Abstract

This paper investigates the representation of ethnicity in E.E. Sule’s Makwala through the lens of phonological interference, examining how linguistic deviations from Standard English reflect underlying ethnic identities. Employing a socio-phonological approach, the study analyses selected character dialogue to identify segmental features such as substituting /p/ with /f/ that signal mother tongue influence, particularly from Hausa language. The spoken English of three characters from the novels are selected as data for this study. With the aim to examine the similarities and differences of English and Hausa phoneme, investigate how the phonemes of both languages facilitates learning by their similarities and how they constitute difficulty by their differences. These phonological markers are interpreted not merely as speech errors but as deliberate literary strategies for encoding cultural identity, social class, and regional affiliation. Lado (1957) and Fries (1945) model of Contrastive Analysis is the framework this study is hinged upon. The findings reveal that Sule’s use of phonological interference serves as a narrative tool for highlighting ethnic diversity and exposing sociolinguistic tension in Nigeria’s multilingual landscape. By foregrounding speech as a site of identity negotiation, the study contributes to broader discourses on language, ethnicity and representation in African literature.