Analysis Of Do You Speak America

In Robert MacNeil’s article “Do You Speak American?” MacNeil discusses how the United States English started to become more diverse through the ongoing changes in the way English is being spoken throughout the States.MacNeil includes different demographics, groups of people and dialects to depict the progress that has come about over the years. With this in mind, he wants people to view this change as a step in the right direction.He aims to persuade people who are against this shift, so they can grow to tolerate and view this growth in a more positive manner. Since this article was published after his show on PBS in USA magazine he aims to convince people who have an above average knowledge of the English language to view change as a progressive

Using personal anecdotes allows MacNeil to connect with the opposing audience at a more personal level, thus allowing him to persuade them to understand and see this change in a more positive light. An example of this is in the first paragraph of “Do You Speak American?” he describes a personal instance in where he experienced the subtle changes that American English was going to (306). In this anecdote, MacNeil describes a time a young woman used the word “guys” in a complete platonic and friendly way to speak to him and his wife. The way he uses this example is to show that in modern American English, a word like “guys” can mean anything and not be disrespectful in any way.Putting this example shows the diversity and tolerance that generations have grown to use on a daily basis. Which in return helps explain to the educated traditionalist that change is not bad, especially when it is being embraced by the majority of the American public. Another personal anecdote that MacNeil uses is when he describes the time when he was 21 years old and came to Massachusetts to try to make it as an actor (313).In this anecdote, MacNeil describes an instance in where he noticed that the United States had different forms of spoken English depending on the region one is located. Since he uses an intimate example that shows the audience that America is a country of diversity and acceptance, it helps them connect to MacNeil’s words a lot better, since it reaches the audience 's heart. In other words, he attempts to use pathos, through personal anecdotes to connect with his audience at a more personal level that encourages them to see the positive side that diversity in the English language brings, especially if it was experienced first-hand by the writer. Overall using personal anecdotes allows to the audience to see real emotional instances in where change has been a positive