Growing Up Amish Early on, language is one of the main
differences between Amish children and non-Amish. The Amish
speak Pennsylvania Dutch (a form of German) as their birth
language and learn English as they go into the first grade.
English is predominantly spoken in the school, whereas,
Pennsylvania Dutch is the language used mostly in the homes. My
community is made up of relocated families from various parts of
the country, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indian and Iowa. They
all have difference accents, with some families speaking English
very comfortably and others seeming a bit more strained with it.
When kids are as young as six or seven, they have chores around
the household and farm. Sweeping, cleaning, mowing and tending
to the livestock are common place jobs to be shared by the
youngest members of an Amish family. They don’t mind much
though, because the work ethic among the Amish is so strong that
it’s just a natural part of their young lives. And it’s a good
thing that they’re so accepting, becau