Linguists now see teachers and parents as responsible as positive role models for dialect
In many regions, the dialect is now on the verge of extinction: According to a nationwide study by the University of Tübingen, only every ninth or tenth elementary school child in Baden-Württemberg speaks the dialect. The regional coloring of the language has now largely been lost, especially in the cities, said the head of the research project, Hubert Klausmann, on Monday (June 27, 2022).
In the meantime, a kind of mixed form has developed in many places. The simple contrast between dialect and so-called high German no longer exists in south-western Germany, explains the linguist. Many children today would move linguistically on different levels between the local dialect and what is generally considered to be High German.
Experts think children should be encouraged to speak dialect
The Tübingen office “Language in Southwest Germany”, which examines not only Swabian dialects but also Alemannic, sounded the alarm after the study and appealed to parents and teachers. It is said that these are important role models for the children when it comes to dialect. The attitude towards the dialect therefore plays an important role.
Experts believe that if a child is praised for speaking dialect, the proportion of children who speak dialect also increases. Therefore, people need to better understand that linguistic variations are something normal and not undesirable.
In the Tübingen study, almost 13,600 elementary school students from almost 700 classes were surveyed, as well as more than 700 teachers. The study was part of the state’s dialect initiative, which Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (GRÜNE) launched four years ago.
(fw) / dpa
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