Do You Speak American?

I watched the excellent program last night on American English. Robert McNeil traveled across the country finding out about regional dialects, how words are pronounced and how certain sub-cultures have speech of their own (surfer language, snowboard and skateboard culture, and of course, rap and hip hop - remember Valley Girl speech?). It was a facinating show and a follow-up of a show he did on English about ten years ago. Regional dialect doesn't seem so strange when you think about how large this country is and that there are certainly regional foods and cooking. It certainly won't change my speech patterns but it gives one something to think about and perhaps to be tolerant of.