WILL ALLEN is a Consultant Trainer for Netskills, Newcastle University, UK, delivering and developing internet-related training DAVID DENISON is Professor of English Linguistics at the University of Manchester, UK SUSAN FITZMAURICE is Professor of English Language at the University of Sheffield, UK ELIZABETH GORDON, University of Canterbury Christchurch, New Zealand JENNIFER HAY, University of Canterbury Christchurch, New Zealand RAYMOND HICKEY is Professor of Linguistics at the University of Essen, Germany FRANCIS JONES is a literary translator and Senior Lecturer in Applied Linguistics at Newcastle University, UK MARGARET MACLAGAN, University of Canterbury Christchurch, New Zealand WARREN MAGUIRE is in the final stages of his PhD research on vocalic mergers in Tyneside English at Newcastle University, UK ANNELI MEURMAN-SOLIN is a Lecturer in English Philology at Helsinki University, Finland TERTTU NEVALAINEN is Professor of English Philology at the University of Helsinki, Finland SHANA POPLACK, University of Ottawa, Canada HELENA RAUMOLIN-BRUNBERG is a Senior Scholar in the Research Unit for the Study of Variation, Contacts and Change in English at Helsinki University, Finland NAOMI STANDEN is Lecturer in Chinese History at the University of Newcastle, UK ANN TAYLOR is a Research Fellow at the University of York, UK LINDA VAN BERGEN is a lecturer in English Language at the University of Edinburgh, UK