Optimality Analysis of Consonant Clusters Repair Strategies among Nigerian Speakers of English
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24113/8xy4y141Keywords:
Optimality theory, L2 speakers, consonant clusters, constraints, phonotactics, pronunciationAbstract
This research investigates how L1 phonotactic constraints affect English consonant clusters in 40 Nigerian undergraduates (20 males, 20 females) at the University of Africa, Toru-Orua. Subjects’ L1s (Izon, Yoruba, Edo, and Urhoho) belong to the Niger-Congo family and favor open (CV) syllables, disallowing complex codas. Data from pronunciation tasks were phonetically transcribed and acoustically analysed via Praat. Analysis revealed three repair strategies—simplification, reduction, and full realisation—with simplification most frequent. Based on Optimality Theory, these processes reflect systematic constraint interactions where markedness dominates faithfulness, yielding the ranking ∗COMPLEX≫MAX≫IDENT≫DEP. Crucially, local re-rankings showed onsets favor simplification while codas tolerate reduction. These findings provide empirical evidence for constraint reranking in interlanguage grammars, demonstrating how L1 phonotactic pressures shape Nigerian English phonology. The study underscores OT’s relevance in explaining phonological variations exhibited by bilingual students.
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