A model of linguistic revitalization: the case of Nahuat or Pipil of El Salvador

Abstract

The teaching of the Nahuat or Pipil language of El Salvador in public schools located in areas where there are still Nahuat speakers is an essential part of the revitalization project of that language promoted by the Don Bosco University through the Research Department. The teachers participating in the project are not native Nahuat-speakers, but have learned Nahuat as part of the training offered by the university in language and language teaching methodology. The project began in 2003 with 3 schools and 275 children learning Nahuat. Currently, there are 11 schools participating in the project and more than 2,500 children learning this language. The children who started with the project have reached a high basic level in the language, with only 1 or 3 hours maximum of weekly instruction. The educational model developed in the project can be used for the revitalization of other minority languages under similar conditions as Nahuat.