Co-Articulation and Social Acceptability: Pragmatic Implications for World Englishes

Abstract

The validity of native-like standards as requirements in English is questioned. In particular, reference is made to allophonic variations, which are said to be necessary to maintain phonemic distinctions & social acceptability. It is argued that standards are biased by an exclusive monolingual society viewpoint & that social acceptability is an issue of social identity, not linguistics. Implications for English as a second language curricula in the Outer Circle of World Englishes are discussed.