The Guarani language at the threshold of the Chaco

Abstract

The guaraní peoples had complex interethnic contacts in Gran Chaco and show processes of bi or multilingualism with other natives languages and Spanish, yet internationals agencies and linguistic researches have given only a marginal place to the guaranis of Northwestern Argentina. The main goal of this paper is to approach the linguistic processes in some communities of the Departamento of San Martin and to give visibility to the spoken language and the problematics that surround it. Firstly, we develop a social diagnosis based on three sources: bibliographic material from the academia and governmental reports, fieldwork using qualitative and quantitative methods, and a survey of educational materials available for the variants of guaraní spoken in the region. Drawing on this collection, we identify as important problems the intergenerational transmission of the Guaraní, the impact of primary and secondary school, and the uneven contact with the majority society. Secondly, we present a feasible proposal to reactivate and strengthen the language among children and young people resorting to recreational tools, empower the guaraní reading and writing at school as well as within the community, and valorize the linguistic heritage of the communities.