LL-L "Language maintenance" 2007.04.28 (02) [E/LS/German/Luxembourgish]

[Lowlands-L List]

L O W L A N D S - L  -  28 April 2007 - Volume 02

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From: Dave Singleton <davidsin at pt.lu>
Subject: LL-L "History" 2007.04.25 (05) [E/LS/German/Latin]/Lëtzeb)

> From: Karl-Heinz Lorenz <Karl-Heinz.Lorenz at gmx.net>
> Subject: LL-L "Language maintanance" 2007.04.19 (04) [LS]
>
> Die audiovisuellen Medien stützen in der Schweiz die Funktion der
> Regionalsprache als Sprechsprache. Wenn vertriebene Deutschsprachige nach
> dem Krieg in die Schweiz gekommen sind, dann haben die das
> Schweizerdeutsche
> angenommen. Da führte und führt kein Weg vorbei: wenn du in der Schweiz
> leben willst, musst du diesen Dialekt oder diese Sprache lernen, um
> dazuzugehören. Es ist auch nicht wichtig, dass man's perfekt kann. Den
> Schweizern ist ein Kanaken-Alemannisch lieber als ein perfektes
> Hochdeutsch.
>
> Ähnlich die Luxemburger: Französisch ist Amtsprache und Gesetzessprache,
> Deutsch die Kirchensprache und Sprache der Printmedien, Lëtzebuergesch
> wird
> als die am häufigsten benutzte Sprache im Alltag für's Radio verwendet.
> (Habe allerdings auch schon gehört, dass Französisch da immer stärker
> wird.)
>
> Liebe Grüße aus dem Süden,
> Karl-Heinz
>
Moiën alleguer,
Ech muss hei eppes soen -- d'Gesetz as elo an Lëtzebuergesch an
Franzeisch geschriwen, diskutiert heierst de och an beide sprooch gemât
bei Regierung.
Fir d' moment Franzeisch as an Butteken als Not sprooch akzepteiert --
grenzganger vun sud will eis sprooch net lehren, gleich wéi vill vun
d'Belgen. E grouss probleme hun mir mât eisen Portugësisch awwoner, vill
famillen hun dritte generatiounen kanner, dei Lëtzebuergesch schwetzen
awwer den Elteren hun kee wort vun d'sprooch, an will kee wort lehren.
Awwer, muss man eppes vun eisen Ambten nofroen dan get dat vill mëi flot
mât Lëtzebuergesch, an och mëi norperlig.
Fir al dei leite dat kann de sprooch besser schreiwen -- ech hun net
vill geschriwen an d'sprooch dofir muss dir mir entschuligen

Schéin Feieredeg,

Dave Singleton

----------

From: Karl-Heinz Lorenz <Karl-Heinz.Lorenz at gmx.net>
Subject: LL-L "Language maintenance" 2007.04.26 (03) [E]

Gabriele wrote:
> A TV programme in nothing but Platt? And who would the speakers be? Where
> would they find enough people to dub everything who all speak the same
> flavour of Platt, and are at the same time talented enough for the job?
> And
> how would they pay for it all? It would probably sound horrible because to
> most of them, Platt would be a foreign language they would try to imitate.
> And even if it worked, we would be stuck with a standardized version which
> could wipe out regional dialects.

Daar mutt ik to seggen/schrieven dat de Nohwuß an Radio- un
Kiekkassensprekers all an't oefenen is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oTit-ZyqwI&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eoOtvzueRU

Das Problem ist doch, dass es zu wenig Nachfrage gibt, dass man es für nicht
notwendig hält, sich nicht wirklich dafür interessiert usw. Alles was zählt
ist, ob es Kasse macht, nicht? Selbst wenn es qualitativ schlecht ist. Mir
graut davor, dass solche Dialektsender dann unter Umständen eine reine
Comedysache, eine billige Lachnummer sein könnten. Die Schweiz ist da eben
ein Sonderfall, da bedauert man schon umgekehrt, dass es heute keine
schweizerische Variante einer hochdeutschen Standardsprache gibt, so wie zB
in Österreich.

In this context I also remember an interview I've read at the
Sprachwissenschaftliches Institut in Vienna. They interviewed an old guy in
Wisconsin who spoke German when he was a child but nearly forgot it. So the
question was, if he regrets that he lost his mother tongue. He answered in
turn: I would have learned it, if there was a need ...

Regards,
Karl-Heinz

----------

From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Language maintenance

Moiën, Dave! Schéin ook mol von Dech eppes zu héhren!

And of course from you, too, Karl-Heinz, with all your stimulating ideas.

Karl-Heinz, your point about Nachfrage (demand) in connection with minority
language use in the media is an interesting one.

The way I see things in the case of Low Saxon, it's a circular thing, or a
case of self-fulfilling prophesies.  What you've got is a small bunch of
power brokers (e.g. radio and TV managers and producers and magazine and
book editors) that get to call the shots. They do so on the basis of their
assumptions, assumptions that tend to be influenced by personal assessments
and biases and may or may not be based on facts.  (So far I have not heard
of actual market research.)  Most assume that demand for Low Saxon is for
material for older folks and should be limited to old-time themes,
sentimental poetry and stories, and parochial theater, that it shout
notaccommodate anything "new" and "exotic," and there is no room for
anything
that hasn't been done successfully before.  What is at the very base of this
is the question of what is and what is not lucrative.  So it's a question of
money, and there is virtually no willingness to gamble.  Anything that
isinnovative has been done with private funds and with such small
circulations
that it reaches few people.

Now, what this lack of adventurousness does, as far as I can see, is turn
those people off (i.e., away from the language) that would happily learn and
use it were it not for the fact that the widely available material is
tailor-made for what some people assume is the consumer group with the money
they want.  This is not only a disservice, if not an insult, to the mature
audience (especially to the Baby Boomers with a past of breaking barriers),
but it is also a very myopic approach that most likely creates the assumed
lack of demand.  In other words, I believe that demand could be there if the
power brokers pulled their heads out of their little behinds and explored
new possibilities by aiming to include a larger target audience.  Currently,
their biased assumption that Low Saxon is for old farts creates or
reinforces this reality.  I know lots of younger people who'd love to learn
or keep up the language and would have a much easier time if there were more
material that appeals to them.

Anyway, this is my assessment, in large part based on experience and
discussions with relevant parties.

Kumpelmenten,
Reinhard/Ron
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