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Despite the widespread use of English on social media, speakers of Plattdeutsch still manage to connect via social media as the table below shows. The most common word seen on social media, and often in the entire language, is "moin", which is the word for "hello / good day". The table below shows the frequency in which Plattdeutsch was used on Twitter in just a nine day period in 2016.

Source: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1143919.pdf

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Controversy Between Natives and Non-native Speakers

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Controversy Between Natives and Non-native Speakers

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The use of Plattdeutsch as a colloquial language, and the lack of support for education in the language, has been a centre of debates in previous years. Although Plattdeutsch is a language of German origin, speakers tend to see themselves as a separate group to Germans, and therefore Germans may not see the importance of the language in media and in the education system.
Many advocates such as Klaus Grott have proved that there is a place for Plattdeutsch in the workplace, and in schools, and that a language with such an important history should be preserved. However, Plattdeutsch is generally seen as a 'backwards' language by non native speakers. The whole country using Hochdeutsch in schools was said to be more unifying, and Plattdeutsch would only 'limit the intellectual ability' of students. Germany decided that they should favour growth and modernisation over traditions, and so Hochdeutsch was chosen as the main language for education and media. The controversy over the place of Plattdeutsch in society still causes debates today.

Source: 'How to deal with non-dominant languages', https://bop.unibe.ch/linguistik-online/article/view/240

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The emigration of Mennonites to Russia after the 1917 revolution caused the spread of Plattdeutsch (known as Plautdietsch) to soviet countries, however it did not do so with ease. Although these communities did not see themselves as true Germans, soviet authorities found them to be the same ethnic background as Germans, and so labour camps were inevitable. Many Mennonites argued that the language was related to Dutch, rather than German, or even went as far to call it Dutch or Frisian, in order to avoid the harsh control the authorities had on their nation in the 50s. However, even when the language was linguistically proved to be a relative to Dutch, the Russians still had a stigma against Germans after the war against the Soviet Union, and so speaking the language outside the small Plattdeutsch speaking communities was dangerous.

Mennonites further settled in Canada and Mexico in the 20s, where a large number of native speakers remain today.

Source: https://www.mercator-research.eu/en/projects/endangered-languages-and-archives/plautdietsch-a-germanic-language-related-to-dutch-and-frisian-spoken-in-siberia/

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Linguistically, Plattdeutsch honours traditional German spelling, but also aims to keep words as close to its phonetic pronunciation as possible. It does this in a few different ways:
- Consonant shifts, such as pf > f (Apfel – Aupel)
- Vowel shifts, such as iː (Wein [vaɪn] - Wien [viːn])
- Vowel lowering, such as /ɪ/ to /ɛ/ (Fisch – Fesch)
- Vowel unrounding, such as /œ/ to e (Götter – Jetta)
- Diphthongisation, before g, k, ch, r (Herz – Hoat)
- Palatalization (Milch – Malkj)

The language includes influences predominantly from High German, but also Dutch, English, Russian, Ukranian, and Spanish, as a result of the language spreading in the 20thC.

IPA via: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plautdietsch_language#Speaker_population_and_language_maintenance
https://www.mercator-research.eu/en/projects/endangered-languages-and-archives/plautdietsch-a-germanic-language-related-to-dutch-and-frisian-spoken-in-siberia/

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Since the introduction of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages in 1999, Plattdeutsch has been recognised for its cultural signifance. However, it has also been placed on the UNESCO list of vulnerable languages for it's relatively low amount of native speakers.

With the UNESCO decree, movements to increase proficiency of the language became more widespread. Radio Bremen offers a Plattdeutsch-Kurs that you can tune in to using your phone. The Platt-Art-Festival, involving plays and choir singing in Plattdeutsch, took place in Seefeld last year. Along with this, there was a Plattdeutsch Gala-Abend in Edewecht featuring a poetry slam, concert, and comedy section.

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In an effort to further protect the language, the Institut für Niederdeutsche Sprache and the Plattdüütsch Stiftung Neddersassen organise a band contest known as Plattsounds every year. Amateur musicians aged 15-30 across Lower Saxony can submit an original song in any language. The Plattsounds team will then translate the song into Plattdeutsch for the band so they can enter it in the competition, and the winning band gets €1,000. According to Lower Saxony's former Minister for Science and Culture, Dr. Johanna Wanka, "Plattsounds offers the opportunity to raise interest and acceptance of Plattdeutsch music and language".

image via: YouTube

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Although Plattdeutsch was widely used in education in Germany during the 1800s and 1900s, it began to decline in the education system and was soon replaced by Hochdeutsch. This, however, was quite controversial as many stated that Plattdeutsch held significant importance in the culture of certain groups in northern Germany. However, it was agreed on both sides that Hochdeutsch should be the language in which to teach science and maths. (Langer and Langhanke) Eventually, Hochdeutsch become not only the language of science and maths, but all subjects.

As of March 2017, however, the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern allowed for six different schools in the state the chance to take certain classes through Plattdeutsch. This included the addition of Plattdeutsch as one of the subjects that could be completed in the German Abitur, which is similar to the Irish Leaving Cert. This was done "damit die Landesbevölkerung ein modernes Heimatgefühl entwickelt" (so that the local population can develop a modern sense of home). (Spiegel)

Sources:
Spiegel: https://www.spiegel.de/lebenundlernen/schule/plattdeutsch-im-abitur-diese-andere-kuriosen-abi-faecher-gibt-es-a-1086923.html

Langer and Langhanke: https://doi.org/10.13092/lo.58.240

Image from:
https://cdn.prod.www.spiegel.de/images/e692270b-0001-0004-0000-000000703594_w948_r1.77_fpx29.27_fpy44.98.jpg

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Where is the language spoken?
Eastern Netherlands, Northern Germany

How many speakers are there?
2.5 million speakers - 3% German population - about 300,000 native speakers

Is the language still transmitted inter-generationally?
Despite the decline of the language and the low number of native speakers, the language continues to be transmitted, particularly as a language used at home.

In which social domains (e.g. home, education, friends/peers) is the language used?
Although the language is allowed to be used in education, High German is considered a better alternative, and Plattdeutsch is normally only used at home.

How does the EU recognise the language?
Plattdeutsch is recognised as a regional language by EU.

Are there any language-based grassroots social movements involving the language?
In an effort to revitalise the language, the Institut für Niederdeutsche Sprache and the Plattdüütsch Stiftung Neddersassen organise a band contest every year known as Plattsounds. Amateur musicians aged 15-30 across Lower Saxony can submit an original song in any language. The Plattsounds team will then translate the song into Plattdeutsch for the band so they can enter it, and the winning band gets €1,000.

Are there any recent issues relating to this language?
The language has been deemed as vulnerable by UNESCO.

Sources given in posts with further detail on the matters.

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Plattdeutsch is predominantly spoken in Eastern Netherlands and Northern Germany. It is one of the smaller regional languages found in Germany with an estimate of only 2.5 million speakers, or 3% of the German population, of which only around 300,000 are native speakers.  By comparison, the Bavarian language (found in southern Germany) has nearly 13 million speakers.

Source:
https://www.goethe.de/ins/us/de/kul/liv/saving-plattdeutsch.html
image via: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Verbreitungsgebiet_der_heutigen_niederdeutschen_Mundarten.PNG

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http://www.lowlands-l.net/talk/deu/niedersachsisch.html

https://www.jstor.org/stable/402134?seq=1

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1143919.pdf

https://www.ins-bremen.de/

http://www.sprachlog.de/2009/07/21/wo-spricht-man-platt-und-wo-das-beste-hochdeutsch/

https://rm.coe.int/168008af08

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Plattdeutsch: Wat mutt dat mutt
Standard German: Was muss, das muss
English: What must be done, must be done

Plattdeutsch: Na, mien lütt Schietbüdel
Standard German: Na, mein kleiner Schatz/Liebling
English: Hey, my little darling

Plattdeutsch: Du büst aver uk'n Döösbaddel
Standard German: Du bist aber auch ein Dummkopf/Trottel
English: You are such a dummy

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Plattdeutsche gesprochen von Wiebke Colmorgen by Goethe-Institut