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Abstract
Despite Quechua’s status as the largest indigenous language in South America with an estimated 8 million speakers (Adelaar 2004), almost all varieties of the language are critically or severely endangered today. This sharp decline in Quechua speakers is the result of linguistic stigmatization – inculcated among Quechua-speaking people since the Spanish invasion 500 years ago – and a preference for Spanish as the language of power in Quechua-speaking countries, driven by the surge in urbanization that began in the mid-20th century. Through an online Qualtrics survey, the present study investigates the possibility of ameliorating negative attitudes and enhancing positive attitudes toward Quechua by associating it with the newly arrived language of power in Peru, English, which is now even more desirable for social advancement than Spanish (Niño-Murcia 2003). Participants (n=56) completed Quechua language attitudes questions and English/Quechua language association questions before and after viewing English language lessons that referenced Quechua grammar and phonology. After the lessons, a net 14.2% of participants displayed an increase in positive attitudes toward Quechua; a net 79.4% experienced an increase in association of Quechua with English.