9 - Conclusion: Contemporary Challenges

Summary

Chapter 9 offers an opportunity for reflection and conclusion. Where has our investigation led us and with what profit? Looking forwards, there is clearly much of relevance which remains to be resolved in a set of new speaker developments that are currently uncharted, fragmented and difficult to pin down. What is remarkable in all the jurisdictions studied is the degree of variation that was found in the empirical field work. The responses are highly variable from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In reflecting on the answers given to the questions presented in the light of the evidence set forth here, a plea for further regular research suggests itself, not only to improve on the insufficiencies of this interpretation but also to allow for the passage of time within which it is assumed that greater attention will have been paid to the new speaker phenomenon by policy-makers over the coming decade. In that sense this is a preliminary investigation to set the scene for more authoritative interpretations in the future.