Raghavan, R: Second Language Phonology

English, today, is a language that is used widely across the world. Yet, inspite of the widespread use, the language seems to have features that are unique to the region it is spoken in. Theories of Second language cquisition, at some point, fail to explain why.The study proposed here is an exploratory study of the varieties of English, with special reference to Tamil English, using the framework of Self Organisation. Competing with stable systems in place, we have evidence to show that language behaves like a natural system; moulding itself to its surrounding environments to attain stability.The outcome of the study showed that there were deviations that were unwarranted for. It demonstrates that varieties of English such as Tamil English need to be treated as separate languages that have evolved over the years bearing resemblance to the mother language and at the same time having an identity of their own. Like any other natural language these languages too have structures and processes of their own that cannot be attributed to any other language.