Abstract
In view of their bilingualism, these communities adopt specific strategies to everyday language use. This paper addresses the development of communication skills in less dominant languages in bilingual children from Argentina’s indigenous communities (Toba / Qom and Mbya). In particular, we set out to emphasize how certain recreational practices have impacted on use of less dominant languages among children in these groups (Toba / Qom in the first case, and Spanish in the second). The article is organized into five sections. It begins with a brief contextualization of the sociolinguistic situation of the languages spoken in the empirical referents analysed, to facilitate understanding of the importance and singularity of the case studies presented. We go on to develop the methodology supporting our research and finally consider the selected theoretical framework regarding the anthropology of childhood, while revisiting a number of anthropological contributions to studies on play and language. We also refer to the Toba / Qom and Mbya definitions of childhood and analyse games and language use among children.
Highlights
We set out to emphasize how certain recreational practices have impacted on use of less dominant languages among children in these groups (Toba / Qom in the first case, and Spanish in the second)
The article is organized into five sections. It begins with a brief contextualization of the sociolinguistic situation of the languages spoken in the empirical referents analysed, to facilitate understanding of the importance and singularity of the case studies presented
We go on to develop the methodology supporting our research and consider the selected theoretical framework regarding the anthropology of childhood, while revisiting a number of anthropological contributions to studies on play and language
Summary
In view of their bilingualism, these communities adopt specific strategies to everyday language use. Puntualmente, el objetivo de este artículo es analizar algunas prácticas lúdicas en relación con el uso del lenguaje que tienen a los niños indígenas mbyá y toba/qom de Argentina como protagonistas. A continuación analizamos algunos juegos y usos del lenguaje entre los niños mbyá y toba/qom, para eso, previamente presentamos las definiciones que esos pueblos indígenas hacen de la niñez. Este barrio se caracteriza porque la lengua indígena (lengua toba o qom laqtaqa) está siendo desplazada por el español en la mayoría de los contextos comunicativos cotidianos que involucran a los niños y niñas. El caso mbyá se presenta como opuesto al toba/qom, ya que la lengua indígena se encuentra totalmente vital y de uso cotidiano entre los niños, mientras que el español es la lengua que tiene valores diferentes según los sujetos y la comunidad de que se trate.
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