INDIGENOUS-EDUCATION: What Language Should Be Taught?

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Abraham Lama

HAMBURG, Germany, Jul 16 1997 (IPS) - Latin American indigenous leaders participating in a U.N.-sponsored conference here are divided with respect to the language in which their people should be taught to read and write.

The debate, which also involves educators and international bodies, touches on one of the issues being discussed by representatives of 170 countries and 500 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) at the Fifth Conference on Adult Education, running Monday through Friday in Hamburg, Germany.

While some leaders argue that the cultural identity of native groups is jeopardised by educational programmes conducted in a country’s official language, others say people’s right to choose the language in which they wish to become literate must be respected, because a grasp of the predominant language offers broader possibilities for economic and social well-being.

A round table on Literacy in Multilingual and Intercultural Contexts ended Wednesday on an inconclusive note at the University of Hamburg, which is hosting the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)- sponsored conference.

Guatemala’s Jorge Hernandez cited the multilingual teaching approach being promoted among his country’s Mayan ethnic groups. “We work with 19 Mayan languages, elaborating reading and teaching materials for each one,” he said.

“It is not only a question of teaching how to read and write, but also of learning the values of each culture…We explain Western family values, for example, as well as the traditional Mayan respect for elders.”

But Honduran delegate Gloria Pinto pointed out that the majority of her country’s “extensive native population have stopped using their traditional dress and languages.

“Only seven percent are recognised as indigenous, and even in the most isolated villages, only the adults speak their native mother tongues, while their children speak Spanish.

“We admit that cultural homogenisation effected through teaching in Spanish is superficial and hinders the recognition of cultural diversity in our country,” she added. “But the population wants to learn to read and write in Spanish, and we believe each person’s decision must be respected.”

While there was controversy over the question of the language to be used in literacy campaigns, participants agreed that indigenous people have a right to defend their cultural identity.

But this week’s conference was convened to seek formulas and concepts that would ensure participation by the entire population in the globalisation of technical know-how.

“The cultural identity of all people and nations that make up a country should be respected, but we must not fall into the creation of cultural ghettos,” said Peru’s German Lizarzaburu, with the Paris-based University Centre of On-Going Training.

The question is not only one of respecting individual or group decisions regarding the language in which they want their children to be taught, but also of recognising the advantages of being multilingual, he underlined.

Enrique Camargo, an indigenous leader from Bolivia’s Amazon jungle region, stressed the need to include the population in the decision-making process. He cited the example of a council of Guarani elders who were asked to decide on the incorporation of some 400 new words in their language.

African countries have extensive experience in multilingual education curricula. Participants from that region pointed out that a number of aspects must be reconciled, and that while language is a key factor in communication, it can also become a barrier to integration.

“In Ghana, literacy programmes are conducted in the local language,” said Isabelle Buague, the West African country’s education minister. “We have many languages. But starting in the fourth grade, children must begin studying in English, which forces students and teachers to speak” both English and their local language.

“We do not belive in monolingualism,” said Cameroon delegate Maurice Tadadjeu. “In my country there are 250 languages, and our educational curriculum aims at everyone speaking at least three languages. We do not care if that pushes the cost of education up, because we consider people’s rights to be a priority.”