The NEXT-TEXT split in Singapore English: Comparing self-report and speech production
Recent work on Singapore English has observed two parallel trends: a rising orientation towards local norms for English, and increasing exposure to non-local varieties. This study compares data from self-report and production tasks to assess the implications of these phenomena for the NEXT-TEXT split, in which raising occurs within certain words in the DRESS class. The self-report questionnaire finds variable raising in words with a following /d/ (e.g., red) and some words with a following velar (e.g., next, but not text), with younger respondents significantly less likely to report raising. In the production task, however, younger speakers were more likely to raise these vowels. Overall, the data suggest that the NEXT-TEXT split is expanding in Singapore English while awareness that this split is ‘nonstandard’ is simultaneously growing. These findings underscore the multifaceted nature of the sociolinguistic consequences that arise from greater endonormativity and expanding awareness of non-local Englishes in Singapore.
