Bilingualismus oder Sprachverlust? Zur Lage und zur aktiven Verwendung des Niederdeutschen in Ostfriesland am Beispiel einer Dorfgemeinschaft

Based on data from a language survey conducted in a village in northwest Germany the study analyzes the relationship between language shift and language attitudes. After centuries of stigmatization, the overall attitude towards Low German is now overwhelmingly positive. However, this does not lead to parents raising their children with Low German. Low German seems to loose its traditional domains as in-group variety in families and in informal settings while gaining popularity as language used for entertainment purposes.