Pius W. Akumbu, PhD
Associate Professor of Linguistics
University of Missouri-Columbia
Program in Linguistics, Department of English
Tel: +1(573) 529-9011
Email: akumbu.pius@ubuea.cm
2007: PhD in Linguistics, The University of Yaounde 1, Cameroon.
Area: Phonology. Dissertation Title: Njem Tonology
Supervisors: Ngessimo M. Mutaka & Sammy B. Chumbow
2001: Diploma of Advanced Studies (D.E.A.) in Linguistics, The University of Yaounde 1.
2000: High School Teacher’s Diploma, English Language, Higher Teachers’ Training College, The University of Yaounde 1.
1999: MA in Linguistics, The University of Yaounde 1.
1997: BA in Linguistics, The University of Yaounde 1.
July 2021-Dec. 2021: Visiting Professor, Program in Linguistics, Department of English, University of Missouri-Columbia, USA.
Jan. 2019-June 2021: Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow, Asia-Africa Institute, Universität Hamburg, Germany.
Oct. 2019-Mar. 2020: Part time Professor of African Linguistics, Asia-Africa Institute, Universität Hamburg, Germany.
Nov. 2017-Dec. 2018: Associate Professor of Linguistics, Department of Linguistics, University of Buea, Cameroon.
Sept. 2015-May 2016: Fulbright African Research Scholar, University of California, Berkeley.
July-Oct. 2013: Visiting Research Scholar, Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University, Japan.
July- Sept 2011: German Academic Exchange Services (DAAD) Short-term Research Stay, Asia-Africa Institute, Universität Hamburg, Germany.
May 2010-Oct. 2017: Senior Lecturer, Department of Linguistics, University of Buea.
Oct. 2008-Apr. 2010: Assistant Lecturer, Department of Linguistics, University of Buea.
Sept. 2003-Aug. 2008: High School Teacher of English Language, Government Bilingual High School, Tibati, Cameroon.
Oct. 2001-Jul. 2002: Part time Lecturer of Linguistics, Department of African Studies, University of Dschang, Cameroon.
Aug. 2017-Dec. 2018: Head of Service for Research and Cooperation, Higher Institute of Transport and Logistics, The University of Bamenda.
Nov. 2017-Sept 2018: Acting Head of Department of Maritime Transport, Higher Institute of Transport and Logistics, The University of Bamenda.
June 2011-Jul 2017: Director, Centre for African Languages and Cultures, University of Buea.
Sept. 2003-Aug. 2008: Head of English Department, Government Bilingual High School, Tibati.
D. Awards
2019: Humboldt Georg Forster Fellowship for Experienced Researchers to work on a Polylectal Grammar of Central Ring Grassfields Languages. Universität Hamburg, Germany. Approximately 100,000 EUR (Period: Jan. 2019–June 2021).
2018: Cameroon-US government Alumni East Regional Outreach Grant. Higher Teachers’ Training College, Bertoua, Cameroon. Amount: $500 (Period: Sept. –Nov. 2018).
2017: Foundation for Endangered Languages (FEL), USA grant for the “Documentation and Publication of Babanki Folktales”. Amount: $1,000 (Period: Mar. –Nov. 2018).
2016: Endangered Languages Fund (ELF), USA grant for “Babanki Teacher Training and Production of Literacy Materials”. Amount: $4,000 (Period: Mar. –Aug. 2017).
2015: Fulbright African Research Scholar Grant, University of California, Berkeley. Amount: $32,000 (Period: Sept 1, 2015–May 31, 2016).
2014: Firebird Foundation for Anthropological Research, Phillips, Maine, USA Fellowship for the “Multimedia Documentation of Babanki Oral Literature”. Amount: $10,000 (Period: Oct. 2014–Sept. 2015).
2013: Endangered Languages Documentation Programme (ELDP), School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London Small Grant for the “Multimedia Documentation of Babanki Ritual Speech”. Amount: £9,994 (Period: Dec. 2013–Nov. 2014).
2013: Visiting Research Scholar, Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University, Japan. Approximately $20,000 (Period: July–Oct. 2013).
2011: German Academic Exchange Services (DAAD) Short-term research Stay, Asia-Africa Institute, Universität Hamburg. Amount: 6,295 EUR (Period: July 2011–Sept. 2011).
i. Conferences, workshops and seminars
Sept. 1, 2021: Focus on Africa Series, African Interdisciplinary Studies Hub, University of Missouri-Columbia
Paper presented: Languages in and of education in Africa: The future of indigenous languages.
July 1–3, 2021: 24th Afrikanist*innentag, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main,
Paper presented: Bubbling belly and bursting bile: The linguistic expression of anger in Babanki.
July 1–3, 2021: 24th Afrikanist*innentag, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main,
Paper presented: The expression of commands, warnings and threats in Babanki.
June 7–12, 2021: 10th World Congress of African Linguistics, Leiden University (WOCAL10).
Paper presented: Grammatical functions of the Babanki nasal prefix.
June 7–12, 2021: 10th World Congress of African Linguistics, Leiden University (WOCAL10).
Paper presented: Emergency linguicism: Linguistic minorities of North-West Cameroon in emergencies
May 19, 2021: Departmental Colloquium, University of Hamburg.
Paper presented: Literal and metaphorical usages of Babanki eat and drink verbs
08–10 April, 2021: 51st-52nd Annual Conference on African Linguistics (ACAL 51-52), University of Florida, USA.
Paper presented: Vowel quality and stress in African tone languages: The case of Babanki.
08–10 April, 2021: 51st-52nd Annual Conference on African Linguistics (ACAL 51-52), University of Florida, USA.
Paper presented: The expression of qualities in Babanki.
27–29 March, 2021: Endangered Language Project (ELP) Helpdesk Workshop, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, USA.
Group discussion focus: Supporting multilingualism and robust language ecologies
Feb. 13, 2021: Cameroon Academy of Young Scientists’ Webinar Series.
Presentation Title: The role of indigenous languages in COVID-19 communication in Cameroon
Jan. 20, 2021: School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London Linguistics Seminars.
Presentation Title: Language documentation and the empowerment of target community members
Jan. 6, 2021: Departmental Colloquium, University of Hamburg.
Paper presented: The expression of emotions in Babanki
Nov. 27, 2020: Guest speaker, “Introduction to language documentation class”, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London.
Discussion focus: Language documentation in Cameroon: Experiences and perspectives
July 10, 2020: Field Notes podcast, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London.
Discussion focus: Insider research in Babanki
https://fieldnotespod.com/2020/07/10/ep-24-pius-akumbu-on-insider-research-in-babanki/
May 18, 2020: Departmental Colloquium, University of Hamburg.
Paper presented: The conjoint/disjoint alternation in Babanki
Dec. 13–14, 2019: Afranaph Project Development Workshop III. Georgetown University, Washington DC.
Paper presented: Tense-Aspect marking in Babanki
Nov. 15, 2019: Indigenous Languages Colloquium. Rutgers University, New Jersey.
Paper Presented: Opportunities and challenges of mother-tongue education in multilingual settings: The case of Babanki, Cameroon
Oct 30–Nov. 2, 2019: International Year of Indigenous Languages 2019: Perspectives Conference. Purdue University, Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Plenary Speaker: Languages in and of education in Africa: The future of indigenous languages
Panelist: Indigenous perspectives
23–25 May, 2019: 50th Annual Conference on African Linguistics (ACAL 50), University of British Columbia, Canada.
Paper presented: Vowel assimilation to onset place in Kejom.
23–25 May, 2019: 50th Annual Conference on African Linguistics (ACAL 50), University of British Columbia, Canada.
Paper presented: A segmental reconstruction of Proto Central Ring.
April 15–17, 2019: Typology of Small Scale Multilingualism conference. Dynamique du Language (CNRS & Université Lumière Lyon 2) Lyon.
Paper presented: Multilingualism among the Mbororo of Northwest Cameroon: An overview
April 3–5, 2019 Humboldt network meeting, University of Leipzig, Germany.
Paper presented: A grammar of Central Ring Grassfields Bantu languages
March 27–29, 2019: Descriptive Grammars and Typology: The challenges of writing grammars of underdescribed and endangered languages conference. University of Helsinki, Finland.
Plenary Speaker: Reflections on a community-based approach to writing grammars of endangered languages
Sept. 13–15, 2018: Cameroon-US government Alumni Fair ‘Connect-Inspire-Impact: Nursing the next generation of Cameroon’s leaders’. US Embassy, Yaounde.
Keynote Address: Thinking and creating: Key to development
Jan. 5–6 2018: First National Symposium on Cameroonian Languages (NASCAL),
SIL Cameroon and University of Yaounde I.
Paper presented: Verbal extensions in Grassfields Bantu
Aug. 12, 2017: ‘African MultilingualismS’ conference, Univeristy of Yaounde I.
Paper presented: Understanding language diversity among the Mbororo of Northwest Cameroon
April 6, 2016: Guest lecture, Graduate School, Arts and Sciences, Governors State University, Chicago.
Topic: Language policy and practice in Cameroon
March 23–26, 2016: 47th Annual Conference on African Linguistics (ACAL47), University of California, Berkeley.
Paper presented: A featural analysis of mid and downstepped high tone in Babanki
Feb. 5–7, 2016: Berkeley Linguistics Society (BLS) 42nd annual meeting, UC Berkeley.
Paper presented: Babanki coda consonant deletion and vowel raising: A case of allomorphy
Jan 7–10, 2016: Linguistic Society of America (LSA) 90th Annual Meeting. Marriott Marquis, Washington D.C.
Paper presented: Babanki literacy classes and community-based language research
Dec. 3, 2015: Guest lecture, Linguistics Department, University of Texas at Arlington.
Topic: Single underlying representations vs. allomorphy: The case of Babanki coda consonant deletion
Nov. 19–22, 2015: 58th Annual Meeting of the African Studies Association (ASA). Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Mariner, San Diego, California.
Paper presented: Central Ring Grassfields Bantu languages
Dec. 12–14, 2013: Afranaph Project Workshop II, Rutgers University, New Jersey.
Paper presented: Competing Babanki anaphors
Dec. 5–7, 2013: VolkswagenStiftung Conference ‘Digital Humanities Revisited: Challenges and Opportunities in the Digital Age’, Hanover, Germany.
Paper presented: Multimedia documentation of lesser known languages in Northwest Cameroon
Oct. 12, 2013: Invited speaker, Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Japan.
Paper presented: Babanki verb tone
Oct. 5–6, 2013: ‘International Symposium on Conflict Resolution and Coexistence: African Potentials 2013’, Kyoto University, Japan.
Poster presented: Inter-tribal wars in Northwest Cameroon
April 15–19, 2013: Guest Lecturer of Phonological Theory, Department of Linguistics, University of São Paolo, Brazil.
Course taught: Introduction to Register Tier Theory (MA and PhD class).
June 30–July 1, 2011: DOBES workshop, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen.
Paper presented: Unreleased stops in Bezen
Aug. 17–21, 2009: 6th World Congress for African Linguistics, University of Cologne, Germany.
Paper presented: Tone on the associative construction in Kejom (Babanki)
ii. Research
Jan. 2019–June 2021: Alexander von Humboldt Researcher on the seven Central Ring Grassfields Bantu languages (Babanki, Bum, Kom, Kuk, Kung, Mmen, Oku) of Northwest Cameroon. Universität Hamburg.
2014–present: Senior personnel in the Key Pluridisciplinary Advances on African Multilingualism – Cameroon (KPAAM-CAM) project for the mentoring of Cameroonian students, University at Buffalo/University of Buea.
https://ubwp.buffalo.edu/kpaamcam/2018/03/08/pius-akumbu/
Oct. 2011–2014: Researcher with the Volkswagen Foundation (DoBeS) sponsored project: Documentation of Bezen. University of Buea/Universität Hamburg.
Dec. 2010–2014: Researcher with the Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation sponsored project: A Polylectal Grammar Sketch and Trilingual Dictionary of Nkon. University of Buea/Universität Hamburg.
July 2010–2013: Consultant with the National Science Foundation (USA) sponsored project: Anaphora in the African Languages. Department of Linguistics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
Dec. 2013–Nov. 2014: Multimedia Documentation of Babanki Ritual Speech. Sponsored by the Endangered Languages Documentation Programme, SOAS, London.
Sept. 2000–Dec. 2004: Sociolinguistics Surveyor, Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) International, Cameroon.
III. Synergistic Activities
Since Jan. 2021 Member of UNESCO’s Ad-hoc Group for the Preparation of the Global Action Plan for the Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL2022-2032).
2020–present: Member of the scientific advisory board, Afrika und Übersee, University of Hamburg. https://www.aai.uni-hamburg.de/afrika/ueber-die-abteilung/publikationen/afrika-und-uebersee.html.
2020–present: Reviewer for the Journal of the Cameroon Academy of Sciences (JCAS).
2019–present: Reviewer of grant applications for the National Science Foundation, USA.
2019–present: Reviewer of grant applications for the Endangered Languages Fund, USA.
2019–present: Reviewer for Linguistics Vanguard.
2014–present: Reviewer of grant applications for the Endangered Languages Documentation Programme (ELDP), SOAS, London.
Nov. 2018–Nov. 2019: Member of the organizing committee of the UN International Year of Indigenous Languages 2019 Perspectives Conference, Purdue University, Fort Wayne. https://iyil2019perspectives.org/organizing-committee/.
Sept. 13–15, 2018: Member of the organizing committee of the first Cameroon-US government Alumni Fair ‘Connect-Inspire-Impact: Nursing the next generation of Cameroon’s leaders’, US Embassy, Yaounde.
2012–2017: Organized monthly seminars at the Centre for African Languages and Cultures, University of Buea.
Mar. 23–26, 2016: Member of the organizing committee of the 47th Annual Conference on African Linguistics (ACAL47), University of California, Berkeley. http://linguistics.berkeley.edu/acal47/
June 6, 2014: Organized the Language Documentation and Archiving Workshop. Centre for African Languages and Cultures, University of Buea.
2013: Reviewer for Studies in African Linguistics, USA.
2012–2013: Reviewer for California Linguistic Notes, California State University, Fullerton.
2012–2013: Reviewer for the Journal of West African Languages, London.
2012: Reviewer for the African Language Association of South Africa.
Aug. 20–24, 2012: Member of the organizing committee of the World Congress of African Linguistics (WOCAL) 7, University of Buea.
Feb. 18–28, 2008: Organized the Foundations for Grammar 3 (Verb Phrase Description) course, SIL International, Bamenda.
V. Membership in Organizations
2018–present: Cameroon Academy of Young Scientists (CAYS)
2012–present: Foundation for Endangered Languages (FEL).
2009–present: World Congress of African Linguistics (WOCAL).
2016: Linguistics Society of America (LSA)
2016: Association of Contemporary African Linguistics (ACAL).
2010–2014: Central African Research and Innovation Management Association (CARIMA).
2008–2017: Kejom Ketinguh Cultural and Development Association, Buea branch.