Do You Speak American?, William Cran, Robert MacNeil Paperback

Is American English in decline? Are regional dialects dying out? Is there a difference between men and women in how they adapt to linguistic variations?
These questions, and more, about our language catapulted Robert MacNeil and William Cran--the authors (with Robert McCrum) of the language classic "The Story of English--across the country in search of the answers. "Do You Speak American? is the tale of their discoveries, which provocatively show how the standard for American English--if a standard exists--is changing quickly and dramatically.
On a journey that takes them from the Northeast, through Appalachia and the Deep South, and west to California, the authors observe everyday verbal interactions and in a host of interviews with native speakers glean the linguistic quirks and traditions characteristic of each area. While examining the histories and controversies surrounding both written and spoken American English, they address anxieties and assumptions that, when explored