supplementary orthographies in a multidialectal languages can build confidence, promote linguistic identity and preserve the culture of a people, thereby promoting the use of a writing system." Dr Bernard Sanda stated
When asked about his plans following this academic achievement, Dr. Talah affirmed his dedication to leveraging his research to benefit the Yamba people and advance mother tongue education and literacy.
Dr. Bernard Sanda Talah's doctoral defence is certainly an indication to the power of education and research in shaping a more inclusive and linguistically diverse world. As his findings reverberate beyond academia, they offer hope for the preservation and revitalization of endangered languages and cultures worldwide.