A Vocabulary of Resistance during Political Crises in the Northwest Region of Cameroon: Should Teachers Stay Quiet?

This study investigates the discursive strategies employed by teachers in the Northwest Region of Cameroon during the ongoing Anglophone political crisis, focusing on the subtle and strategic use of language to achieve both professional and civic demands. Drawing on Critical Pedagogy (Freire, 2000), Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough, 1995), and Systemic Functional Linguistics (Halliday & Matthiessen, 2014), the research examines how educators navigate ideological pressure from both state and non-state actors while maintaining professional integrity and personal safety. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with teachers and classroom observations across affected areas. Findings reveal that teachers employed a “vocabulary of resistance” consisting of coded language, passive constructions, irony, polysemic texts, and even strategic silence, all designed to provoke critical thinking without overt confrontation. Teachers balanced critique of state propaganda and separatist coercion, highlighting their double marginalization and linguistic ingenuity. These discursive practices reflect not disengagement but what Bourdieu (1991) describes as strategic censorship, a response to surveillance and power asymmetries. The study recommends strengthening teacher support networks, integrating peace education into curricula, and providing training in conflict-sensitive pedagogy. By acknowledging the role of language in navigating oppression, the paper calls for broader recognition of educators not merely as conveyors of content, but as active participants in the socio-political life of their communities.