Phonetic Transformation Processes in the Speech of White and Black South Africans

The article analyzes the specifi cs of English adaptation process in South Africa in the context of multilingualism and multiculturalism. The linguistic and socio-cultural analysis helped to identify the key linguistic processes of South African English, obtained during the interaction of the British English language and the autochthonous languages and cultures of South Africa. The aim of the study is to identify the key phonetic transformation processes during the phonetic adaptation of the population vast majority.
It is proved that the socio-cultural diff erentiation of South African society contributed to the emergence of self-functioning subtypes of the English language within the South African English, which are: Black South African English, White South African English, Coloured South African English and Indian South African English. The key transformational processes of South African English Phonetics of whites and blacks, who make up the absolute majority of South African society, have been identifi ed of main importance while analysis. The most productive phonetic transformation processes of the White South African English include: reduction,
elision, prosthetics of vowel sounds, assimilation, loss of aspiration in deaf consonants. The phonetic transformation processes of Black South African English includes: reduction of vowel sounds, assimilation and elision of consonant sounds.