Exemplifying the Language Change of Jennifer Lopez

Is She Still “Jenny From the Block”?

Abstract

This paper investigates American singer and actress Jennifer Lopez’s use of the sociolinguistic variables (ing), PRICE, and TRAP through a longitudinal study of readily available interviews over the course of 16 years. The study is an example of the same speaker of English showing lifespan change in one variable (TRAP), and age-grading in two others ((ing) and PRICE). The findings show that different variables can pattern differently, and that social context plays an important role in these linguistic developments.