Most teachers and educators, translators and interpreters look at interference as a serious language mistake. Interferences are traces of one language in another language. For example, it is observed that Canadian French is heavily influenced by the majority language, English. On the other hand, Cameroon English is heavily influenced, in much the same way, by French, which is the majority language in that country. In both contexts, is this influence avoidable? Is it always a problem?
Whatever the case, translators and educators are normally enjoined to guard against such misuses that threaten the integrity of a specific language and its culture. This prescriptive point of view, which stems from de Saussure’s structural approach to language, does not seem to be tenable in a situation of social and official bilingualism. The objective of this presentation is thus to show that interference, as criticized as it might be from language purists and educators, can still be a good solution to translation and communication in a situation of official or State bilingualism. Canada and Cameroon, the two countries that apply the official policy of English and French bilingualism, will provide ample illustrations during this presentation.
