LAP Lambert Academic Publishing The Zimbabwean English: An Optimality Theory Account of Zimbabwean English’s Phonology

This book looks at the phonology of the variety of English spoken by Shona -English bilinguals in Zimbabwe termed as ‘The Zimbabwean English’ in this book. There are significant linguistic differences between the Zimbabwean English Variety and the British Received Pronunciation variety in terms of their vowel inventories. This book theoretically shows, how Shona-English Bilinguals employ the phonological processes to reduce the Received Pronunciation’ s complex Vowels like diphthongs, triphthongs long vowels and complex monopthongs to Zimbabwean English’s simple monopthongs. This book argues therefore, for the legitimacy of Zimbabwean English as a distinct variety of English with linguistic features that distinguishes it from Received Pronunciation.