English Language and The African Literary Experience: An Examination of Selected Works of Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo

The aim of this study is to investigate how the African novelists have domesticated the English language to suit their environments, experience and purpose. Specifically, the literary pieces – The Last of the Strong Ones (Strong Ones), House of Symbols (symbols), Children of the Eagle (Children) and the Trafficked of Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo were xrayed. This exploration adopted the Hallidian Systemic Functional Linguistics, which highlights how language is used. The textual method of data analysis, the primary and secondary data collection methods were employed and the results showed that the African literary artists in general and the Igbo Nigerian novelists in particular have taken on a unique style of writing in the African vernacular style. For that reason, the speeches of the characters are laced with dignified local appositives, high profile Igbo songs and tales, studded local proverbs, lexical transfers, ritzy transliterations and so on; and these have given African rhythm to the English language. This notwithstanding, the aura, glamour and credibility of the English language as the medium of communication are retained