A comparative study of the methodologies used to teach mapudungun as a second language and English as a Foreign Language

Abstract

The article presents the results of a comparative research study of the methods used to teach two languages, Mapudungun and English, in an intercultural school in southern Chile, to identify, characterize, and compare the methodologies to teach these languages to young learners. This is a qualitative, descriptive and cross-sectional investigation, which used discursive strategies to analyze language lessons and after-class interviews with the respective teachers in these two language classes. Results indicate that the English teacher focuses on the understanding of the system of the language with little or no emphasis on communication. On the other hand, the Mapudungun teacher stresses the orality of the language, with a special emphasis on the understanding of the Mapuche culture, which shows profound differences in the teaching of the two languages.