Browsing by Author "Mayo, Simona"
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- ItemIndigenous language revitalization in early childhood: challenges and opportunities in Chile(Springer, 2021) Becerra, Rukmini; Moya Sepúlveda, Dayna Andrea; Mayo, SimonaAs is known, early childhood is the best time to introduce a second or even a third language. These considerations assume special relevance when the need to be fluent in a second language may be vital for social interactions or day-to-day communication. Chile is facing the continuous challenge of trying to revitalize Indigenous languages that have been in their twilight hour and almost lost within our culture. The government has taken many measures in this novel approach to revitalize Indigenous languages and educate a bilingual generation in the process. Unfortunately, due to the lack of concrete curricular measures, there is still room for improvement in this area. This chapter will examine government documents and experiences to review the path traversed, its future direction, the challenges this scenario presents, and the future research that may better inform new policies in this regard.
- ItemRevitalization of indigenous languages and cultures: critical review of preschool bilingual educational policies in Chile (2007-2016)(ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD, 2021) Becerra Lubies, Rukmini; Mayo, Simona; Fones, AlizaPublic education policies governing language revitalization and the teaching of indigenous languages have been in place for more than 20 years in Chile. In this journey, there has been considerable progress nationwide in the education of a generation of children in an intercultural socio-educational environment. However, there still exist challenges for ongoing progress towards specific goals, such as bilingualism in children. Bilingual education policies in Chile have focused mainly on 6-13-year-old children, relegating preschool education (0-6 years), one of the most relevant educational levels in the socio-linguistic revival process, to a secondary role. In this context, we examine top-down official policy documents regarding intercultural education in early childhood, developed between 2007 and 2016. Attempting to identify some of the main foci of the language policies that may influence the implementation in preschools, we present an intertextual and critical language policy analysis of these documents used in intercultural and bilingual preschools. In doing so, we compare the consistencies and locate the implicit inconsistencies in the policy positions on bilingual education in preschools. We conclude the article by outlining suggestions for languages policies and teacher education in Chile, and the possible implications for other countries.