Dialect Contact and Change in Ngor-Okpala Dialect of Igbo

This study investigates the notion of contact-induced change in Ngor-Okpala dialect in relation to Mbaise and Etche dialects with evidences in phonic interference and sentence structure. The focus of this study is on the phonic interference and variation in sentence structure created as a result of dialect contact between Ngor-okpala dialect and her Mbaise and Etche neighbours. It also aims to examine the factors responsible for this contact-induced change in Ngor-okpala dialect such as geography, migration, marriage and economic activities will be reviewed. The 
study adopts comparative and descriptive methods, while data for the study were gathered from both primary sources such as personal communications and secondary sources such as journal articles, and textbooks. Howard Giles’ Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) is adopted as the theoretical framework. This study reveals that Ngor-okpala dialect has been diffused because of its contact with Etche and Mbaise dialects. It also revealed with evidences in phonic interference and sentence structure of the Ngor-okpala dialect. The study concludes that dialect change in Ngor-okpala is the product of linguistic contact that exist along a continuum of variation which is dependent on which dialect they come in contact with and this determines the distinctiveness and areas of diffusion 
in the dialect.