Learn to Speak Pennsylvania German

The will offer Pennsylvania German classes 7-9 p.m. Mondays beginning Sept. 12. Classes will be held at The Hills at Lockridge Recreation Center, 7125 Scenic View Drive, Macungie. 

Throughout the 15 week class, students will learn how to read, write and speak Pennsylvania German. Areas of study include verb conjugation, sentence structure, and word learning.

The class will be co-taught by volunteers Richard Stoudt, Vernon Frederick and Paul Kunkel, all of whom have a long history with the language.

Stoudt and Frederick both grew up in homes where Pennsylvania German was the predominant language.

“My mother and father spoke it all the time. They had to learn how to speak English not the other way around,” Frederick said.

Kunkel learned the language when he was in his late teens after he let a bad word slip in front of his father. He had been learning some words from some men who frequented the grocery store he worked at since his mother did not want him to learn the language for fear he would become the target of offensive stereotypes. He eventually became fluent in the language and wrote the curriculum currently being used to teach the class.

Kunkel first started teaching the language 35 years ago. “My pastor at the church I was attending wanted to start a class where people could learn the language, so he asked me to start it,” Kunkel said. Four years later, the Groundhog Lodge offered their support, and the classes have been expanding ever since.

According to a handout titled, “The Origin of Pennsylvania Groundhog Lodges,” by Richard K. Miller, the lodges were formed in 1933 by a group of men who wanted to find a way to preserve their ethnic heritage despite the widespread negativism toward Pennsylvania Germans in the aftermath of World War 1.

“It’s all about camaraderie,” said Kunkel, who emphasizes cultural pride as a motivating factor in regards to why many people want to learn the language.

“Every person should pass along the things about their heritage that they are proud of,” Kunkel said, adding that this is a major part of why he got involved in teaching the class.

Stoudt said it's especially important to teach the language now because there is a generation gap between grandparents and grandchildren in which the language tends to get lost because the parents never learned the language.

Students of all different ages and backgrounds are encouraged to sign up for the classes that average 30-35 people. But, Stoudt emphasized,  in order to be successful, students have to be dedicated.

“We use a lot of humor to keep things fun, but it is a serious commitment,” Stoudt said.

Students are expected to meet requirements in order to pass the course. Graduates receive a diploma from the Groundhog Lodge.

Cost for the class is $20. A dictionary may be purchased at the first class for $25. To sign up for the class, go to Lower Macungie Library and fill out a registration form, or mail in a check payable to Lower Macungie Library, 3450 Brookside Rd., Macungie, 18062. For more information, call 610-966-6864.