ABSTRACT
Regular viewers of foreign news on German or Austrian television will probably have noticed that reporters in different countries have little difficulty finding German-speaking respondents. Occasionally, interpreters have to be used, which makes the conversation more awkward and less authentic. Companies from German-speaking countries (Ch. B.4) seeking business links with foreign enterprises also often express relief at finding colleagues who can communicate in written or spoken German. These are among the advantages derived from the position of German in the world, which forms the subject matter of this book. People who enjoy such advantages, especially derived from the international position of German (Ch. A.3), have an interest in preserving or strengthening this position.
