MAKING EXPERIMENTS WITH THE COMMUNITY LANGUAGE REVITALIZATION. THE CASE OF THE MIXE “LANGUAGE NEST” NAAXWIINYËTË KÄJPXY, OAXACA, MEXICO

Abstract

The “language nest” is a language revitalization method of Maori origin, centered in pre-school children, which has been implemented also in different Mexican native communities since 2007, particularly in the Oaxacan ones. This paper analyzes the experience of the Ayuuk (Mixe) language nest called Naaxwiinyëtë Käjpxy (“Earth´s speaking”) which used to be situated at the periphery of the Oaxaca capital. Given its non-institutional nature, the project was closed after 4 years in 2014. The language nest´s history was studied through cualitative methodology based on the testimonies of its leaders and participants and the information obtained was processed under the criteria of good practices, difficulties and recommendations in order to estimate the contribution of the “nest” to the revitalization of the Mixe language.

Keywords

• language nest
• mixe language
• language revitalization
• naaxwiinyëtë käjpxy