ELOHO NAOMI UVWIAMA

The study investigates how the speakers of different dialects, accents shift from the standard pronunciation of the RP to challenge the norms of speech production and foster understanding for diverse language and accents. The aim of this study is in two folds: 1) To document the specific phonetic changes occurring in RP central vowels including mergers, shifts in vowel space, and increased variability, 2) To investigate the sociolinguistic factors contributing to decentralization, exploring the influence in regional accents, and social class. This research is done through Qualitative Research Methodology, guided by David Stampe and Patricia Jane Donegan's Natural Phonology, as it addresses the central idea that phonological phenomena are best understood as Natural responses to the challenges of speech production and perception. The collection of data is done by recording, critically viewing, and analysing the decentralised vowels in words used by student speakers.