PLAUTDIETSCH CONVERSATIONS
IN-PERSON MEETINGS
Discussion Group Meetings
Obviously, the best way to learn to speak Plautdietsch is to hear and speak it very early in life, and to continue to converse in this language throughout life. For many people this has not been possible. The best way to relearn and/or maintain the language is use it in conversation with others. Because Plautdietsch speakers are scattered far and wide throughout the world, and many have been assimilated into dominent language cultures; learning, relearning, or maintaining the language through exposure and conversation with other Plautdietsch speakers is often very difficult.
Nevertheless, it is often possible to methodically organize small meetings of persons wanting to relearn and practice Plautdietsch so that people can improve and maintain their language skills in the Plautdietsch language. I have found that we are not alone in our sense of loss in regard to the language and our desire to recover and regain it. Advertising on the Internet or in traditional media for others interested in speaking Plautdietsch will almost surely result in discovering such people and being able to convene some sort of meetings.
I experienced some success in doing this a few years ago. I invited a small group of Plautdietsch speakers who had forgotten much of what they have learned as children to assemble in my home every week or so to enjoy speaking Plautdietsch, and thereby learn and achieve greater fluency in this beautiful and ancient language. Our group was very eclectic: some were younger, some older, and the level of proficiency or fluency in Plautdietsch varied a great deal from one person to another. Whatever our level of skill and familiarity with the language, we all improved a great deal. Most of us experienced the startling phenomenon of listening to the right word, we were not aware of knowing, coming out of our mouths as we struggled to communicate with each other. Some of us reported beginning to dream in Plautdietsch. We found the language more and more enjoyable as our confidence, vocabulary and grammatical skill increased. It is a language that contains much humor and other pleasing features.