Culture is a vague and sometimes unclear concept, yet it refers to the individual and collective ways of thinking, believing and knowing a specific group (Bhabha, 2004; Spencer-Oatey, 2008). Interculturality refers to the processes of communication and interaction between groups with identities of different specific cultures, allowing for the enrichment of coexistence among peoples (Dervin & Jacobsson, 2021). Similarly, an intercultural approach to education means moving beyond mere passive acceptance of multiple cultures and instead promoting dialogue between cultures (López Sáenz & Penas Ibáñez, 2006). In light of these concepts, this presentation will expand on the term Trans[cultura]linguación (Ortega, 2019, 2022) which refers to a purposeful pedagogical transaction between languages and/or variations of the same language with a focus on culture. I will explain how this approach has been utilized by Quechua language teachers from a Quechua Collective (Pseudonym) during pre-pandemic in-person lessons and pandemic online lessons (2019-2022).
During this time, in my role as a participant observer researcher in the collective, I used a hybrid ethnographic approach (Begoray & Banister, 2010; Przybylski, 2020) to document the pedagogical practices of the Quechua teachers. I compiled research memos and reflection notes during my observations in the lessons. In this experience, I noticed how teachers and students reinforced their own cultural identities as they learned to connect to others, and respect and understand their differences. In the in-person class, Quechua teachers explained cultural concepts while comparing them with Peruvian Spanish while students compare them with other Latin American variations of Spanish. Online Quechua teachers were able to help students to connect back to their roots while (re)learning their ancestral language or simply sparking curiosity to learn the Andean language and culture. Most importantly, my reflections on the observations of the pedagogical exercises accounted for an intercultural approach to learning about power relations to critically observe what cultures hold more power than others (Walsh, 2012). Students and teachers realized not only how important language is part of their identity affirmation but to interrogate and problematize Western colonial imposed forms of culture and language.
My goal, in collaboration with the Quechua Collective for the second semester of 2022, is to compile feedback based on the teachers' pedagogical practices, obstacles, and possibilities from the previous years through interviews, brainstorming sessions, and questionnaires. This will be done to properly assess, plan and execute the next steps to continue the promotion and revitalization of the Quechua language in Latin America and the diaspora. The goal is to produce and collect evidence to provide the pedagogical tools and skills to teach languages to pre-service/in-service language teachers and other community teachers who seek to focus on culturally relevant and appropriate practices to better serve the communities they belong to. A sample of a curriculum unit and teaching methodological strategies of how to teach and revitalize Indigenous languages with a focus on interculturality will be produced by the collective for the international academic community.
