Low German (school subject)

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Low German is a school subject in the northern German states of Hamburg , Schleswig-Holstein , Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Bremen . In these countries it is part of the compulsory elective area , but only as part of a pilot project in Bremen. In Lower Saxony , Low German is partially integrated into the teaching of other subjects ; there is no separate school subject. In North Rhine-Westphalia , Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt , the northern parts of which are part of the Low German-speaking area, there are voluntary Low German programs mainly in the form of working groups . Low German is not taught across the board in any federal state; it is only offered at individual schools in the northern German states.

Low German has only been taught as a school subject for a few years after the language rapidly lost its importance and is threatened with extinction . Since the transmission of Low German as the mother tongue in the parental home has now almost completely ceased, the school is now regarded as the place where the language can be preserved . A decisive trigger for the establishment of the school subject Low German was the European Charter of Regional or Minority Languages, ratified by the Federal Republic of Germany in 1998 and entered into force in 1999 . In addition to the languages ​​of the national minorities ( Danish , Sorbian , Frisian and Romanes ), Low German has also been included as a regional language in the group of charter languages. The language charter forms the international legal framework for language policy in Germany. The signatory states undertake to protect and promote the regional and minority languages. The specifically agreed measures include, for example, enabling lessons and university studies in the respective language. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Schleswig-Holstein, the protection and promotion of Low German has also had constitutional status since 1993 and 1998, respectively. In the constitution of the state of Schleswig-Holstein , the teaching of Low German in public schools is expressly anchored.

In 2010, Hamburg was the first federal state to introduce Low German as a regular school subject at individual elementary schools, followed by Schleswig-Holstein and Bremen in 2014, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in 2016. Since 2017, Low German has been an oral and written examination subject for the Abitur recognized by the Standing Conference . The only state so far that has also set up relevant instruction in the upper secondary level is Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Framework

Distribution and status of Low German

Distribution and dialectal classification of the Low German dialects (excluding Lower Franconian dialects )

Starting in the cities, early New High German gradually replaced Low German as the school and educational , church, chancellery and written language in northern Germany. This process was largely complete in the 17th century. The high German captured the public and official oral communication increasingly, but Platt German remained the spoken folk and everyday language . This resulted in bilingualism in which the speakers alternated between Low and Standard German depending on the situation. A smooth transition to the standard language , which is typical for many dialects , was hardly pronounced, however. In addition, there was a social differentiation between Low German and High German, which has a higher social prestige.

The displacement process intensified in the 19th and 20th centuries. In the 1970s and 1980s, multilingualism in northern Germany almost completely disappeared from all social areas. The change of language has largely been completed for the younger generations, while the older generations are still bilingual in some cases.

Low German is now widespread in the northern German states of Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Bremen and Lower Saxony as well as in the northern parts of the states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg. On the coasts and in smaller places, Platt is spoken even more often than in the cities and in the south of the distribution area.

Today, according to their own statements, almost half of the people living in the area of ​​distribution understand Low German well or very well; only about 15% state that they can speak it well or very well. In 1984 these values ​​were 66% and 35% respectively in the north-west German federal states. In Schleswig-Holstein, 24.5% of the respondents still speak good or very good Low German, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 20.7%, in Bremen 17.6%, in Lower Saxony 17.4% and in Hamburg 9.5%.

While the proportion of those who speak Low German well or very well is more than half among those over 80, it is less than one percent among those under 20. 44% of the active speakers stated that they had learned Low German from their parents, 41% from their grandparents. However, today's generation of parents can no longer pass the language on, as only 4% of the 30–39 year olds speak Low German well or very well. Only 5.5% of the Low German speakers named the school as the or a place where they would have learned low German.

Although the absolute number of active speakers is still over two million, Low German is considered to be the most endangered of the recognized and protected minority and regional languages in Germany in view of this age structure, the disrupted communication in the parental home and the lack of anchoring in schools for a long time .

The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages

A decisive trigger for a new dynamic to anchor Low German in school lessons was the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages ​​signed by the Council of Europe in 1992 , ratified by the Federal Republic of Germany in 1998 and entered into force there in 1999 . In addition to the languages ​​of the national minorities in Germany - Danish, Sorbian, Frisian and Romanes - Low German was also included as a regional language in the group of languages ​​to be protected and promoted. It differs from minority languages ​​in that its speakers do not form a national minority .

The language charter forms the international legal framework for language policy in Germany. It has the rank of federal law . However, the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages ​​does not contain any possibility of filing language rights before the European Court of Human Rights or the Court of Justice of the European Union . Rather, it is dependent on incorporation into the laws of the states. In Germany, legislation in the field of education and language policy is the responsibility of the federal states .

The charter stipulates how and with what measures the charter languages ​​are to be promoted. The federal states protect Low German taking into account the degree of widespread use of the language either according to Part II or III of the Charter. Bremen, Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Lower Saxony offer protection according to Part III and thus much more extensive than Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia and Saxony-Anhalt, which each signed Part II of the Charter. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe recommended making Low German a regular school subject, developing curricula, ensuring continuity of teaching at all levels of education from pre-school to graduation, and training a sufficient number of teachers. The legal scholar Stefan Oeter , Chairman of the Committee of Experts of the Council of Europe on the European Charter of Languages, emphasizes that the Charter is accompanied by an obligation to teach the protected regional or minority language in a separate subject. This obligation is laid down in Part III, Art 8 Paragraph 1 b.

The activities of the Council of Europe and the European Union to preserve cultural and linguistic diversity gave regional and minority languages ​​a European dimension. The Charter has so far been ratified by 26 member states of the Council of Europe. 21 Council of Europe countries, including several EU countries such as France , Belgium , Italy , Portugal and Greece have not yet taken this step.

In the Netherlands, Nedersaks is one of the charter languages, which is usually assigned to Northern Lower Saxony and is part of the Low German dialect continuum . However, Nedersaks was only protected under Part II of the Language Charter. In other countries, for example, Asturian , Catalan , Basque , Galician , Scottish and Scottish Gaelic or Welsh are protected as regional languages. The status and use of these languages ​​in schools varies widely. For example, while Catalan is the normal language of instruction in schools and universities in the Spanish part of Catalonia and West Frisian is firmly anchored in the schools in the province of Friesland , Nedersaks is not a separate school subject.

Low German in state constitutions

The protection and promotion of Low German have constitutional status in two federal states. Since 1993 it has been stated in Article 16 (2) of the constitution of the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania : The state protects and promotes the maintenance of the Low German language . In 1998 the constitution of Schleswig-Holstein adopted this passage in Article 13 (2). In addition, the constitution of Schleswig-Holstein stipulates in Article 12 (6): The state protects and promotes the provision of Frisian and Low German classes in public schools.

Supervisory bodies and interest groups

In the opinion of the Council of Europe, a supervisory body is necessary to review the implementation of the obligations arising from the Language Charter. At the federal level, this function is carried out by the Federal Government Commissioner for questions relating to repatriates and national minorities as well as an advisory committee for questions relating to the Low German language group at the Ministry of the Interior. In Schleswig-Holstein, for example, there is an advisory council for Low German at the state parliament and the Minister President's minority commissioner, who is also the commissioner for Low German. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has appointed a state representative for Low German, and the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture also has an advisory board for homeland care and Low German.

The linguistic interests of those who speak Low German have been represented by the " Bundesraat för Nedderdüütsch " since 2002 . The state representatives are usually delegated via the federal state associations for home and the environment . The Low German Secretariat in Hamburg supports the Federal Council for Nedderdüütsch conceptually and organisationally.

Low German as a regular school subject

Introduction of Low German as a school subject and recognition as an Abitur subject

Language maintenance declarations of intent to promote Low German remained non-binding and without consequences for a long time. No serious thought was given to introducing a subject in Low German. The curricula only allowed language encounters, while systematic language acquisition did not take place. For decades, Low German at school was largely restricted to voluntary work groups outside of regular lessons and was shaped by volunteers.

The language charter represented a turning point, as it called for the promotion of regional and minority languages ​​in a legally binding manner. In 2007, the Bundesraat för Nedderdüütsch, as the language-political representative of the platform speakers, published the “Schwerin Theses” with the central demand that Low German be anchored as a regular subject in the education plans of the federal states and thus comply with the obligations resulting from the Language Charter.

In 2010, Hamburg was the first federal state to introduce Low German as a primary school subject in the compulsory elective area . Schleswig-Holstein followed in 2014 and Bremen started a model project. Low German has been a regular subject at lower secondary level in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania since 2016 . In 2017, the Standing Conference (KMK) recognized Low German as an oral and written examination subject in the Abitur . The official inclusion of the subject Low German in the list of mutually recognized, open-ended, country-specific examination subjects in the Abitur examination was decided in March 2017 with 15 votes in favor and one abstention. The state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, represented by the then Education Minister Mathias Brodkorb , campaigned for recognition by the KMK school committee .

In all federal states in which there are Low German classes, the subject is only taught in individual schools. Neither is any country planning to introduce Low German as a compulsory or elective subject across the board.

Educational concepts

The educational concepts for modern Low German lessons are only just being developed (as of 2018). The question of whether his methodological-didactic orientation should be more oriented towards native-speaking German lessons or foreign language lessons has not yet been fully discussed. However, the existing framework plans take into account the dramatic decline in Low German as a mother tongue by aiming at language acquisition. You no longer assume that there is a family background, the language offer is basically open to all students. The requirements are based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages .

The immersion method differs from conventional (foreign) language teaching, in which other subjects are taught in Low German and the language is learned "on the side". The words are usually not translated, but understood from the context. Immersion works like the acquisition of a first language and is considered a particularly effective language learning method. Immersive Low German lessons are mainly given in Lower Saxony.

Early childhood and the time of literacy are seen as the optimal phase for language acquisition . That is why most countries are trying to start language encounters in kindergarten and systematic Low German lessons in elementary school. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania deviated from this line in recent years and concentrated its efforts on the lower secondary level and the upper secondary level .

Due to the cultural sovereignty of the federal states , they can independently shape school and language policy . This is why the curricula differ considerably from state to state. This is particularly true for the subject Low German, which is not one of the core subjects of school lessons. In Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg there are state-wide curricula or these are currently being developed. There is no master plan in Bremen. There, the individual schools in the pilot project develop their own concepts.

Teaching aids

For a long time, one of the greatest deficits in the teaching of Low German was the teaching materials. Their development is made more difficult by the fact that there is no standardized form of Low German, but that the language is characterized by a pronounced dialectal diversity. In addition, Low German is primarily practiced as a spoken language . There is no standardized or binding spelling . For school lessons, however, careful standardization of spelling and grammatical forms is essential. A common spelling for Low German texts in Germany is the "Low German Dictionary" , which was first presented in 1956 by Johannes Saß and has since been revised in several editions. It applies primarily to the dialects of northern Lower Saxony, indicates deviations and is based on the high German spelling.

In Hamburg, there has been a Low German workbook (Fietje Arbeitsbook) for primary schools and the corresponding handout for teachers since the 2013/2014 school year . In Schleswig-Holstein, Paul and Emma snackt Plattdüütsch, the first textbook for grades 1 and 2 , has been available in Schleswig-Holstein since the 2015/2016 school year . The textbook is designed for systematic language acquisition and its level is based on modern foreign language teaching. It is structured in such a way that it can also be used in the other northern German states. The second volume Paul un Emma un ehr Frünnen for grades 3 and 4 was published for the 2018/2019 school year. The volume was developed under the leadership of the Department for Low German Language and Literature and its Didactics at the European University of Flensburg .

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania started developing extensive teaching materials in the 2016/2017 school year. Since November 2018, Paul un Emma snacks Plattdüütsch has also been available in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Low German. The textbook Platt mit Plietschmanns , published in 2019, is designed for grades seven to twelve, but also for students and for the further training of specialists in day-care centers . The concepts are mainly developed at the Competence Center for Low German Didactics at the University of Greifswald with the support of the Institute for Quality Development (IQ MV) of the Ministry of Education and funded by the state.

Teacher training

One problem with teaching Low German is the lack of specialist teachers. When the school subject Low German was introduced in Hamburg in the 2010/2011 school year, lessons were given by teachers with a teaching qualification for German or a modern foreign language who were also active speakers of Low German. Upon request, the teachers could take advantage of annual support at the State Institute for Teacher Training and School Development.

Due to the age structure of the active Low German speakers, many Low German teachers left school for reasons of age, while only a few new ones joined. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, for example, the number of teachers qualified to teach Low German fell from 153 to 62 in just two years between 2014 and 2016.

Student teachers to Low German as a minor subject , supplementary subject , extension specialist or as elective or specialized area in the specialist German show. In December 2019, Lower Saxony's Minister of Science Björn Thümler announced that Low German should be offered as an undergraduate teacher training course at the University of Oldenburg in the future. The ministry has made 350,000 euros available annually for this. At the University of Oldenburg, a first rough concept was drawn up and a professorship was advertised.

Low German for teaching positions can be studied at the following universities:

Further training courses for active Low German teachers also take place at the universities . In 2017, the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania set up a competence center for Low German didactics at the University of Greifswald to strengthen the existing basic, advanced and advanced training of teachers and specialists in day-care centers , which will be supported with a total of 447,580 euros until 2020. Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania prefer to hire teachers who can teach Low German, with otherwise the same qualifications. In addition to university training, there is further training at state institutes, e.g. B. at the Institute for Quality Development in Schwerin or at the study seminar for teaching at elementary, secondary and secondary schools in Cuxhaven.

Since June 2017 the Hamburger Plattolio eV has been offering Low German teachers their own internet portal . It is the first cross-border professional teachers' association for Low German. The network is financially supported by the Hamburg-based Carl Toepfer Foundation .

Situation in the individual federal states

Countries with Low German as an elective subject

Hamburg

Hamburg elementary schools with the elective Low German
Aueschule Finkenwerder
Westerschule Finkenwerder
School Arp-Schnitger-Stieg ( Neuenfelde )
Cranz School
School Altengamme -Deich
School Curslack - Neuengamme
School Fünfhausen -Warwisch
Zollenspieker School
Kirchwerder primary school
Ochsenwerder School

Hamburg was the first federal state to introduce Low German as a regular elementary school subject in the compulsory elective area with its own framework plan for the 2010/2011 school year and anchored it in the timetable. For the first time, there were binding educational plans for the subject of Low German. Eleven Hamburg primary schools in the rural regions of Finkenwerder , Neuenfelde , Cranz , Vier- and Marschlande offer Low German as an independent school subject. In the first two grades the students have one, in the third and fourth grades two hours of Low German. Since 2014/2015, Low German has been continued as a regular subject with its own framework plans for grades 5 to 11 of the district school and for secondary level I of the grammar school.

Schleswig-Holstein

A model project started in Schleswig-Holstein in the 2014/2015 school year in which a voluntary Low German option was installed in 27 elementary schools. From the first to the fourth grade, this comprises two hours of systematic Low German lessons per week.

The budget available was for 27 schools to participate, but 44 schools applied, so a qualitative selection process was required. Due to the great demand, two new schools were added for the 2015/2016 school year. In the second year of the model project, around 1,600 school students chose Low German. For the 2017/2018 school year, systematic classes in Low German were continued at seven secondary schools (six community schools and one grammar school), and the number of pupils rose to 2,170. In 2019/2020, more than 3,000 students at 32 primary schools and 9 secondary schools took part in voluntary Low German classes.

In addition to the model schools, many schools offer lessons for Low German in the area of ​​working groups and all-day offers.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

In 2014, Reinhard Goltz , managing director of the Institute for Low German and spokesman for the Bundsraats för Nedderdüütsch, judged that Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania had created a good legal framework for the consideration of Low German in school lessons, but was not implementing it in practice. With the adoption of the state program “My Home - My Modern Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania” in 2016 by the state government, however, the state has achieved a new quality in promoting the Low German language. In this state program, Low German school instruction is a focus. The resources deployed are used to strengthen the teaching of Low German in the areas of early childhood education, primary and secondary education, vocational and higher education, educator and teacher training as well as cultural education and project funding.

Low German has been offered as a regular subject in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania since 2016. Recognition as an Abitur subject by the Conference of Ministers of Education came about on the initiative of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. When it was introduced as an Abitur subject, the Ministry of Education under Mathias Brodkorb had spoken of the fact that Low German was a foreign language and thus the other languages ​​taught in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, English , French , Russian , Latin , ancient Greek , Polish , Spanish and Swedish . In March 2017, the Ministry of Education under Brodkorb's successor Birgit Hesse revised this statement in a response to a small question . Low German should not replace the acquisition of the first or second foreign language in school. However, Hesse emphasized that Low German was basically on an equal footing with other subjects and was no longer an additional offer.

Profile schools with a focus on Low German in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
High school school center "Fritz Reuter" Dömitz
Large city school Wismar
High school "Am Sonnenberg" Crivitz
RecknitzCampus Laage
Reuterstädter Comprehensive School Stavenhagen ( KGS )
Goethe-Gymnasium Demmin ( music high school )

For the 2017/2018 school year, the federal state set up profile schools with the three main focuses Humanistic Education / Ancient Languages , Mathematics / Natural Sciences ( MINT ) or Low German, with the aim of expanding the promotion of talented students at grammar schools and comprehensive schools. To design the respective focus, the profile schools have each received an additional teaching position and can have a budget for material and travel costs. Six schools were recognized as profile schools with a focus on Low German. At these schools, Low German can be taken as an oral and written examination subject in the Abitur. On the basis of a nationwide concept that was created by a network of teachers, the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture has signed a target agreement with each school on the design of the respective profile focus. The basis of the subject Low German from grade 7 up to the qualification phase are corresponding framework plans, which are based on the educational standards of the Standing Conference.

In the first year after their introduction, 615 students attend Low German classes at the six profile schools. That corresponded to a third of all seventh graders in these schools. In addition, primary schools that pursue an all-day school concept must include Low German courses in their profile. A total of around 2,100 students learned Low German in school in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in the 2019/20 school year. The first Abitur exams in Low German will be taken in 2023.

In 2017 there were 62 teachers nationwide who were qualified to teach Low German. In order to increase this number, a competence center for Low German didactics was set up at the University of Greifswald . The competence center complements the offers of the institute for quality development in Schwerin. It is also intended to accompany the state's Low German competition.

Bremen

Schools with the Low German profile in Bremen
Schönebeck School
School Arsten
Mahndorf primary school
Burgdamm School
Veern School Bremerhaven

In Bremen, Low German is anchored in the curricula of primary and secondary schools in the subjects of German, general instruction and music. The language encounter is integrated into the regular lessons.

A pilot project started for the 2014/15 school year, which enables the elementary schools of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen to set up additional, binding courses for all or part of the pupils. Four primary schools in Bremen and one in Bremerhaven implement this and each developed a systematic concept. There is no uniform curriculum. After the pilot phase of the Low German profile schools in the primary sector at the end of the 2017/2018 school year, the language offerings will be systematically continued at at least two secondary schools.

Immersive Low German lessons

Lower Saxony

Lower Saxony has not taken on concrete charter obligations in the field of education, although it has signed Part III of the Language Charter. A language encounter with Low German has only been binding for all schools and types of schools in primary and secondary level I since 2006. Stefan Oeter, Chairman of the Committee of Experts of the Council of Europe on the European Language Charter, ruled in 2009 that Lower Saxony had "targeted the core options for primary and secondary schools until then withdrew what is unique in Europe ”.

For a long time, teaching Low German was limited to school work groups and extracurricular offers. The Low German reading competition, which has been organized every two years by the Niedersächsische Sparkassenstiftung since 1979 and in which several thousand pupils take part, plays an important role .

In 2011, a decree opened up the possibility of teaching Low German or Sater Frisian in the subjects of the compulsory lesson table or in elective subjects, with the exception of German, mathematics and foreign languages, in primary and lower secondary level . The immersion method is predominantly used, i.e. This means that Low German is learned “on the side” in the classroom of other subjects.

By 2016, 21 elementary schools, one high school and one secondary school had been awarded the so-called “Low German School” because they regularly acquire language as part of their school program. There is a corresponding award for "Sater Frisian Schools". In 2017, 71 schools received relief hours to initiate the acquisition of Low German in regular lessons. Two years later there were already 90 project schools. The schools are largely free to design the decree. In some bilingual classes at the Simonswolde primary school in East Frisia, apart from German and English classes, only Low German is spoken.

A tendency towards a stronger anchoring of Low German in the education system emerged from a joint motion for a resolution by the CDU , SPD , Greens and FDP in the Lower Saxony state parliament in June 2017 . The state government then decided to anchor Low German more firmly in the education system and to set up a separate subject as a foreign language in the compulsory elective area of ​​secondary levels I and II.

Countries with support for Low German outside of class

North Rhine-Westphalia

A school project initially set for five years has been carried out in the Münster administrative district since the 2014/2015 school year , which is supported by the Center for Low German at the University of Münster . As part of this school project, Low German is being offered on a trial basis in voluntary working groups at six primary schools in Münster and Münsterland . The establishment of Low German as a regular school subject is not planned in North Rhine-Westphalia .

Saxony-Anhalt

At primary and secondary schools in Saxony-Anhalt, the language encounter with Low German mainly takes place in working groups. The state government of Saxony-Anhalt is not planning to introduce a regular school subject in Low German. The Low German Office at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg regularly offers advanced training events in Low German for teachers and educational staff.

Brandenburg

The state of Brandenburg is also not aiming to set up a separate subject in Low German. The state representatives of Brandenburg in the Bundesraat för Nedderdüütsch criticize the fact that the Brandenburg state government apparently rated the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages ​​it signed as non-binding and purely symbolic. She did not take any steps to strengthen the Low German language by creating concrete political framework conditions and measures and to recognize multilingualism in the north of Brandenburg as a feature of regional identity. In the meantime, however, the state government sees a “special need for action” and wants to promote Low German more intensively in accordance with the language charter. In four Uckermark primary schools in Prenzlau and Templin , there are learning programs in Low German. In 2017, Prenzlau published the first primary school workbook for learning the Low German language, “Plattdütsch foer ju”, which was approved in Brandenburg.

Debate about the need for a school subject in Low German

Embedding in general educational discourses

The establishment of the teaching subject Low German takes place at a time when the school system in Germany is changing rapidly. Demands for a European standardization of school education, homogenized standards and core curricula narrow the scope for taking small subjects and regional concerns into account. Newly introduced subjects such as English as a primary school subject from the third grade (1998/1999 in Hamburg, since 2004/2005 nationwide in all federal states) make it difficult to integrate Low German into the lesson table . That is why the introduction of a regular school subject, Low German, is under legitimacy pressure.

Discussion about the value and benefits of Low German

The motivation for introducing Low German as a school subject is the cultural and social value assigned to regional and minority languages, as well as the perception of their precarious situation. While the dramatic decline in the language is the main reason for those in favor of a general language maintenance program and specifically the introduction of Low German as a school subject, it is precisely the reason for many critics to speak out against it. Since Low German today hardly plays a role as the mother tongue , everyday language and lingua franca and it is almost a dead language , there is no real use of Low German as a school subject.

In a representative survey in the area where Low German is used, a good two thirds of the respondents in 2016 said that the language should be promoted more. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (84.5%), Bremen (83.9%) and Schleswig-Holstein (76.2%) the value was significantly higher, in Hamburg it was 70.5% and in Lower Saxony 65%. The reputation of Low German has changed significantly over the past few decades. Also and especially in the urban environment, especially in Hamburg, it enjoys high social prestige as a symbol of identity.

The school as the place of language acquisition

Since it has now ceased to be passed on as a mother tongue in families, the conviction has increasingly prevailed since the 1990s that the endangered language can only be saved through systematic language acquisition in school. In 2016, around 2/3 of those surveyed named school as the most suitable place for language acquisition. The role ascribed to the school for Low German has thus been completely reversed, since the language change from Low German to High German was mainly carried out through school lessons. Up until the 1970s, the school was the place where many Low German native speakers first came into contact with Standard German, which they learned there like a foreign language. The singer Ina Müller, born in 1965, reports on the traumatic experience of initially barely understanding the standard German spoken at school and only having mastered Low German herself.

Tension between High German and Low German

Critics fear that classes in Low German will come at the expense of High German. Simone Oldenburg , spokesperson for education policy for the Die Linke parliamentary group in the Schwerin state parliament , rejected the subject of Low German on the grounds that the focus must be on acquiring standard German. Proponents counter this that the idea that Low German speakers speak poor Standard German is based on long-outdated framework conditions when Low German native speakers would have learned High German like a foreign language. Rather, awareness of language change and language varieties is valuable for German lessons.

Linguistic integration

The criticism that Platt German children with a migrant background , the linguistic integration more difficult, is countered by pointing out that immigrants are not affected by an elective Low German, but parallel remedial classes in German or mother tongue education could receive. In some cases, Low German classes can even promote integration, as children who grew up bilingual are already used to dealing with multilingualism and the students of German origin have to learn Low German just as they do themselves. An example of this type of integration is the moderator who immigrated from Ethiopia as a child Yared Dibaba , who later became known for Low German television and radio broadcasts and books. Even in Low German reading competitions in recent years, children from families of Indian, Russian or Chinese origins often performed particularly well.

Effects on foreign language teaching

Another fear is that regular Low German classes will lose resources for learning other foreign languages. Proponents of multilingualism , on the other hand, generally consider multilingualism to be a good prerequisite for learning other languages ​​and language flexibility, for cognitive development and for abstract thinking . In the early days of multilingualism, a common pool is created for all languages ​​learned, from which all languages ​​benefit. Learning several languages ​​at the same time in early childhood makes it easier to acquire additional languages.

Knowledge of Low German is particularly beneficial for English lessons because of the close linguistic proximity. Along with Frisian, Low German is considered to be the most closely related living language on the mainland.

Educational scientists point out that a local language in particular can lead to the same intensive language acquisition for children as is later made possible by stays abroad. In contrast, everyday contact with a more distant world language is usually so small in early childhood that only one language encounter takes place.

See also

literature

  • On the schedule: Low German , writings of the Institute for Low German Language 45, published by the Bundesraat för Nedderdüütsch , editors: Christiane Ehlers, Reinhard Goltz and Walter Henschen, Verlag Schuster Leer, Bremen 2013, ISBN 978-3-7963-0395-1 . ( pdf; 1.4 MB ).
  • Ulf-Thomas Lesle : Identity Project Low German. The definition of language as a political issue . In: Robert Langhanke (Ed.): Language, Literature, Space . Festschrift for Willy Diercks. Publishing house for regional history, Bielefeld 2015, ISBN 978-3-89534-867-9 , pp. 693–741.
  • Dieter Möhn: Low German at school , in: Handbook on Low German Linguistics and Literature Studies , edited by Gerhard Cordes and Dieter Möhn, Erich Schmidt Verlag, Berlin 1983, ISBN 3-503-01645-7 .
  • Low German at school. Symposium at the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg on September 3, 2004 . Published by Spieker, Heimatbund für Niederdeutsche Kultur, Isensee Verlag, Oldenburg 2005, ISBN 3-89995-182-4 .
  • Sixth report by the Federal Republic of Germany in accordance with Article 15 paragraph 1 of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages , published by the Federal Ministry of the Interior, without location, 2017 ( pdf; 2.4 MB ).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Renate Herrmann-Winter: Low German as the language of instruction and teaching materials in Pomeranian schools from the 16th to the 20th century , in: Childhood and Youth in the Modern Age 1500–1900 , Stuttgart 2000, p. 55.
  2. ↑ Wolfgang Wildgen: Low German in School and Society , Studies on Regional Language and Regional Culture, Issue 1, 2000, p. 72.
  3. ^ Status and use of Low German 2016 , published by the Institute for German Language and the Institute for Low German Language, editors: Astrid Adler, Christiane Ehlers, Reinhard Goltz, Andrea Kleene, Albrecht Plewnia, Mannheim 2016, p. 10, Fig. 2; P. 14, fig. 8.
  4. ^ Status and use of Low German 2016 , published by the Institute for German Language and the Institute for Low German Language, editors: Astrid Adler, Christiane Ehlers, Reinhard Goltz, Andrea Kleene, Albrecht Plewnia, Mannheim 2016, p. 11, Fig. 3; P. 15, fig. 9.
  5. ^ Status and use of Low German 2016 , published by the Institute for German Language and the Institute for Low German Language, editors: Astrid Adler, Christiane Ehlers, Reinhard Goltz, Andrea Kleene, Albrecht Plewnia, Mannheim 2016, p. 15, Fig. 10.
  6. ↑ a b Status and use of Low German 2016 , published by the Institute for German Language and the Institute for Low German Language, editors: Astrid Adler, Christiane Ehlers, Reinhard Goltz, Andrea Kleene, Albrecht Plewnia, Mannheim 2016, p. 16, Fig. 11 .
  7. ↑ a b Status and use of Low German 2016 , published by the Institute for German Language and the Institute for Low German Language, editors: Astrid Adler, Christiane Ehlers, Reinhard Goltz, Andrea Kleene, Albrecht Plewnia, Mannheim 2016, p. 18, Fig. 14 .
  8. ↑ Hartmut Koschyk: Activity Report Activity Report 2017 (January to October 2017) as the Federal Government's Commissioner at the time for issues relating to repatriates and national minorities , above, 2018, p. 50.
  9. ↑ Federal Ministry of the Interior: Sixth Report of the Federal Republic of Germany in accordance with Article 15 paragraph 1 of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages , 2017, p. 93.
  10. ↑ a b From a European perspective: The regional and minority languages ​​and their place in the German school system , in: With the regional and minority languages ​​on the way to Europe , writings of the Institute for Low German 43, edited by Reinhard Goltz, Ulf-Thomas Lesle and Frerk Möller, Verlag Schuster, Leer 2009, p. 52.
  11. ↑ European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages III, Art 8 Para. 1 b.
  12. ↑ Signatures and status of ratification of treaty 148th European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (status: March 26, 2018)
  13. ↑ landesrecht-mv.de: Constitution of the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania of May 23, 1993
  14. ↑ gesetze-rechtsprechung.sh.juris.de: Constitution of the State of Schleswig-Holstein in the version dated December 2, 2014
  15. ↑ regierung-mv.de: New State Commissioner for Low German ordered , Press Release No. 175-16 of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of 16 November 2016th.
  16. ^ Bildung-mv.de: Advisory Board for Home Care and Low German
  17. ^ Niederdeutschsekretariat.de: Schwerin Theses on Education Policy , 2007.
  18. ↑ a b regierung-mv.de: Kultusministerkonferenz: Low German is a recognized Abitur examination subject , press release of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of March 3, 2017
  19. ↑ a b On the timetable: Low German , writings of the Institute for Writings of the Institute for Low German Language 45, published by Bundesraat för Nedderdüütsch, Bremen 2013, p. 9.
  20. ↑ Cornelia Nath : Immersion Lessons with Low German in School - Challenges and Opportunities , in: Educational and Integration Chances through Low German , Oll 'Mai series of publications, Volume 8, published by the Ostfriesische Landschaft, editor: Cornelia Nath, Aurich 2014, p. 40 .
  21. ↑ On the timetable: Low German , Writings of the Institute for Low German Language 45, published by Bundesraat för Nedderdüütsch, Bremen 2013, p. 10.
  22. ↑ The new Sass. Low German dictionary , published by the Fehrs-Gilde , revised by Heinrich Kahl and Heinrich Thies, continued and substantially expanded by Heinrich Thies, 8th, revised edition, Kiel, Hamburg 2016.
  23. ↑ Fietje Arbeitsbook 1 , concept and handout for teaching: Anja Meier, Hamburg 2012.
  24. ↑ Paul and Emma snackt Plattdüütsch , published by the Institute for Low German Language, Hamburg 2015.
  25. ↑ Half a year with Paul and Emma , Science Information Service, February 8, 2019
  26. ↑ Small question from the MP Simone Oldenburg, parliamentary group Die Linke: Lessons in the Low German language at the general schools in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and answer from the state government , State Parliament Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, printed matter 6/5369, 6th electoral period, May 10, 2016 P. 2.
  27. ↑ Holger Kankel: Searching for traces: Is us Platt ok hüt noch wat? , svz.de, February 8, 2019
  28. ↑ Platt with Plietschmanns. Dat Plattdüütsch-Lihrbauk , Hinstorff Verlag, Rostock 2019
  29. ↑ Heinz Grasmück: Low German in School - Introduction of Low German as a School Subject in Hamburg , in: With the regional and minority languages ​​on the way to Europe , writings of the Institute for Low German Language 43, edited by Reinhard Goltz, Ulf-Thomas Lesle and Frerk Möller , Verlag Schuster, Leer 2009, p. 99.
  30. ↑ Less Low German in schools , Focus, August 10, 2016.
  31. ↑ a b Lower Saxony wants to promote Low German more strongly , nwzonline.de, December 12, 2019
  32. ↑ uni-egoswald.de: Competence Center for Low German Didactics
  33. ↑ uni-kiel.de: Study information sheet Low German
  34. ↑ uni-flensburg.de: Low German learning area
  35. ↑ uni-oldenburg.de: Focus on Low German and Sater Frisian
  36. ↑ uni-rostock.de: Training offer
  37. ↑ State program "My home - my modern Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania" , published by the Ministry for Education, Science and Culture of the State of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schwerin 2016, p. 8.
  38. ↑ uni-hamburg.de: Low German language and literature
  39. ↑ uni-muenster.de: Center for Low German (CfN) at the German Institute of the Westphalian Wilhelms University of Münster
  40. ↑ a b c bildung-mv.de: Competence center for Low German didactics established at the University of Greifswald ( Memento from March 13, 2018 in the Internet Archive )
  41. ↑ a b c Federal Ministry of the Interior: Sixth Report of the Federal Republic of Germany in accordance with Article 15 paragraph 1 of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages , 2017, p. 29.
  42. ↑ a b uni-greifswald.de: Beifach Low German
  43. ↑ On the timetable: Low German , Writings of the Institute for Low German Language 45, published by the Bundesraat för Nedderdüütsch, Bremen 2013, p. 42.
  44. ↑ Niederdeutschsekretariat.de: Evaluation of model schools in Low German
  45. ↑ Reinhard Goltz : Low German in education in the northern German federal states - a comparison , in: Education and integration opportunities through Low German , Oll 'Mai series, volume 8, published by the Ostfriesische Landschaft, editor: Cornelia Nath, Aurich 2014, p. 33 .
  46. ↑ landtag.ltsh.de: Report on the implementation of the European Charter of Regional or Minority Languages ​​in Schleswig-Holstein - Language Chart Report 2016 - Report of the State Government - Printed matter 18/4067 , p. 29.
  47. ↑ Federal Ministry of the Interior: Sixth Report of the Federal Republic of Germany in accordance with Article 15 paragraph 1 of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages , 2017, p. 51.
  48. ↑ Federal Ministry of the Interior: Sixth Report of the Federal Republic of Germany in accordance with Article 15 paragraph 1 of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages , 2017, p. 31.
  49. ↑ Reinhard Goltz : Low German in education in the northern German federal states - a comparison , in: Education and integration opportunities through Low German , Oll 'Mai series, volume 8, published by the Ostfriesische Landschaft, editor: Cornelia Nath, Aurich 2014, p. 36 .
  50. ^ State program "My home - my modern Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania" , published by the Ministry for Education, Science and Culture of the State of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schwerin 2016.
  51. ↑ Small question from the MP Simone Oldenburg, parliamentary group Die Linke: Lessons in the Low German language at the general schools in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and answer from the state government , State Parliament Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, printed matter 6/5369, 6th electoral period, May 10, 2016 P. 1.
  52. ↑ Small question from the MP Simone Oldenburg, parliamentary group Die Linke: Recognition of the Low German language as a foreign language and answer of the state government , Landtag Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, printed matter 7/362, 7th electoral period, March 31, 2017, p. 2.
  53. ↑ bildung-mv.de: Profile schools
  54. ^ Framework plans for the subject Low German of the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
  55. ↑ "Kamt rin un snackt flat" , North German Latest News, February 25 2018th
  56. ↑ a b c Federal Ministry of the Interior: Sixth Report of the Federal Republic of Germany in accordance with Article 15 paragraph 1 of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages , 2017, p. 30.
  57. ↑ Platt mit Plietschmanns: First Platt textbook for MV , welt.de, August 13, 2019
  58. ↑ Platt 2023 for the first time in the Abitur , svz.de, August 14, 2019
  59. ↑ uni-egoswald.de: Competence Center for Low German Didactics
  60. ^ Regierung-mv.de: Institute for Quality Development
  61. ↑ Federal Ministry of the Interior: Sixth Report of the Federal Republic of Germany in accordance with Article 15 paragraph 1 of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages , 2017, p. 92.
  62. ↑ a b On the timetable: Low German , Writings of the Institute for Low German Language 45, published by the Bundesraat för Nedderdüütsch, Bremen 2013, p. 21.
  63. ↑ Low German reading competition on the website of the Lower Saxony Sparkasse Foundation
  64. ^ "Low German schools" in Lower Saxony: Steinkirchen elementary school, Kuhstedt elementary school in Gnarrenburg , Wallinghausen elementary school in Aurich , Hankensbüttel elementary school , Möörkenschule elementary school in Leer , Nordholz elementary school, Höner Mark elementary school in Dinklage , Constantia elementary school in Emden , Wiesmoor- Mitte elementary school, Moordorf elementary school in Südbrookmerland , Holtermoor Primary School in Ostrhauderfehn , Lintig Primary School, Huntetalschule Primary School in Goldenstedt , Peheim Catholic Primary School , Kirsten Boie Primary School Wallhöfen in Vollersode , Rechtsupweg Primary School, Eversen Primary School , Edewechter Oberschule, Garrel Catholic Primary School, Am Extumer Weg Primary School in Aurich Middels in Aurich, St. Franziskus Primary School in Werpeloh , St. Heinrich School Ellenstedt in Goldenstedt; see. mk.niedersachsen.de: " Low German Schools" in Lower Saxony (overview of the schools awarded until 2016 on the website of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Culture)
  65. ↑ Federal Ministry of the Interior: Sixth Report of the Federal Republic of Germany in accordance with Article 15 paragraph 1 of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages , 2017, p. 46.
  66. ^ Janine Albrecht: Schlau durch Platt , Deutsche Welle, March 18, 2013.
  67. ↑ Continuing and expanding funding for Low German and Sater Frisian , June 6, 2017.
  68. ^ Website of the University of Oldenburg , accessed on January 31, 2020
  69. ↑ Federal Ministry of the Interior: Sixth Report of the Federal Republic of Germany in accordance with Article 15 paragraph 1 of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages , 2017, p. 27.
  70. ↑ a b Federal Ministry of the Interior: Sixth Report of the Federal Republic of Germany in accordance with Article 15 paragraph 1 of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages , 2017, p. 28.
  71. ↑ Scientific service of the Bundestag: On the situation of regional and minority languages ​​in Germany , WD 10 - 050/16, October 19, 2016, p. 8.
  72. ↑ a b On the timetable: Low German , writings of the Institute for Writings of the Institute for Low German Language 45, published by Bundesraat för Nedderdüütsch, Bremen 2013, p. 67.
  73. ↑ a b More funding for Low German in Brandenburg , maz-online.de, August 21, 2019
  74. ↑ Friendship contract for Low German , maz-online.de, June 16, 2019
  75. ↑ a b Status and Use of Low German 2016 , published by the Institute for German Language and the Institute for Low German Language, editors: Astrid Adler, Christiane Ehlers, Reinhard Goltz, Andrea Kleene, Albrecht Plewnia, Mannheim 2016, pp. 33–35.
  76. ↑ Wolfgang Krischke: Schnacken like the old , Die Zeit, January 12, 2012.
  77. ↑ Martina Goy: Low German is a hit thanks to Dibaba and Müller , Berliner Morgenpost, June 28, 2006.
  78. ^ Gertrud Reershemius: Low German in East Friesland. Between language contact, language change and language change , Wiesbaden 2004, p. 95.
  79. ^ Abi in Platt: Brodkorb wants Low German as a school subject , Ostsee-Zeitung, April 19, 2016.
  80. ↑ a b Wolfgang Krischke: Schnacken wie die Alten , Die Zeit, January 12, 2012.
  81. ↑ Alex Riemersma: Language policy of the province of Friesland in a European perspective , in: Low German, the region and the world. Paths to modern multilingualism. Positions and balance sheets , writings of the Institute for Low German, edited by Reinhard Goltz, Ulf-Thomas Lesle and Frerk Möller, Leer 2009, p. 17.
  82. ↑ Cornelia Nath : Immersion Lessons with Low German in School - Challenges and Opportunities , in: Education and Integration Chances through Low German , Oll 'Mai series of publications, Volume 8, published by the Ostfriesische Landschaft, editor: Cornelia Nath, Aurich 2014, p. 42 .
  83. ↑ Cornelia Nath : Immersion Lessons with Low German in School - Challenges and Opportunities , in: Education and Integration Chances through Low German , Oll 'Mai series of publications, Volume 8, published by the Ostfriesische Landschaft, editor: Cornelia Nath, Aurich 2014, p. 41 .
This article was added to the list of excellent articles on June 5, 2018 in this version .