Sociolinguistic Reflexes of Dialect Interference in West Wirral

Studies of the phonology of urban language varieties in the Labovian vein have generally concentrated on structural and statistical differentiation along the standard-non-standard dimension. In this work the author reports the results of an attempt to apply the relevant methodology and theory to a more complex situation involving the encroachment of an extraneous vernacular on a formerly rural area in England where prestige standard forms are also well represented. The dialectological findings are described in some detail, and innovatory perspectives on various methodological and theoretical issues are developed.