"The German-Speaking World" invites readers to investigate and reflect on issues about the status and function of the German language in relation to its speakers and its role in societies around the world.
Patrick Stevenson examines the forms and functions of individual features of the language, identifying features of regional speech forms, analyzing similarities and differences between written and spoken German, and looking at the social meaning underlying different forms of address. He also explores the relationship between the German language and the nature of "Germanness," concentrating on people's attitudes towards the language, the ways in which it is changing, and their views on what it represents for them.