Introductory Phonetics and Phonology of English attempts to provide a practical guide to the learner in all ramifications of theoretical and practical uses of the phonetics and phonology of the English language. Useful suggestions and tips are also given on how to overcome the terror of the sounds of English. An attempt is also made to give detailed information on the workings of the prosodic features of English. This is especially necessary, as they remain, largely, the most confounding aspect of the English language to the average Nigerian speaker of English. The distinctive phonological features of the English sounds are also painstakingly discussed to help make the identification and description of the sounds of English even more interesting and accessible. The discussion about the phonological tendencies of the sounds of the English language is meant to help the reader see the English sounds as functional entities that go beyond the theoretical descriptions of their articulatory processes in the classroom. This book thus serves as a useful introductory text. If the success of the first edition is anything to go by, it is obvious that many students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels have found the book a helpful guide into understanding and mastering the phonetics and phonology of English. Moreover, certificate class students at secondary school level have also found the many segmental and suprasegmental examples very practical and helpful to their mastery of English phonetics.
About the Author: Iyabode Omolara Daniel is Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of English at the National Open University of Nigeria in Lagos, Nigeria. She holds a PhD degree from the University of Ibadan, where she specialised in the linguistics of English. She has published her research findings in both national and international journals. She has also edited both national and international journals and conference abstracts. Her PhD thesis, which got a distinction award as one of the best three for her graduation set, has been published in Germany as Portrayal of Nigerian Women's Assertiveness in Nigerian Newspapers. She has taught the English language for almost twenty years at different educational levels. She therefore has ample experience that enables her to empathise with the struggles of Nigerian students in their bid to conquer the English language. She has also published works in creative writing such as poetry, plays, and her novel is currently under review for publication. She has been a vociferous advocate of gender equality through her many writings. Her future research interests include the attainment of linguistic independence by the colonised peoples and the documentation of endangered languages in Nigeria.