Nineteenth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

Language loss is a problem happening everywhere in the world. Every year more and more languages die due to social, political, financial, educational, and governmental pressures. Unfortunately, many times languages are perceived as a simple code of communication when languages mean people since each language represents its speakers. A language represents a community full of history, knowledge, cosmovision, traditions, and stories. Therefore, all languages should be respected, maintained, and promoted. This is one of the reasons why more attention should be given to languages - especially to those at risk of disappearing. In this presentation, it is emphasized that inclusive education can be used as a powerful tool to prevent language loss while preserving and promoting languages through quality bilingual programs and language classes. Examples to achieve this goal will be provided based on the findings of a qualitative research study conducted at a Spanish-Indigenous Tsotsil elementary bilingual school in Chiapas, Mexico. Tsotsil children as well as their instructors have taken the initiative to promote their indigenous language and culture through a variety of activities such as music festivals, poetry contests, theater plays, etc. It was found that participants embrace cultural and linguistic diversity by preserving their own indigenous language, but also by learning Spanish and other languages.