Sandra Jansen

An Overview of Sociolinguistics in England

This introductory chapter explains how this book, similar to its counterparts in Scotland, Ireland and Wales, encompasses a range of studies representative of the research conducted in the sociolinguistic field in England in the 2010s, notably on phonological, lexical, syntactic and intonational variation in English and British Sign Language. Also included is a short synopsis of each of the chapters found in this book. The chapter considers directions which future research could, and perhaps should, take.

Peripheral Communities and Innovation: Changes in the goose Vowel in a West Cumbrian Town

The chapter discusses changes in the goose vowel in Maryport, a peripheral community in West Cumbria. Sociolinguistic studies often focus on variation and change processes in urban areas, but peripheral areas are frequently neglected. goose-fronting has been described as innovation in various urban communities in England with strikingly similar constraints across varieties. However, in Maryport, the goose vowel is not fronting and constraints which are widespread such as the inhibiting /l/ following the vowel are not found. On the other hand, a strong sex constraint exists with women using fronter /uː/ than men and the difference is maintained across age groups. While we do not observe changes on the F2 dimension, on the F1 dimension an opposing trend is noticeable. Women are raising the vowel, while men are lowering it. These strong differences in the realisation between the sexes lead to the conclusion that the vowel indexes sex in this community.