THE LINGUISTIC TRAP: THE ISSUE OF STANDARD ENGLISH OR NUCLEAR ENGLISH

Abstract

A few centuries ago, the English Language consisted of a collection of dialects spoken mainly by monolinguals and only within the shores of a small Island. Today, the language includes a range of different standard and non-standard varieties that are spoken on a regular basis in many different countries throughout the  world. This paper explores the retionalisation for prescribing the Received Pronunciation (RP) as the only English to be thought in school. It also provides some justification for teaching of non-standard varieties, with reference to the extended English speaking world in general and Nigeria in particular .  These undertaking were therefore , tackled in the light of the spread of English, RP, the teaching of RP and the justification for the teaching of non-standard varieties.