Conversations with the Amish

Instrumentation:

Duration: 1-4

Written in: 2015

Category: Video

While growing up in the Midwest, I would see the Amish now and again. I was under the preconceived notion that they were standoffish, but I never really tried to talk with them. In August 2015, I met with the Amish to see if we could understand each other’s German; I speak High German, the form spoken by most in Germany, and they speak a mixture of an old dialect of German or Swiss German with many English words thrown in. I was not allowed to film them – just record their voices. I have included pictures that I found online, with the exception of the first four in the second conversation with Ivan and Ruth Chupp, which are pictures taken during the visit. You can see what their store looks like and what they sell. Although we could understand each other relatively well, the conversation was not always easy. I have added subtitles for what I can understand. Otherwise, you will see question marks.

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