A panel approach to micro and macro perceptions of Tyneside English across the lifespan

Abstract Researching language change across the lifespan benefits from analyzing the indexicalities and socio-cognitive salience of linguistic variables produced by speakers of different ages ( Bülow and Vergeiner 2021 ; Mechler 2025 ). This paper demonstrates the potential of the Salient Language in Context tool by Montgomery et al. (2025) in a panel study to capture micro-reactions and holistic after the fact ratings. Findings reveal that the female speaker is perceptually downgraded for sociability and competence ratings when in her twenties (T1) while be like , a feature commonly associated with youth, is significantly more salient in her thirties (T2). This supports previous evidence of bias against young women ( Duncan and Loretto 2004 ; Mechler 2025 ) and a penalty for defying age-based linguistic expectations. The results show that listeners struggle to reconcile linguistic “youthfulness” with societal norms for middle-aged women and confirm that “age-related ideology is inseparable from gender ideology” ( Eckert 2014 : 541).