Editing Language revitalization (section)

==== South America ====
[[Kichwa language|Kichwa]] is the variety of the [[Quechuan languages|Quechua]] language spoken in [[Ecuador]] and is one of the most widely spoken indigenous languages in South America. Despite this fact, Kichwa is a threatened language, mainly because of the expansion of Spanish in South America. One community of original Kichwa speakers, Lagunas, was one of the first indigenous communities to switch to the Spanish language.<ref name=beginning>{{cite book |last=King |first=Kendall |title=Language Revitalization Processes and Prospects: Quichua in the Ecuadorian Andes |year=2001 |publisher=Multilingual Matters LTD |location=New York |isbn=1-85359-494-6 |pages=71–83}}</ref> According to King, this was because of the increase of trade and business with the large Spanish-speaking town nearby. The Lagunas people assert that it was not for cultural assimilation purposes, as they value their cultural identity highly.<ref name=beginning /> However, once this contact was made, language for the Lagunas people shifted through generations, to Kichwa and Spanish bilingualism and now is essentially Spanish monolingualism. The feelings of the Lagunas people present a dichotomy with language use, as most of the Lagunas members speak Spanish exclusively and only know a few words in Kichwa.

The prospects for Kichwa language revitalization are not promising, as parents depend on schooling for this purpose, which is not nearly as effective as continual language exposure in the home.<ref name=end>{{cite book |last=King |first=Kendall |title=Language Revitalization Processes and Prospects: Quichua in the Ecuadorian Andes |year=2001 |publisher=Multilingual Matters LTD |location=New York |isbn=1-85359-494-6 |pages=187–218}}</ref> Schooling in the Lagunas community, although having a conscious focus on teaching Kichwa, consists of mainly passive interaction, reading, and writing in Kichwa.<ref>{{cite book |last=King |first=Kendall |title=Language Revitalization Processes and Prospects: Quichua in the Ecuadorian Andes |year=2001 |publisher=Multilingual Matters LTD |location=New York |isbn=1-85359-494-6|page=140}}</ref> In addition to grassroots efforts, national language revitalization organizations, like [[CONAIE]], focus attention on non-Spanish speaking indigenous children, who represent a large minority in the country. Another national initiative, Bilingual Intercultural Education Project (PEBI), was ineffective in language revitalization because instruction was given in Kichwa and Spanish was taught as a second language to children who were almost exclusively Spanish monolinguals.
Although some techniques seem ineffective, Kendall A. King provides several suggestions:

# Exposure to and acquisition of the language at a young age.
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# Extreme immersion techniques.
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# Multiple and diverse efforts to reach adults.
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# Flexibility and coordination in planning and implementation
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# Directly addressing different varieties of the language.
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# Planners stressing that language revitalization is a long process
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# Involving as many people as possible
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# Parents using the language with their children
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# Planners and advocates approaching the problem from all directions.

Specific suggestions include imparting an elevated perception of the language in schools, focusing on grassroots efforts both in school and the home, and maintaining national and regional attention.<ref name=end />