German dialect in Texas is one of a kind, and dying out

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Schroeder

You can raise kids bilingual. They learn the language of their parents home country and the local one. That's usually not a problem, I've seen it being done here a few times. A foreign language is always a good thing to have and can even open you doors on the job market (and makes some holiday trips so much easier). So I'm all for teaching your kids your native language IF you teach them the local one as well.

Amen to that. I always get pissed when I see third generation people here who don't speak the language properly....

A lot of merit in that

[vienna]

In my original hometown of San Francisco, the fading of the German language started even earlier than WW1/WW2. At the time of the Great Fire & Earthquake of 1906, a very substantial number of propertties, homes, and businesses were insured by insurance companies headquartered in Germany. After the devastaion, the German insurance companies quickly and quietly pulled uo stakes and fled oversea, not paying off claims from the people who had paid for the insurance. There developed from that point an animosity fueled further by the wars...

<O>

You can raise kids bilingual. They learn the language of their parents home country and the local one.

What if the local one happens to be bilingual or even multi lingual?

Amen to that. I always get pissed when I see third generation people here who don't speak the language properly....

The same can be said of natives.

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

There were a lot of German Settlers in Central and West, Texas way back.

You can still see it in the names of several towns:







New Braunfels is even home to Schlitterbahn water park with obvious German heritage found in it's name.

Every September there are always a few friends invite me to some sort of authentic Oktoberfest party - which ends up being more of a small carnival with lots of different craft beers (not your college dorm octoberfest held in mid october where they spend hours sampling bud lite and miller lite lol)

yes, a lot of the German vanished after the entry into WW2...

names like Schmidt and Braun were changed to Smith or Brown.

Others kept the heritage alive, and some of those cities still have german folk festivals city wide as far as im aware.

its pretty neat if you get the chance to make it out to one.

Yep, lots of German descendants and German communities in Texas. Great people.

[WernherVonTrapp]

Chester W. Nimitz, a German Texan, was the son of Anna Josephine (Henke) and Chester Bernhard Nimitz. He was born 24 February 1885 in Fredericksburg, Texas.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chester_W._Nimitz

[Schroeder]

Originally Posted by Tribesman

What if the local one happens to be bilingual or even multi lingual?

There has been a test to determine how many languages kids could learn simultaneously. I think it where 4 different languages but i'm not sure about that number anymore.
So there should be no problem in learning one or two different languages besides the local one.

So there should be no problem in learning one or two different languages besides the local one.

What about practical problems?
Lots of Germans living out west speak English and Irish, but they still cannot understand someone from west Cork or Donegal in either language

[Schroeder]

Originally Posted by Tribesman

What about practical problems?
Lots of Germans living out west speak English and Irish, but they still cannot understand someone from west Cork or Donegal in either language

Ok, what are you actually going after? Don't teach your kids several languages? Or am I missing something? I know some people who grew up bilingual and I don't see where the problem in that is.

Ok, what are you actually going after?

Learning the official local language/s doesn't mean you can speak with locals or understand them.
Take an indian doctor with perfect oxford English, stick him in Govan and he might as well have learnt Swahili for all the good it will do him with verbal communication.

[Schroeder]

Ah, ok, now I get it. But that doesn't change the fact that additional languages are generally a bonus.

But that doesn't change the fact that additional languages are generally a bonus.

I agree, there is a lot to be said for learning French and Spanish if you are moving to N. America.

[Dan D]

Very interesting video about the Texas German dialect. Thx for posting.

Must be cool to travel around in Texas and to speak German with some of the old folks.

[Stealhead]

What really is an American?

Another interesting fact to take into consideration is that the United States has no federal law mandating a specific language be used.Obviously the de facto language is
English which is why most people who live in the US long term adapt and learn to speak fairly fluent English.This process doe snot happen over night though and illegal immigrants
whose employers use other native language speakers as foremen and supervisors so they have no requirement to understand English in order to gain employment.


Personally I do not really care where a person comes from so long as they learn to speak enough English to have a basic conversation so that they can interact with anyone like in an emergency.What happens if some Chinese man comes up to you and he needs your help but he cant speak any English of course you would most likely understand simply from body language and tone of voice if he was under duress and still be able to help him.Still it would be easier if the guy spoke at least basic English.

[Jimbuna]

I'm surprised English isn't more prominent.

[Stealhead]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

I'm surprised English isn't more prominent.

As an ancestry? It is interesting though The other groups common to the US continued immigrate for some time will English only came here in large numbers early on or stayed over from the colony.

It does distinguish between English and American though.My guess is English are pre 1776 and American well that one is confusing come to think of it.I notice that the English are mainly in New England which is why I assume that means colonials from England and Americans must be ones whose roots start in the US.

Of course its all relative because each person has two parents and is a combination of two families so what do they classify a Dutch-English? What I can say for certain is that we are all humans and we can share blood so long as it is the correct type so does it really matter?