scholarly journals Language, or Dialect, That Is the Question. How Attitudes Affect Language Statistics Using the Example of Low German

Languages ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 40
Author(s):  
Astrid Adler
Keyword(s):  
Northern Germany ◽  
Low German ◽  
Regional Language ◽  
The Status ◽  
Language Statistics ◽  
Initial Focus

This paper explores how attitudes affect the seemingly objective process of counting speakers of varieties using the example of Low German, Germany’s sole regional language. The initial focus is on the basic taxonomy of classifying a variety as a language or a dialect. Three representative surveys then provide data for the analysis: the Germany Survey 2008, the Northern Germany Survey 2016, and the Germany Survey 2017. The results of these surveys indicate that there is no consensus concerning the evaluation of Low German’s status and that attitudes towards Low German are related to, for example, proficiency in the language. These attitudes are shown to matter when counting speakers of Low German and investigating the status it has been accorded.

scholarly journals “Caint na ndaoine”. The Irish Language as a Precedent for Standardisation

Adeptus ◽  
2016 ◽  
pp. 72-79
Author(s):  
Carlo James Waskowski Ritchie
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Northern Germany ◽  
Language Community ◽  
Irish Language ◽  
Low German ◽  
Regional Language

“Caint na ndaoine”. The Irish Language as a Precedent for StandardisationCritics of the standardisation of the Irish language argue that the “modernisation” of the Irish orthography has been detrimental to the preservation of the various dialects that form native spoken Irish. The effects of standardisation on Irish consequently form an important precedent for language standardisation. The potential alienation of a language’s native speakers is an outcome of standardisation that is obviously destructive for a language community that exists in a minority. The issues that surround the movement for a standardised Plattdeutsch are similar to those faced in the standardisation of Modern Irish. Since the recognition by the European Union of Low German (Plattdeutsch) as a regional language in 1998, there has been newfound momentum in the movement for its reestablishment as a unified language of Northern Germany. One of the great difficulties of this movement however is the lack of any universal orthography due to the separate nature of the language’s dialects. Given the sociolinguistic similarities of these two (albeit unrelated languages), a study of the effects of the standardisation of Irish is useful for an assessment of the possibility of a standardised Plattdeutsch. “Caint na ndaoine”. Język irlandzki jako precedens standaryzacjiKrytycy procesu standaryzacji języka irlandzkiego uważają, że „modernizacja” irlandzkiej ortografii zaszkodziła ochronie wielu dialektów składających się na oralny język natywnych Irlandczyków. Skutki standaryzacji irlandzkiego stanowią więc ważny precedens standaryzacji języków. Możliwe wyobcowanie natywnych użytkowników języka jest w oczywisty sposób destrukcyjnym dla trwania wspólnoty mniejszościowej rezultatem procesu standaryzacji. Zagadnienia towarzyszące ruchowi na rzecz standaryzacji języka dolnoniemieckiego są podobne do problemów standaryzacji, wobec których stanął współczesny irlandzki. Uznanie przez Unię Europejską dolnoniemieckiego (Plattdeutsch) jako języka regionalnego w 1998 dało nową siłę ruchowi na rzecz ustanowienia go ujednoliconym językiem północnych Niemiec. Jedną z wielkich trudności tego procesu jest brak uniwersalnej ortografii, co wynika z różnorodności dialektów tego języka. Zważywszy na socjolingwistyczne podobieństwo tych dwóch (niespokrewnionych ze sobą) języków, studium efektów standaryzacji języka irlandzkiego jest użyteczne dla oceny możliwości standaryzacji dolnoniemieckiego.

scholarly journals THE LINGUISTIC CHOICE BY INDONESIAN-SPEAKING ADOLESCENTS: A CASE STUDY IN TANGERANG

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-34
Author(s):  
Bernadette Kushartanti
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Senior High School ◽  
Regional Language ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Jakarta Indonesian ◽  
Neighboring Area

This study presents a result of a survey on linguistic choice by adolescents who live in Tangerang, a neighboring area of Jakarta. In this study, we observed their use of Bahasa Indonesia (BI), Colloquial Jakarta Indonesian (CJI), foreign language (FL), regional language (RL), and mixed language (ML) in interactions with different addresees in daily activities: parents, teachers, friends, siblings, grandparents, uncles/aunts, and new acquaintances. Data in this study were collected from questionnaires, distributed at two secondary schools (SMP) and two senior high schools—a sekolah menengah umum ‘general senior high school’(SMU) and a sekolah menengah kejuruan (SMK) ‘vocational senior high school’ (SMK) which are located in Tangerang. The participants in this study are the students, aged 13 to 19 years old (N=748). It is found that BI and CJI were frequently used by these teenagers. They tended to use BI in interactions—spoken and written—with the older and respected people (teachers, parents, and grandparents) or those who are not familiar with them. CJI is used to those who are socially equal to them. Some of them used ML. Only a few of these participants use RL, and very few use FL. This study also finds that there are differences on the pattern between the use of BI and CJI in spoken and written interactions. Another factor that makes the difference between these varieties is the educational level. Findings in this study indicates that these languages—especially BI and CJI—have functions respectively, and the respondents’s choice is strongly influenced by the status of the participants and social contexts.

scholarly journals How to Deal with Non-Dominant Languages – Metalinguistic Discourses on Low German in the Nineteenth Century

2013 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nils Langer ◽  
Robert Langhanke
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Early Modern Period ◽  
Cultural Value ◽  
Minority Languages ◽  
National Unity ◽  
Low German ◽  
The North ◽  
The Status ◽  
The One

This paper discusses nineteenth-century metalinguistic discussions of Low German, an authochthonous of Northern Germany, which, having lost its status as a written language suitable for formal discourse during the Early Modern period, has since been reduced to the spoken domain. During the nineteenth century the language was on the verge of enjoying a revival, with original poetry being published and extensive discussions as to whether Low German ought to play a role in formal education. As this article shows, this discussion was intense and controversial. Comparing the views of Klaus Groth, the leading proponent of Low German in the second half of the nineteenth century, with the internal debates amongst school teachers - hitherto never discussed by the scholarly literature – this article demonstrates the intellectual and ideological split felt by these educational practioners in their views of Low German: on the one hand, they recognise the cultural value of Low German as the historical language of the North and the native language of the pupils they teach, on the other hand they agree with each other that the language of education and science, as well as national unity, can only be High German. We hope to show with our discussion not only how very similar modern thinking on the use of Low German is to these historical discussions but also how the status and perception of many regional and minority languages across the world has been subject to the same or very similar thoughts and pressures.

Research Journals in Social Sciences

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.V. Manjunatha ◽  
B.B. Chand
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Education Law ◽  
English Only ◽  
Regional Language ◽  
The Status ◽  
Regional Languages ◽  
Delivery Models

This chapter analyses the relevant aspects related to research journals and examines the growth and trends of social science research (SSR) journals; the status on access and delivery models of SSR journals; the role of institutions, associations, and commercial publishers in promoting SSR journals; and the quality and quantity of SSR journals in India. The study found that of the total 2131 journals analysed, about 84 per cent are published in English, only 9 per cent in English as well as in Hindi/regional languages together, and 7 per cent only in Hindi/regional languages. Analysis of 1992 journals published in English and English/Hindi/regional language(s) shows that over 40 per cent of these are in disciplines of economics and allied subjects. Education, law, and multidisciplinary themes take the majority of the remaining share.

scholarly journals Digital Divide: Low German and other Minority Languages

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 130
Author(s):  
Heiko Wiggers
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
World Wide ◽  
Minority Language ◽  
Minority Languages ◽  
Northern Germany ◽  
Low German ◽  
Online Presence ◽  
The World ◽  
Regional Languages ◽  
European Regional

This paper investigates the online presence of Low German, a minority language spoken in northern Germany, as well as several other European regional and minority languages. In particular, this article presents the results of two experiments, one involving Wikipedia and one involving Twitter, that assess whether and to which extent minority languages are used on these websites. The article argues that minority and regional languages are not only underrepresented online due to a combination of historical, linguistic, sociological, and demographic reasons, but that the overall architecture of the World Wide Web and its most visited websites is such that smaller languages do not stand a chance to gain a meaningful online presence. 

scholarly journals Low German influence on the Scandinavian languages in late medieval times – some comments on loan words, word-forming, syntactic structures and names

AmS-Skrifter ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 153-161
Author(s):  
Inge Særheim
Keyword(s):  
Strong Influence ◽  
German Language ◽  
Grammatical Structure ◽  
Northern Germany ◽  
Late Medieval ◽  
Cultural Contact ◽  
Syntactic Structures ◽  
Loan Words ◽  
Low German ◽  
Western Norway

There was a strong influence from the Low German language on the languages in Scandinavia in late medieval times due to the considerable economical and cultural contact and interaction between northern Germany and the Scandinavian countries in this period, especially the Hanse trade. The vocabulary was especially affected, but also the grammatical structure and names. Some place-names from south-western Norway seem to reflect Low German influence. The loans from Low German are well integrated and adjusted to the structure of the Scandinavian languages.

scholarly journals A Long-Lasting CofP of New and Native Speakers—Practices, Identities of Belonging and Motives for Participation

Languages ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Birte Arendt
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Language Attitudes ◽  
Low German ◽  
Regional Language ◽  
New Speakers ◽  
Identity Discourses ◽  
The Relationship

Within sociolinguistic research on small languages like Low German, differentiation into new and native speakers has become established. The relationship between the two different groups of speakers is sometimes conceptualized as an insurmountable “gap”. In addition to different acquisition paths and competencies, identity discourses of belonging, authority and authenticity, as well as typical practices, are all crucial elements of these differences. Despite these differences, the intergenerational language-centered analog community of practice (CofP) “Plattdüütschkring” consisting of approximately 10 new and native speakers of the regional language Low German has existed since 2005. This article is based on an explorative case-study analyzing the network “Plattdüütschkring” as an example of successful cooperation between new speakers and native speakers on the basis of typical attitudes and linguistic practices. In order to gain authentic, subjectively experienced insights into identities, normative conceptions and individual language experiences within and outside the network, meta-linguistic reflections of the members themselves were analyzed. These meta-linguistic reflections were collected through narrative interviews with the same and different members at the two survey dates 2010/11 and 2020. The findings show norms of monolingual language use, narrative identities of a normative hierarchy of acquisition scenarios and competences as aspects of belonging. Social and learning-oriented and thus multiple individually appropriate functions of the network can explain the motivation for long-term membership. These outcomes help to understand the role of language attitudes in CofP in the language development of small languages as well as abstract characteristics of successful language-centered networks.

scholarly journals Language Shift Revisited. Linguistic Repertoires of Jews in Low German-Speaking Germany in the Early 20th Century: Insights from the LCAAJ Archive

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-166
Author(s):  
Gertrud Reershemius
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
First Language ◽  
Language Shift ◽  
Early 20Th Century ◽  
Northern Germany ◽  
Historical Sociolinguistics ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Low German ◽  
German Speaking

This paper analyzes the linguistic repertoires of Jews in the Low German-speaking areas in the first decades of the 20th century, as a contribution to historical sociolinguistics. Based on fieldwork questionnaires held in the archives of the Language and Culture Atlas of Ashkenazic Jewry (LCAAJ), it addresses the question of whether the Jewish minorities spoke a supralectal form of standard German or Koiné forms of dialects, relating this to issues of language shift from Western Yiddish. The study shows that many Jews living in northern Germany during the 1920s and 1930s still had access to a multilingual repertoire containing remnants of Western Yiddish; that a majority of the LCAAJ interviewees from this area emphasized their excellent command of standard German; and that their competence in Low German varied widely, from first language to no competence at all, depending on the region where they lived.*

scholarly journals Regional identity and its protection on the example of the Valencian Autonomous Community

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-151
Author(s):  
Dagmara Głuszek-Szafraniec
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Statistical Data ◽  
Regional Identity ◽  
Regional Government ◽  
Autonomous Community ◽  
Regional Language ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Government

Abstract The article systematizes the knowledge about the Valencian Autonomous Community and the activities of its authorities in the field of language policy. The author has reviewed the legal solutions strengthening the status of a regional language in public space and discussed the main laws that emphasize the importance of the language as a cultural heritage of Valencia. The article also presents statistical data on the situation and ways of using the language by the inhabitants of Valencia. The last part of the article discusses the Valencian-language media market. The regional government financially supports the presence of the language in public space. The position of the Valencian language remains constant, albeit low, both among the population and in the media, Therefore, the subsidies proposed by the government of the Valencian Community should change this situation and strengthen the presence of the Valencian language among the population of the region.

scholarly journals Übergänge zur Schriftlichkeit. Zu wechselnden Profilen dialektaler Literalität am Beispiel des Niederdeutschen

2017 ◽  
Vol 85 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Langhanke
Keyword(s):  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Policy ◽  
19Th Century ◽  
Language Use ◽  
German Literature ◽  
Northern Germany ◽  
Low German ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The 19Th Century

Different types of Low German literacy create varieties in addition to spoken Low German. Their function differs according to the change of language use. By setting the focus on dialectal literature it becomes clear, which concepts of Low German literature became influential since the 19th century. In the recent situation, new perspectives for Low German and its literature can be found in the field of planned language acquisition for example at school. Therefore written forms of Low German become much more important than usually thought of by looking at the ideas of language policy and the development at schools in Northern Germany.

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