ABSTRACT
In foreign/second language teaching, it is all too easy to overlook aspects of the model which might act to create psychological barriers to full, native-like acquisition of the language in question. From a purely linguistic point of view, one would ideally aim at an accent which is as close as possible to native speech. This is fine provided the language in question is totally 'foreign' in the sense that it carries no historical or political associations about which the learner might be sensitive. To give an example, a Nigerian who speaks French with a crisp Parisian accent would be greatly admired, whereas one who speaks English with a native speaker accent gets reactions ranging from derision for a brain-washed 'been-to' to one of disgust for someone who lacks national pride and a sense of identity. He sounds foreign and affected. Afọlayan, commenting on this type of reaction, writes:
However, there are two interesting aspects of public reaction to English pronunciation in Nigeria that touch upon acceptability. On the one hand, fluency is considered a desirable element of English pronunciation, and lack of fluency is derided. On the other hand, the greater the resemblance of one's pronunciation to the Received pronunciation model, the more it is frowned upon as being hypercorrect.
(Afọlayan 1979) Broadly speaking, Jibril echoes the same sentiments while stating more accurately that all native accents, and not necessarily RP alone, get this type of reaction:There is evidence — from an ongoing study of Nigerian English that I am undertaking — that Nigerians do not place a high premium on acquiring close imitations of native accents of English, and that consequently they do not modify their accent significantly even after living in Britain or America for up to eight years; if they do, they do not disown their original Nigerian accent but rather use it whenever they speak to fellow Nigerians. Indeed the cultural climate in Nigeria at the present time discourages any tendency towards a perfect, native-like accent, though there is no corresponding aversion to impeccable written English.
(Jibril 1982: 85) Several reasons can be adduced for the type of reaction we have been describing. Among them are: