Do You Speak American? (Hardcover)

by Robert MacNeil (Author), William Cran (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The English language is not a thing but a process, not an archaic institution but an experiment that is constantly evolving and re-invigorating itself. According to language experts MacNeil and Cran, no one should understand this better than Americans who, steeped in a culture of diversity, are uniquely equipped to appreciate the exciting, colorful and democratic nature of language. Although not all Americans appreciate this vibrancy-many prominent linguists are found bemoaning the state of English, horrified that people still do not understand the difference between who and whom-the evidence of an ever-changing language is indisputable, from the New York Times printing the word "sleazoid" in a column to the Oxford English Dictionary adding "blogger" to its latest edition. To better understand the diversity of American English, the authors embark on a fascinating journey across the United States, studying the conversations of Boston natives and rural Texans, inner-city blacks and valley-girl teenagers. The result is an exhilarating celebration of the ways that Americans express themselves and a testament to the indestructible power of language, whether one is using "correct" grammar or not. Traditional linguists might not approve of the way modern Americans are talking, but they will never be able to stop the English language from moving forward and, as this book successfully proves, there is nothing more American than that.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
Adult/High School–Immigration, migration, class distinction, and mass media are among the tectonic forces shaping and reshaping the language we don't speak with anything approaching universality around North America. The authors take readers on an accessible, energetic, and insightful trip along the Eastern seaboard, down South, out to California, and to some cities in between in the company of several academic linguistics folks who offer explanations that readers don't necessarily see coming. Black English and the role of Spanish in contemporary America each get separate chapters. Americanisms like "beatnik," regionalisms like "pop," and localisms like "yinz" are admired as gems our constantly evolving language continues to press into being, and how American language is passed between generations–or fails to pass–is brought to light. Teens who already love language will take to this book with enthusiasm. Students who aren't in the habit of thinking critically about why we talk the way we do can be introduced to it through the pieces most relevant to them. And there's something relevant to everyone here, whether you talk with or without "r"s or sound just like the kids a thousand miles down the road.–Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Nan A. Talese (December 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385511981
• ISBN-13: 978-0385511988
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #519,250 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but thin, April 21, 2005

By	Jon Hunt "musician, teacher" (Old Greenwich, Ct. USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"Do You Speak American?" is another fine contribution by Robert MacNeil and William Cran, coauthors of "The Story of English". As this is a companion book to the televised series this recent offering does not stand alone but serves as the program's enhancement.

Those of us who have followed Mr. MacNeil through his many journeys around the world in search of the ways English is enriched will find worthy chapters in "Do You Speak American?" Highlighted areas include the South, Hispanics and Black English....these three chapters encompass close to half of the book. Mr. MacNeil delivers his findings in his usual straightforward, buttoned-down Nova Scotia style. That isn't to say there isn't any humor...there is...but his earnestness keeps everything on track.

My disappointment in "Do You Speak American?" is that it doesn't cover enough ground. While "The Story of English" was a major undertaking, this seems puny by comparison. It was as if the book was written almost in haste to accommodate the tv program (which, by the way, is better than the book). The north and the midwest get far less attention so the book has an unbalanced feeling to it. That said, the portions that the authors delve into most carry a certain fascination and the narrative style to which we have been accustomed is as flawless as ever. The final chapter is an odd one, but an important one....how computers take on their own "language" and how that affects us. Some of the best (and most humorous) paragraphs in the book deal with the speech-recognition system in BMWs and the reaction of owners to it.

Perhaps Mr. MacNeil and Mr. Cran will do a follow-up to "Do You Speak American?" I hope they do. There's so much more to discover and these coauthors are just the men to continue looking into the many facets of "American English".

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like, a gnarly work to hopefully be proud of, January 26, 2005

By	Jean E. Pouliot (Newburyport, MA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

With characteristic wit, intellect and open-mindedness, Robert McNeil and William Cran explore the protean version of English used in America. Though they give ample time to the prescriptivist side of the argument (the side concerned with enforcing rules and determining standards of proper usage), they are clearly more in the descriptivist camp, fascinated by the way the language is actually used.

The times are on their side. Informal language, once kept out of dictionaries and standards guides by the educated elite, is rushing into normal use at breakneck speed. These days, a word is hardly coined before it has been snatched up by major media outlets and put into print. And rushed out of print almost as quickly. Last week, I heard the word "gnarly" used to described a snowstorm. My teenage son was appalled. "When was the last time you heard anyone say 'gnarly'?" he asked incredulously. Mind you, this word is all of 10 years old, and it is already considered passé.

McNeil and Cran describe the way American language standards are affected by the media, social trends, technology, the tastes of elites, regional accents, racial history and even civic pride. Yet they claim that accent leveling --the homogenizing of regional speech patterns -- is largely a myth. In spite of the disappearance of certain isolated regional accents and vocabulary -- like those of Down East Maine -- some accents are actually growing in strength. Pittsbughers, for instance, are consciously proud of their distinctive pronunciations, a fact that keeps them (the pronunciations) alive. Too, most people (including this writer) don't usually consider themselves to have accents at all. Our own speech is "normal"; it's those other folks who have accents!

Those wishing to build predictable, enduring rules for American English are bound to dislike this book. McNeil and Cran even demolish the idea that these rules have even been around for a long time. Many were decided, after long years of variation, in the last few decades by a single influential writer. The idea of taming the use of English, when it is being twisted and molded into new shapes almost daily, seems a fool's errand. Long-fought causes now seem lost -- restricting "hopefully" to mean "It is hoped that" rather than the more common, "filled with hope"; using "impact" only as a noun; using "indices" (rather than "indexes") as the plural of "index"; the unstoppable American habit of splitting infinitives. Yet McNeil and Cran urge us not to despair. We are witnessing not the degeneration of English, but its continual evolution. Though I personally would like to see people distinguish "ensure" (to make certain) from "insure" (to protect oneself with an insurance policy) such decisions are not in my hands.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an excellent, excellent book!... substantiated... current... upbeat..., July 19, 2005

By	James Neville (Katy (Houston), TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I read this book because I am fascinated by words and dialects and how (some) linguistics experts can tell where you grew up just from the way you speak.

"Do You Speak American" satisfied my craving to learn more about dialect in the United States but it went WAY beyond my expectations.

In addition to presenting and discussing a FASCINATING map of major dialect regions and changes in the U.S., this book addresses two key current social issues: The (unfounded) phobia that Spanish will take over from English as the dominant language of the United States, and the (still valid) issue that even as "African American English" contributes to our culture, it separates many kids from economic mainstream access through linquistic prejudice (e.g., "if you sound like THAT you must be DUMB")

The book doesn't stop there but continues addressing MORE fascinating topics including the origins of "Valley Girl/Surfer Dude" California dialects (like, totally!) and computer speech recognition efforts by BMW and Microsoft.

I found the overall tone of the book UPBEAT. The research findings and interpretations presented show it's quite possible and quite HUMAN to be "bilingual" in DIALECTS as well as languages. So that we can maintain our language-based identity (where we grew up) AND claim our stake in the mainstream economy.