The myth of bilingualism and linguistical colonization in Paraguay

This article aims to demystify national narratives about the language issue in Paraguay and discover the unjust relations of power and domination that they hide. The author analyzes the alleged Paraguayan bilingualism as a socio-cultural rather than linguistic phenomenon and indicates that it is a m...

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Bibliographic Details
Author: Makaran Kubis, Gaja Joanna
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2018
Country:México
Institution:UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTÓNOMA DE MÉXICO
Repository:De raíz diversa. Revista Especializada en Estudios Latinoamericanos
Language:Spanish
OAI Identifier:oai:ojs.pkp.sfu.ca:article/58280
Online Access:https://revistas.unam.mx/index.php/deraizdiversa/article/view/58280
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Paraguay
Myth
Bilingualism
Diglossia
Mito
Bilingüismo
Diglosia
Description
Summary:This article aims to demystify national narratives about the language issue in Paraguay and discover the unjust relations of power and domination that they hide. The author analyzes the alleged Paraguayan bilingualism as a socio-cultural rather than linguistic phenomenon and indicates that it is a myth and a nationalist discourse aimed at creating legitimate linguistic colonization. After presenting the genealogy, the functions and objectives of the myth, the author deconstructs the myth, not only from a historical perspective, but also considering the current language policies in the country.