Speech Acts and Communication Practices in Anglophone Cameroon Women Associations’ Interactions

Abstract

This study set out to explore the illocutionary forces of communicative acts and their functions in group interactions of some selected women associations from the Anglophone Regions of Cameroon. It also explored the extent to which the illocutionary acts used during groups events mirror women's communication practices. Through collective case design, with random and purposeful sampling techniques, non-participant observation, unstructured, open-ended interviews, audio recorded events of two categories of women associations (faith-based, consisting of Catholic Women’s Association and Christian Women Fellowship, and development-based, consisting of One Hand Cannot Tie a Bundle, Cameroon Gatsby Foundation and Biwon Self-Reliance Farmers’ and Traders’ Union) were explored through content analysis. The findings of this study reveal that interactions in Anglophone Cameroon women’s gatherings are not only geared towards the content of the talk but members’ feelings and welfare are also taken into consideration. Illocutionary acts such as invitations, requests and advice (directives), and greetings, offers, rejoicing and appreciations (expressives) were frequently used. However, threats and refusal (commissives), as well as complaints and criticisms (expressives), were equally used, especially in Development-Based events. These illocutionary acts were used to carry out mostly positive reactions and attempted answers to the interaction process, with minimal negative reactions and questions communicative acts, which indicate cooperation, connection, support, closeness and understanding.