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Common Questions and Misconceptions About Language, Identity, and Culture
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does everyone from Central and South American speak Spanish?
Q: Does everyone from Central and South American speak Spanish?
YES AND NO...
Spanish may NOT be their first or second language.
They may be speakers of indigenous languages (≠ Spanish).
Common indigenous languages spoken in Central and South America:
K’iche’
Ixil
Mam
Q’anjob’al
Q’eqchi
Mayan
Mixtec
Quechua
Purépecha
Maya
Náhuatl
Otomí
Zapoteco
Kichwa
KEEP IN MIND...
There are many varieties of Spanish.
The minors may not speak the same Spanish you speak.
The children may speak some Spanish. Their families might not.
Q: Is it important to find out what their home/heritage languages are?
Q: Is it important to find out what their home/heritage languages are?
YES!!
Many indigenous language speakers have been stigmatized, discriminated against, and disrespected over many generations.
It is essential that we welcome who they are culturally and linguistically in their new homes.
Language is IDENTITY
Language is HERITAGE
Language is SAFETY
By acknowledging their languages:
You affirm their linguistic and cultural identities and connect with them.
You signal this is a welcoming environment and help reduce the stress they feel in a strange place.
You communicate respect for their communities and support their pride in their heritage.
You recognize their rights to their own language and culture.
Q: How can we communicate with children whose languages I don't speak?
Q: How can we communicate with children whose languages I don't speak?
Remember that they may not speak Spanish
Here are some ways to communicate with children when you don’t speak their language:
Use images! You can use pictures of emotions, feelings, and needs that they can point to.
You can use a map where they can show you where they’re from. Use a calendar to show next steps so they know what will happen next (icons of phone, fingerprints, family units).
Use translation apps for basic words and play the sound for them.
Seek out interpreters who can speak the language.
Learn a few phrases in the most common indigenous languages!
Map of indigenous languages
Map of indigenous languages
Dirección General de Materiales Educativos de la Secretaria de Educación Pública. (2023). Nuestro libro de proyectos. Colección Nanahuatzin, Tercer Grado. Secretaria de Educación Pública. Ciudad de México. https://libros.conaliteg.gob.mx/2023/S3NLA.htm#page/2
Non-verbal communication images
Non-verbal communication images
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