Do You Speak American?

Very interesting book for language lovers based on the PBS series done by the authors, who also wrote "The Story of English."

A survey of the way English is spoken around the United States, and of the issues raised by the differences in speech between various regions and various social groups. The book focusses much less on specific differences than on broader issues -- the Hispanic influence, Black English, prescriptive

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vs. evolutionary views of language -- and is well worth reading.

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I am not a linguist, but I was raised by one. As a result of hearing different languages and different language dialects throughout my life, I have a love of listening to the various dialects of America (and other countries), which is why I picked up this book. I loved the way it was written, both

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with an educational tone and with a certain humor.

Being the average, curious American had an advantage when reading through the pages, since the topics covered were widespread. They would have to be, since the book is meant to be a companion to the PBS show and is not very long. I would imagine that serious linguists who are looking for a very deep look into American dialects in general or for something on specific American dialects probably won't find new information here, while those wanting to casually dip into the subject will find themselves happily reading to the end.

I will happily hold out this book to anyone who is curious about American English because I think that a better understanding of language and dialect help us better understand the cultures we aren't always exposed to and bring us to a deeper understanding of those around us. Maybe some day there will be a time when a well educated man won't have to lose his southern accent to be accepted as one of the top in his field. Until then, we can pass around the knowledge within these pages and help people understand the links between dialect and our automatic responses to language itself.

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