Do You Speak American?

Debut: A three-part linguistic tour of the U.S., conducted by veteran TV newsman Robert MacNeil, who probed the English language's role in the world in the 1986 PBS series “The Story of English.” American English is “restless, slangy, constantly changing,” says MacNeil, who begins Part 1 in Maine, wondering why Down Easters say “ayuh” instead of yes. He then visits Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh before heading to the Midwest to explore both “standard” and black English.