Channel Island English: phonology, Conclusion

Channel Island English is a variety that is characterized by a unique blend of features originating from different sources. On the one hand, one encounters non-standard features of British English that have arrived in the Channel Islands as a result of the close connections with Britain and because of the many British immigrants. This influence has existed for a long time and continues to be effective today. One can observe, for example, features such as T-glottalization (the glottaling of intervocalic and word-final [t]) or TH-fronting (the use of [f] and [v] instead of /ð/ and [θ]), especially in the speech of younger people in St. Helier (Jersey) and St. Peter Port (Guernsey). These features clearly are recent takeovers from British English. Yet on the other hand, Channel Island English comprises features that have their origin in Channel Island French. It is of particular relevance that they occur not only with speakers of Norman French but also with (younger) people who are monolingual speakers of English. Consequently, features of this type are not just transitional phenomena in the process of acquiring English. Some of the features have become an integral part of the local language variety and continue to exist even if the speakers themselves are no longer bilingual.

Our discussion of various phonological features has shown that in quite a number of cases the analysis is rather complex because both a Norman French influence and an influence from other varieties of English seem plausible. It can be confirmed that the same holds true for morphological and syntactic features (cf. Ramisch 1989: 91–163). If there is more than one explanation for a particular feature, these explanations should not necessarily be regarded as mutually exclusive; rather, it is reasonable to assume that there is a convergence of different sources of influence, reinforcing and complementing each other.

I would like to thank my informants in the Channel Islands for their helpfulness and hospitality. The fieldwork in Guernsey and Jersey has always been a unique personal experience to me. I am particularly grateful to Michèle, Neil and Ross Tucker for their constant support and friendship over the years.