Bilingualism
Which language is considered their mother tongue?
The Wayuu people have as their mother tongue the wayuunaiki and it is spoken by 305,000 indigenous Wayuu people which live in northeastern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela but it may have some differences in dialect depending on the region in which they live.
On the other hand, there's the Kogui people. They have as a mother tongue the Kogui language or also known as the Kagaba, which is a chibchan language and it is spoken by 8000 people in the mountains of northern Colombia. It has a complex morphology.
Is the learning and speaking of Spanish seen as a threat to traditional culture?
Most of the new generations in both the Wayuu and Kogui ethnicity speak Spanish fluently because it is necessary for them in order to make business with people from the western civilization and they also feel the need to promote cultural integration and to have a bilingual education but they also understand the importance of preserving their traditional mother tongue.
How does language enable interaction in family, business,and community?
Language is necessary in a very aspect of live, it enables communication between humans helping communities organize better, and it also helps in the interaction with families as it provides a communication between them, allowing them to unite and to understand each other.
Languages are also a big part in a culture, in Guajirá for example there are many languages and each one is unique to a culture, and it identifies this culture from the others. This can be good in some ways but it is also a bad thing because it makes the communication between these tribes difficult which can affect their relation with things such as trade and more.
Is the learning of a third language such as English considered important?
English is known as the international language, it is known in many countries and it is used mostly in businesses and in communication between 2 countries with different languages. I believe that English is a necessary language to learn because it provides a global communication, and if the guajira tribes could have this opportunity I think it could open many doors and generate numerous opportunities nationaly and internationally for the their community.
The Wayuu people have as their mother tongue the wayuunaiki and it is spoken by 305,000 indigenous Wayuu people which live in northeastern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela but it may have some differences in dialect depending on the region in which they live.
On the other hand, there's the Kogui people. They have as a mother tongue the Kogui language or also known as the Kagaba, which is a chibchan language and it is spoken by 8000 people in the mountains of northern Colombia. It has a complex morphology.
Is the learning and speaking of Spanish seen as a threat to traditional culture?
Most of the new generations in both the Wayuu and Kogui ethnicity speak Spanish fluently because it is necessary for them in order to make business with people from the western civilization and they also feel the need to promote cultural integration and to have a bilingual education but they also understand the importance of preserving their traditional mother tongue.
How does language enable interaction in family, business,and community?
Language is necessary in a very aspect of live, it enables communication between humans helping communities organize better, and it also helps in the interaction with families as it provides a communication between them, allowing them to unite and to understand each other.
Languages are also a big part in a culture, in Guajirá for example there are many languages and each one is unique to a culture, and it identifies this culture from the others. This can be good in some ways but it is also a bad thing because it makes the communication between these tribes difficult which can affect their relation with things such as trade and more.
Is the learning of a third language such as English considered important?
English is known as the international language, it is known in many countries and it is used mostly in businesses and in communication between 2 countries with different languages. I believe that English is a necessary language to learn because it provides a global communication, and if the guajira tribes could have this opportunity I think it could open many doors and generate numerous opportunities nationaly and internationally for the their community.