Language change and innovation in London: Multicultural London English

Abstract

This chapter is about language change in London. Results from adolescent speakers in inner and outer locations of the capital were compared and it was found that while the outer London area, with a predominantly white British population, followed the patterns of the rest of the south-east, inner London diverged and displayed a great deal of innovation. A second investigation focused on innovations found in inner London, a multicultural area with a great deal of immigration. A complex sample included speakers of different ethnicities and different age groups, and the study identified what characterises individuals as ‘linguistic innovators’ by examining friendship networks. The chapter highlights a complex relationship between language, ethnicity and friendship networks.