Everyday Plautdietsch Learners
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Low German is the mother tongue of many Mennonites worldwide. If you grew up Mennonite like me, your parents may have only spoken Plattdeutsch to each other and didnât engage you in any language. You may have understood some phrases at one time, but even that was forgotten.
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Iâm here to make a difference and to get you up and speaking this valuable language. New resources are being developed regularly to support you along the way.Â
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Here's what you can expect from our Plautdietsch resources -Â
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Deeper connection with your Mennonite roots - âYou know youâre a Mennonite whenâŚâ đ
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Better brain activity -learning a new language increases your brain function.
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You will be speaking a unique heritage language.
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You will connect with other speakers of Low German.Â
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Plautdietsch is a treasure with significant heritage value. You donât want it to vanish from your family. Learn it and pass it on to the next generation.
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Saying a few phrases in this language will allow you to display your unique heritage from the Middle Ages! The languages from those days, like Old Norse, are almost extinct. Letâs not let this happen with Plautdietsch. If there should be any language learned and preserved among Mennonites, it should be Plautdietsch.Â
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It's healthy!
Give your brain the exercise it needs to stay healthy. If you grew up hearing Plautdietsch, those sounds and phrases are still in your long-term memory. By learning Plautdietsch, you will exercise neurons that will bring back skills you didnât even realize you had.Â
Learning another language has proven to be very healthy for the brain. It gives our brains the exercise they need to function better as we age.Â
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Make Connections!
Once youâve practiced some of the strange sounds and blends, speaking Plautdietsch wonât seem hard.Â
Consistent practice will help you reach your goals of speaking Plautdietsch with your loved ones or finding someone to connect with in the Low German community.
Travel and make connections worldwide with other Plautdietsch speakers. Plenty of great times await you among those of this heritage.
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Keep the Heritage ALIVE!
Encourage the next generation to learn some phrases in this language.Â
By passing this on, we keep this a piece of the heritage that is quickly fading away because of the acculturation of the next generation to the dominant languages and cultures in their context.
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You wonât find another offer like this where you get coached in learning Plautdietsch regularly with like-minded people desiring to learn a valuable heritage language. Make the effort to pass on this traditional language to the next generation.
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Plautdietsch is a treasure we canât let disappear from our Mennonite heritage. Plautdietsch has withstood the trials of the ages because clusters of people used it as a communal language.Â
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Even though they had your best in mind, your parents didnât know the benefits of knowing more than one language.
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You can change that! Most of the world speaks more than one language, so let Plautdietsch be the language that makes you multilingual.
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Starter
Low German resources are available in one convenient spot to practice and learn independently.
My journey to speaking Plautdietsch
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After I moved away to go to college, I wanted to speak to my parents in their heart language. I began speaking Plautdietsch with them after some linguistics training and learning Russian.
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I stumbled around at first, but gradually, it became easier to say more. I realized that my brain had retained the sounds I had heard all during my years at home, giving me a headstart in practicing and speaking Plautdietsch.
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Even though English has become my primary language since I married Gene, which is how we communicate as a family, I love that I can speak to my mother in her heart language. Thereâs something about connecting with another personâs heart language.
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The relationship goes deeper, and you feel more connected. I live many miles away from my Paraguayan family, and I appreciate the connection through Plautdietsch in our relationship.
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Having worked as a language coach to students of other languages, I understand what it takes to support you on your journey of speaking Plautdietsch.
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My husband, Gene, is testing various strategies to help him learn the Plautdietsch sounds and words. Weâll share all these tips and tools with you because every learner needs to find the strategy that works for them to move forward with this fantastic brain exercise.
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I can also empathize with the learner because I was in that place a few times while learning new languages.Â
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