THE SYSTEMIC VARIABILITY OF ENGLISH DIPHTHONGS: A THEORETICAL AND PEDAGOGICAL REAPPRAISAL
Abstract
This article addresses the growing systemic variability in the realization of English diphthongs in contemporary global speech, a phenomenon significantly accelerated by processes such as dialect leveling and increased media-driven exposure to diverse accents. This variability presents profound challenges for established models of phonological representation and, critically, for language pedagogy, where traditional, static norms (e.g., Received Pronunciation or General American) are increasingly insufficient. Drawing upon principles from sociophonetics and Exemplar Theory, this paper argues for a fundamental reorientation of the theoretical conceptualization and teaching of diphthongs. We assert that current system-based, system-invariant descriptions fail to capture the complex, structured nature of ongoing sound changes, such as the monophthongization of aɪ and the fronting of aʊ. The analysis suggests that a failure to integrate a variation-aware perspective, grounded in the storage of rich phonetic exemplars, risks rendering pedagogical models obsolete and inadequate for preparing learners for authentic, real-world spoken interaction within the context of English as a Global Language (EGL). This paper structurally re-evaluates the theoretical underpinnings necessary for a robust, perceptually viable model of English diphthongs.
Keywords
English diphthongs, phonological variation, sociophonetics, Exemplar Theory, language pedagogy, monophthongization, global English. Introduction
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