Do You Speak American ?

Robert Macneill & William Cran

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Is the growing influence of Spanish threatening to displace English in the United States? Are America's grammatical standards in serious decline? Has the media saturation of our culture homogenized our speech?

These and other questions catapulted Robert MacNeil and William Cran, coauthors of the language classic The Story of English, on a journey that took them around the country in search of answers. Do You Speak American?, the companion volume to a PBS special, is the tale of the surprising discoveries they made while interviewing a host of native speakers and observing everyday verbal interactions across the country. Examining the histories and controversies surrounding both written and spoken American English, MacNeil and Cran address highly emotional anxieties and assumptions about our language-and offer some unpredictable responses.

With insight and wit, MacNeil and Cran bring us a compelling follow-up to The Story of English that is at once a celebration and a potent study of our singular language.

What will you learn from this book

  1. Regional Dialects:

    • Explores the various regional dialects and accents across the United States, highlighting the linguistic diversity present in different parts of the country.
  2. Language Evolution:

    • Examines how the English language has evolved over time in America, incorporating influences from various cultures, communities, and historical events.
  3. Social and Cultural Impact:

    • Discusses the social and cultural impact of language, addressing how linguistic changes reflect broader societal shifts and attitudes.
  4. Language and Identity:

    • Explores the role of language in shaping individual and group identities, including discussions on linguistic pride and regional identity.
  5. Sociolinguistics:

    • Introduces concepts from sociolinguistics, investigating how language use is influenced by factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, and social class.
  6. Globalization of English:

    • Considers the globalization of English and its influence on American English, acknowledging the dynamic interplay between international and regional variations.
  7. Language Standardization:

    • Discusses efforts to standardize and regulate American English, including debates over language norms and usage.
  8. Language and Media:

    • Examines the role of media, including television, radio, and the internet, in shaping language trends and disseminating linguistic innovations.
  9. Language Change and Controversies:

    • Addresses controversies and debates surrounding language change, including discussions on linguistic prescriptivism and language purism.
  10. Educational Implications:

    • Considers the implications for education, including the challenges of teaching and assessing language in a diverse and dynamic linguistic landscape.
Language English
ISBN-10 0156032880
ISBN-13 9780156032889
No of pages 228
Font Size Medium
Book Publisher Harper Paperbacks
Published Date 14 Nov 2005

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