Bilingual Education
Bilingual education promotes; the maintenance of indigenous languages alongside the teaching of a second language (Spanish) plus the acceptance and respect of cultural difference (Nieroda, 2005). It is now believed that teaching children in and about their native language will raise self-esteem, allow them defend themselves from discrimination and abuse as well as be able to chart their own course through history with in the dominant society.
The Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) is worldwide religious organization that is still providing bilingual education in Peru. They provided the first attempts at bilingual education, translated the bible into indigenous languages and have provided literacy training for indigenous groups as a step toward their conversion to Christianity. Until 1990's SIL was almost entirely responsible for bilingual education in Peru (2006).
- At the invitation of Peru’s government, SIL’s founder Cameron Townsend arrived in Peru in 1946 with 17 SIL linguists to facilitate language development for the languages of the ethnic communities. Currently about 80 SIL linguists and literacy personnel are actively working in 35 different language programs.
- SIL Peru contributions:
- work began in 1946
- number of languages with SIL linguistic consultation - 74<
- numbers of dictionaries- 26
- number of grammars- 32
- number of New Testaments translated - 40
- publication titles- over 3300
- titles available on Peru Branch website for free download - over 1400
Project of Bilingual Education in Puno
Funded by German Institute for Technological Cooperation
- Experimental project that an from 1970's -1988
- The only project designed to work towards the maintenance of the native language as well as the development of Spanish as a second language
- Declared a failure after 11 years but is seen as the most successful attempts at bilingual education by activists.
- Many are now involved with the current implementation of bilingual education
- Rejection of bilingual education proposal by Quechua communities