12. Multilingualism
Before you get too excited about flexing your Spanish skills in Amish town, slow down. The Amish speak three languages, English, German, and something called Pennsylvania Dutch. The latter shares an ancestry with German and would sound about the same to an untrained ear. The German language is what they use in church, but Pennsylvania Dutch is what they speak in general activities. English they have to speak in order to deal with the people they call “English.” Ironic, eh?