LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF THE VARIETY OF ENGLISH SPOKEN BY EDUCATED INDIVIDUALS IN SOUTHEAST NIGERIA THROUGH THE LENS OF LITERARY WRITERS FROM SOUTHEAST

Abstract

This study made a linguistic analysis of the variety of English spoken by educated individuals in Southeast Nigeria through the lens of literary works from this region. The study investigated the phonological, lexical, syntactic, and pragmatic features of this variety of English, using Noam Chomsky’s Transformational Generative Grammar (TGG) as its theoretical framework. Chomsky’s TGG, which posits that all languages share a universal deep structure that underlies surface-level variations, offers an effective tool for examining how the deep structures of Igbo, the predominant first language in Southeast Nigeria, interact with English to produce a localised variety.Using TGG’s concepts of deep and surface structures, the study analyses this linguistic creativity to uncover the cognitive and generative processes underlying the production of Southeast Nigerian English. It argues that while the surface structures of this English variety deviate from Standard English norms, the deep structures reveal universal principles of language, adapted to the sociocultural and linguistic realities of the Igbo-speaking community.Thus, the findings contribute to the discourse on World Englishes, emphasising the legitimacy and value of localised English varieties in global linguistic landscapes. They also have implications for English Language Teaching (ELT) in Nigeria, advocating for pedagogical approaches that recognise and integrate these linguistic realities. Ultimately, this study affirms the dynamic nature of language and its role in reflecting cultural identity and societal evolution.