Different means to a similar end: Apparent time change in British Columbian Englishes
Canadian English has been described as relatively homogenous with small differences between regional accents. We seek to broaden the map of Canadian English as spoken in British Columbia (BC), the farthest west province, describing select vowel patterns for two southern BC regions using data collected online from 149 speakers (107 Females, 42 Males; age range = 14-78, mean age = 41) to determine apparent time changes. Data are analyzed with Generalised Additive Mixed Models (GAMMs) to identify differences in F1 and F2 vowel trajectories, focusing on the Canadian Shift, Canadian Raising, and pre-velar raising. Results suggest that regional differences in vowels across apparent time with variables showing unique patterns. While the vowel systems of younger speakers are currently similar, the apparent time trends suggest these similarities have converged via different routes, underscoring the importance of apparent time investigations.
