The English spoken in Newfoundland and Labrador has long been recognised as a distinct variety within North America. Known for its conservatism, Newfoundland English has retained close affinities with its linguistic roots - the traditional dialects of southwest England and southeast Ireland. Since joining Canada in 1949, the region has undergone substantial socioeconomic and cultural change. It has also experienced considerable linguistic change, much of which involves adoption of community-external, or supralocal, features on the part of younger generations. As a result, Newfoundland English displays a degree of internal variation that has few parallels in the English-speaking world.

Key Features *an accessible description of the phonological, grammatical and lexical features that characterise the English of Newfoundland and Labrador *an account of the province's linguistic variation in terms of historical, regional and social factors *language samples from both traditional and contemporary speakers *an overview of published work from earlier centuries to the present.