Low German is set to become an established subject in schools in Lower Saxony – and it will also be possible to study it as such. The university is currently expanding its range of courses. Students of German studies can already choose the language as a specialisation.
Tobias Kremer doesn’t have to think long when asked if he has a favourite Low German word. “Ketteket – squirrel,” he replies without a moment’s hesitation. “The word stuck with me from my childhood. My mum always used it.” The 23-year-old Master’s student grew up speaking Low German in the north-west of Lower Saxony, near the Dutch border: “For my grandparents, Low German was the language spoken at home; my mother speaks it fluently too.” Nevertheless, Standard German was the main language spoken in everyday life, including at school, Kremer explains, which is why his own Low German is only rudimentary.
With his experience, Kremer is a prime example of a generation that still understands Low German but can no longer speak it. To save the language from dying out, it has been taught more extensively in schools again for several years now. Prospective teachers interested in this role have the opportunity in Oldenburg to specialise in this area during their degree: “The University of Oldenburg is the only one in Lower Saxony where you can choose Low German as a specialisation within the German Studies degree programme,” explains Prof. Dr Jörg Peters, a lecturer in pragmatics, sociolinguistics and Low German. Tobias Kremer, who is currently studying for a Master’s degree in German Studies and Politics and Economics to become a grammar school teacher, had already chosen this specialisation during his Bachelor’s degree. For him, it is a matter close to his heart: “I want to preserve the language of my grandparents,” he says.
Benefits for cognitive development
For a long time, Low German had a bad reputation. “Right up until the 1970s, the prevailing view in sociolinguistics was that Low German was a language associated with lower levels of education. It was assumed that children would be at a disadvantage at school if they spoke Low German at home – because the language of schooling was High German,” explains Peters. Consequently, Low German was pushed into the background as a family language.
There are various reasons why Low German is regaining importance today as a significant regional cultural asset, and why politicians are also making efforts to preserve the language. In 1998, the European ‘Charter for Regional or Minority Languages’ came into force in Germany, recognising, protecting and promoting regional and minority languages as part of Europe’s cultural heritage. Low German is the only German regional language protected by the Charter – as is the minority language Sater Frisian in Lower Saxony. “That was an important step,” emphasises Peters.
With the ratification of the Charter, the Federal States have committed themselves to promoting these so-called ‘small languages’. Furthermore, it is now scientifically proven that growing up multilingual does children no harm. “It is generally accepted that it even has benefits for cognitive development,” says Peters. For him, this is a compelling argument for convincing parents and grandparents to start speaking Low German with their children and grandchildren again in everyday life. “For the children, this is an opportunity to acquire multilingualism naturally.”
The ‘Low German Certificate’ prepares pupils for Low German lessons at school
Nevertheless, it is primarily the responsibility of educational institutions to provide suitable opportunities. Schools often rely on extracurricular clubs or reading competitions for this. In East Frisia, where the language is still most widely spoken, many primary schools also offer immersion lessons – in which subjects such as PE or general studies are taught in Low German. This commitment is clearly bearing fruit: according to a study by the Bremen Institute for the Low German Language, the number of Low German speakers has remained fairly stable since 2007.
Prospective teachers learn how to teach Low German in schools as part of the Low German degree programme at the University of Oldenburg. This is supplemented by seminars and practical sessions on the history of the language and dialectology, as well as language courses. Once all the modules required for the specialisation have been successfully completed, this is confirmed with the ‘Low German Certificate’. Tobias Kremer was already enthusiastic about the introductory course. He particularly enjoyed the language course. “You do have to learn vocabulary, of course, but instead of mindless rote learning, we learnt a lot through stories, songs or popular programmes like ‘Inas Nacht’.” Thanks to his personal connection to the language, he found it easy to motivate himself to learn.
Low German as a separate school subject
In order to embed Low German more firmly in the education system in future, the state government decided in 2017 to establish it as a subject in its own right – as a foreign language in the compulsory-optional stream at lower and upper secondary levels. “That’s a huge step forward,” says Peters happily. For the University of Oldenburg, this decision brings with it the task of developing initial and further education programmes for the subject. “Initially, it should be possible to study Low German as an additional subject.” In a few years’ time, the subject will hopefully have become sufficiently established that it can also be studied as a fully-fledged second subject. However, it will remain as an additional subject and will be open in particular to teacher training, according to Peters.
There is certainly no lack of interest among students: at present, around one in three students studying German at Oldenburg come into contact with the Low German subject during the course of their studies. In addition, around ten to fifteen students per class of study go on to obtain the Low German certificate. Many of them come from regions where Low German is still widely spoken, says Peters. “It is not unlikely that those who wish to teach Low German at school will eventually return to their home region,” he speculates. Tobias Kremer, too, can imagine teaching Low German in schools later on: “I’d certainly feel confident enough to run a Low German club.”