Narrative Language Pedagogy and the Stabilization of Indigenous Languages.

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This paper discusses recent trends in language pedagogy that emphasize movement from a psycholinguistic to a more sociocultural view of language teaching and learning. Nourished primarily by sociocultural theory and Hinton's (2002, 2003) efforts to promote the stabilization of indigenous languages, the author presents Narrative Language Pedagogy, a model for teaching non-dominant languages that centers on authentic conversations as the focus of instruction. There is a saying in Irish Gaelic: ‘Tir gan teanga, tir gan anam”, which roughly translates “land without its language, land without a soul. ” Language is a living thing; it is the very core of our cultural identity. Sensing its power, colonizers have systematically sought to control or even eradicate it among those they colonize, often with great success. Psycholinguistic pedagogies, rooted in Western Rationalist thought, have served as a tool in this process by abstracting and decontextualizing the way we view language teaching and learning to the point that its inherently cultural nature has been minimized, if not excised. The teaching of indigenous languages, as is the case with the teaching of all languages, cannot and should not ever be divorced from its vibrant cultural heritage. As Hinton (2002) states: "learning your language of heritage also

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