Québécois, the common tongue in Québec, has roughly 10,000 differences from "International French" - the French taught both in France and in most schools around the world. Some of these words and phrases are derived from old French, some are adopted from the Amerindian tongues, and still others are variations of English. In addition to these differences, Québécois also has an accent which is quite different from the French spoken overseas - in much the same way that American English and British English sound quite different from each other.

The idea behind Speak Québec! is to provide a practical handbook for English speakers who seek to understand Québecois, and Francophones who wish to understand the English equivalents of their daily language. Not a dictionary of Standardized Canadian French, it instead puts an emphasis on clearly explaining the true vernacular vocabulary and common expressions found in the province.

Speak Québec! first provides a brief history of the Québec language, from its origins in Nouvelle France and the Amerindian tongues, to its modern-day influences from American English. To this, it adds an explanation of differences in grammar and pronunciation from International French. The second part of the book is a dictionary – a regrouping of the 3000 or so words and phrases that are most commonly heard, and most necessary for daily conversation.