Language Variation and Attitudes in Postcolonial English Contexts

This book explores how English accents are perceived, evaluated, and socially interpreted within contemporary Nigeria. Drawing on original empirical research involving Nigerian university students, the author investigates how speakers assign value to different English varieties, specifically American, British, Ghanaian, Jamaican, and Nigerian English, and what these evaluations reveal about identity, power, and postcolonial linguistic hierarchies. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines surveys, interviews, and an indirect verbal-guise experiment, the book uncovers both conscious beliefs and unconscious biases shaping how Nigerians respond to different English accents. At its core, the book examines the relationship between accent, social status, and cultural belonging in a multilingual, postcolonial society, offering new findings and implications for scholars, language educators, and policymakers alike.