Being Amish is Being Tri-lingual
From birth until the first grade, Amish children speak Pennsylvania German, the home language of every Amish family. It’s only when they get to school that they are exposed to English and taught and the prominent instruction language. There are also a few classes given in High German.
Each of these additional languages serves a purpose. The High German is for the church since the bible they read is written in that language. Meanwhile, they learn English so that they can communicate and do business with outsiders. This also means that Amish folk knows a minimum of three languages.
