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Silenced Fighters: Identity, Language and Thought of the Nasa People in Bilingual Contexts of Colombia
Voces silenciadas: identidad, lengua y pensamiento de la comunidad nasa en contextos bilingües colombianos
Keywords:
Identity construction, bilingual education, minority groups, power structures (en)Constitución de identidad, educación bilingüe, grupos minoritarios, estructuras de poder (es)
This article is the result of a theoretical investigation and a reflection guided by a revision of literature and a set of interviews conducted of two members of the Nasa community: Adonias and Sindy Perdomo, father and daughter who belong to a Nasa sub-community located in Tierradentro, Cauca, southwestern Colombia. The article addresses three major factors. Firstly, it depicts identity processes that are constructed and constituted through language. Secondly, it explores the power structures perceived by two Nasa people, one of Colombia's minority groups. Finally, it identifies and connects correlating dots between the literature, the testimonies of Adonias and Sindy Perdomo and the teaching practices, approaches and beliefs in the area of ELT (English Language Teaching) in Colombia.
Este artículo es el resultado de una investigación teórica y una reflexión cimentada en una revisión literaria y en entrevistas aplicadas a dos personas de la comunidad nasa: Adonias y Sindy Perdomo, padre e hija, pertenecientes a la población ubicada en Tierradentro, Cauca, en el suroccidente colombiano. El artículo trata tres aspectos principales. Primero, describe procesos identitarios construidos y constituidos por medio del lenguaje. Segundo, explora la distribución de poder tal como es percibida por dos personas de la comunidad nasa, uno de los grupos minoritarios de Colombia. En último lugar, traza las correlaciones entre la literatura, los testimonios de Adonias y Syndi Perdomo, y las prácticas y creencias existentes y predominantes en el área de la enseñanza del inglés en Colombia.
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