Optimality Account of Stress in Standard British and Nigerian English

The book "Optimality Account of Stress in Standard British and Nigerian English" offers an in-depth analysis of the phonological structures in Standard British English (SBE) and Nigerian English (NE). It argues that Optimality Theory (OT) meets the requirements of a serious phonological theory by relying on well-formed constraints that are part of universal grammar. The central thesis of the book is that the specific grammar of a language is determined by the order in which these universal constraints are applied. The work illustrates how the arrangement of these constraints varies in SBE and NE, and emphasizes that despite these differences, the same constraints are present in both variants. These findings could be particularly significant in the educational sector, as they may contribute to improved teaching and usage of the English language in Nigeria when the focus is on the marked aspects of stress assignment.