Wiki on Minority Language Learning

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====== Stellingwerf in The Netherlands ======

===== Language =====
==== Language designations: ====
  * In the language itself: //Stellingwarfs//
  * [[general_information:glossary_of_terms#ISO 639-3|ISO 639-3]] standard: //stl//

==== Language vitality according to: ====

^  [[https://en.wal.unesco.org/|UNESCO]]  ^  [[https://www.ethnologue.com/|Ethnologue]]  ^  [[http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/|Endangered Languages]]  ^  [[https://glottolog.org/| Glottolog]]  ^
|  //-//  |//{{ :endangerment:blue.png?nolink|Stable}}//|   //-//   |//{{ :endangerment:yellow.png?nolink|Threatened}}//   |
<sup> Click [[manual:colour_codes|here]] for a full overview of the language vitality colour codes. </sup>



==== Linguistic aspects: =====
  * Classification: //Indo-Europees// > //Germanic// > // Nothwest Germanic // > //West-Germanic // > // North Sea Germanic // > // Altsächsisch // > // Middle-Modern Low German // > // Low German // > // West Low German // > // Westphalic // > // Stellingwerfs //. For more information, see [[https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/stel1238|stel1238]] at [[http://glottolog.org/|Glottolog]]
  * Script: //Latin//

==== Language standardisation ====

Just after the second world war, the Stellingwerf writer H.J. Bergveld made a standardized spelling for the Stellingwerf langauge/dialect. \\
In the 90s of last century, a writersgroup was established: "streektaalvereniging Stellingwarver Scrieversronte" (Regional association Stellingwerfs writersgroup)((Taal in stad en land, stellingwerfs, H. Bloemhoff, (2002), https://www.dbnl.org/arch/bloe011stel01_01/pag/bloe011stel01_01.pdf)). 

In 1976, Bergvelds spelling was officially taken as Stellingwerfs spelling by the board of the "Stellingwarver Scrieversronte".

=== Dictionary ===

The spelling was also taken into the "Stellingwarfs Woordeboek"(Stellingwerfs dictionary). The first of four parts of the dictionary was published in 1994, the other three were published in 1997, 2001 and 2004, respectively . In 2005, a shorter, manual dictionary has been published by Henk Bloemhof.((Stellingwarver Scrieversronte, retrieved 8-10-2025, Wikipedia, https://fy.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellingwarver_Schrieversronte))

=== Development ===
With this standerdized spelling, the population of the Stellingwerfs region started to write and read more in the dialect((Taal in stad en land, stellingwerfs, H. Bloemhoff, (2002), https://www.dbnl.org/arch/bloe011stel01_01/pag/bloe011stel01_01.pdf)).





===== Demographics =====

==== Language Area ====
Stellingwerfs is spoken is the southern regions of the province Fryslân of the Netherlands as well as contected parts of the province of Drenthe and Overijsel. The Stellingwerfer municipalities in Fryslân are Weststellingwerf and Ooststellingwerf. In the other provinces there are the municipalities of Steenwijkerland and Westerveld that speak Stellingwerfs((Levende Talen Nedersaksisch, Stellingwerfs,(2025). https://ltnedersaksisch.nl/stellingwerfs/)).


{{https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/Stellingwarfs_kaorte.png/1024px-Stellingwarfs_kaorte.png?600}}

The map shows the area, in red, where Stellingwerfs is spoken, with the dark blue lines showing the province borders. Wikipedia. ((Wikipedia, Stellingwarfs, (2025),https://nds-nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellingwarfs)). 



==== Speaker numbers ====
The Stellingwerf dialect has around 27.300 speakers((Levende Talen Nedersaksisch, Stellingwerfs,(2025). https://ltnedersaksisch.nl/stellingwerfs/)).


**Language count 2005** ((Taaltelling Nedersaksisch (2005) van Henk Bloemhoff. Groningen 2005 Sasland. https://web.archive.org/web/20211005011839/https://www.stellingia.nl/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Taaltelling-Nedersaksisch-1.pdf))
^ Speaking/Reading   ^ Weststellingwerf ^ Ooststellingwerf ^ Steenwijkerland ^ 
| reasonable to very good speaking | 64,6%  | 48,9% | 67,4% |
| frequently speaking at home      | 53,2%  | 29,5% | 49,3% |
| able to read                     | 77,2%  | 66,7% | 77.9% |
| reading reasonably often         | 52,3%  | 47,5% | 41,7% |
Table 1: Count of people in the Stellingwerf area on being able to use or using Stellingwerfs.

This table shows the proficiency scores of Stellingwerfs in three different municipalities. We see that Stellingwerfs is still very much spoken at home in Weststellingwerf and Steenwijkerland, this percentage is much lower in Oostellingwerf. The other notible percentages in this table are that of reading proficiency. This percentage is significantly high, even higher than the percentage of people that speak Stellingwerfs at home frequently.  
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====== Education of the language ======
===== History of language education: =====
In 1988 the Frisian region of the Stellingwerf area changed the manditory course of Frisian to a course about, and thought in the Stellingwerf dialect "heemkunde", for primairy education.

From 2013 till 2016, a project was done on the culture education of Stellingwerfs called KEK!(Kultueredukaasje mei Kwaliteit/ Culture-education with quality). This project has led to another project: Veerkieker. This is a project that focusses on "heemkunde" for all primary schools in Oost- and Weststellingwef. From 2019, the project started to include the regional language as a focuspoint.

===== Legislation of language education =====

==== Legislation on European level ====
The Netherlands has signed and retified the ECRML(European charter of regional and minority languages). So, Stellingwerfs seen as a dialect of the Lower-Saxon languages is signed under Part II of the ECRML, Article 7 ((Council of Europe. Reservations and Declarations for Treaty No.148 - European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ETS No. 148), retrieved 8-10-2025. https://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list?module=declarations-by-treaty&numSte=148&codeNature=10&codePays=NET)).

Although Lower-Saxon is signed under Part II of the Charter, the people speaking a Lower-Saxon language are not recognised as a minority. 

==== Legislation on national level ====

The Dutch government has education laws in place that allow for a minority or regional language to be used as a medium of instruction for pre-school besides the use of Dutch((Wet kinderopvang, Artikel 1.55, retrieved 8-10-2025. https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0017017/2023-01-01/0)).

The Dutch government also has a law for the use and stipulation of the Frisian language in the province of Fryslân((Wet gebruik Friese taal, Artikel 5, retrieved 8-10-2025. https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0034047/2024-01-01/0)). Because the municipalities of Oost- and Weststellingwerf is within the province of Fryslân, this Stellingwerf region is granted exemption for teaching the Frisian language, which is supstituted by teaching Stellingwerfs. This law makes that Stellingwerfs is tought in primary schools
((Wet op het primair onderwijs, retrieved 8-10-2025. https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0003420/2023-01-01/0)).


==== Legislation on local level ====
On a local level, the municipalities of Oost- and Weststellingwerf are, together with the province of Fryslân, responsible for the language and culture policies of Stellingwerfs. This includes language promotion, language transmission and culture transmission.
The language policy that is used, is in line with the language policy for the Frisian language((Stellingwerfs binnen de Stellingwerven, March 2017,.https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://ooststellingwerf.bestuurlijkeinformatie.nl/Document/View/957549a1-a2ba-49e6-bf71-ace40f703037&ved=2ahUKEwjk3MC--ZSQAxV1h_0HHefRCoYQFnoECBwQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3wHshr_y-9FpEo6xOAqT0q )).


In 1996, the Stellingwerfs dialect was acknowledged as a Nedersaksen variant((Levende Talen Nedersaksisch, Stellingwerfs,(2025). https://ltnedersaksisch.nl/stellingwerfs/)).  


===== Support structure for education of the language: =====


  
==== Institutional support ====
The institution that focusses on the education of Stellingwerfs is the "Stichting Stellingwarver Schrieversronte" (Association Stellingwerf Writersgroup), established in 1972. They develop education materials for primary schools in the Stellingwerf area. 

They also offer an online cursus on Instagram, with the use of a workbook where people can learn Stellingwerfs ((Stichting Stellingwarver Schrieversrote, retrieved 1-10-2025, https://stellingwarfs.nl/onderwies/)).

==== Financial support ====
 
The Stellingwerf language gets financial support from the municipalities and the province of Fryslân. They support and subsidise the Scrieversronte, that functions as the main organisation regarding Stellingwerfs((Stellingwerfs binnen de Stellingwerven, March 2017,.https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://ooststellingwerf.bestuurlijkeinformatie.nl/Document/View/957549a1-a2ba-49e6-bf71-ace40f703037&ved=2ahUKEwjk3MC--ZSQAxV1h_0HHefRCoYQFnoECBwQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3wHshr_y-9FpEo6xOAqT0q ))
==== Language learning materials: ====

The learning materials for the primary school course "Heemkunde" are made by the Association for Stellingwerfs and they make materials for the online course on learning Stellingwerfs.  




===== Education presence =====

==== preschool education====
There are no known data on how much Stellingwerfs is used in preschool education, although institutions strive towards the use of Stellingwerfs in preschool education as well as the law that allows for Stellingwerfs to be used in a preschool setting((Ni'js, Stichting Stellingwarver Schrieversronte, retrieved 1-10-2025, https://stellingwarfs.nl/meertaelighied/)).

==== primary education====
Stellingwerfs is taught inside primary schools in all grades 1 through 8. It is thaught as a course 'heemskunde' which teaches students about their language and culture as well as history and nature. 

This education is given in the municipalities of Oost- and Weststellingwerf. 

==== secondary education====
Stellingwerfs is not being taught in secondary educattion. 

==== higher education/university education====
Stellingwerfs in not taught in higher education or on an universitair level.

==== adult education ====
There is an online Instagram cursus for learning Stellingwerfs. The workbook can be found on the page of the [[https://stellingwarfs.nl/onderwies/| Stichting Stellingwarver Scrieversronte]].
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===== Online learning resources =====


==== Organisations ====
  *  [[https://stellingwarfs.nl/|Stichting Stellingwarver Scrieversronte]], the orginasation for the Stellingwerf language and culture, with historical and folklore archive.


==== Online resources ====

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