South African English: A New Voice

In this paper, a case study describes the lexis, phonology, grammar, and syntax of a speaker of South African English (SAE) and shows how these elements differ from those of a General American English (GAE) speaker. The subject was a 32-year-old female speaker of SAE, and that although she is a bilingual speaker of English and Afrikaans, English was her first language. The paper outlines the research methodology and indicates results. It then discusses the historical, social, and linguistic factors that have contributed to these language variation differences. It ends with some suggestions for learners trying to cope with other varieties of English--an important point since most pedagogical materials prepare learners to comprehend standard varieties of English yet do little to help learners understand the majority of the world's speakers of English. An appendix gives the transcription notation and transcripts for 6 episodes. (Contains 4 tables of data and 16 references.) (NKA) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document