The historical context and modern realities of the influence of the bilingual educational system of Ecuador on the process of forming the cultural identity of the local indigenous population

Demianova Polina Ivanovna ORCID: 0000-0001-9698-2835 Lecturer; Institute of Foreign Languages; Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia Postgraduate student; Institute of Foreign Languages; Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia 6 Miklukho-Maklaya str., Moscow, 117198, Russia demianova_pi@pfur.ru Other publications by this author

The term "bilingualism" has been attracting the attention of a large number of researchers from different fields of linguistics for many years. Both representatives of Russian science and their foreign colleagues widely discuss the development of this phenomenon and bilingual education directly related to it, which results in an increased need to form an educational system that would meet the requirements of all peoples living in a particular country. Of course, the leaders of many states are aware of the importance of a full-fledged bilingual educational environment, since it is "the exchange of information on a bilingual basis that contributes to the formation of a unified intercultural space" ^{[1, p. 27]}. The Government of the Republic of Ecuador is no exception.

At the moment, the educational systems of many countries are undergoing a number of changes aimed at achieving a higher level of inclusivity. In particular, the Republic of Ecuador is striving to establish a learning process that takes into account the needs of representatives of all 14 peoples living in the region, including Shuar, Awá, Eperarasiapidara, Chachi, Tsa'chi, Kichwa, A'i (Cofán), Pai (Secoya), Bai (siona), Waorani, Achuar, Shiwiar, Sapara and Andoa. Being such a culturally diverse country, Ecuador has faced some problems in the process of determining the constitutional status of all languages spoken on its territory. So, since 1945, only Spanish has been considered official ^[2]. It was only in 2008 that the status of the Quichua and Shuar languages was first consolidated at the legislative level: according to the constitution, the official language of the country is still Spanish, and, in turn, Spanish, Quichua and Shuar are "official languages of intercultural relations", which are used by their native speakers "in their areas of residence and on conditions established by law" ^[3]. However, the ambiguity of this formulation has led to confusion in defining the scope of application of Quichua and shuar.

When considering the functioning of the modern bilingual system of Ecuador, it seems necessary, first of all, to carry out a diachronic analysis of the changes that took place related to the formation of language contacts between the indigenous population and the conquistadors who arrived on the territory of modern Ecuador, as well as with the beginning of the process of introducing bilingual education. Thus, describing the early colonial period in the country, researchers talk about the widespread influence of Catholicism on society in general and on education in particular: since 1575, colonial education in Ecuador has been governed by the Catholic Church and based on the dissemination of Christian teachings ^{[4, p. 20]}. Experts also note that the colonization process and its impact on the educational environment have led to the rejection of indigenous peoples both socially and politically, as well as at the linguistic and cultural level ^{[5, p. 6]}. Thus, it is believed that from colonial times to the twentieth century, a stage marked by "explicit ethnocentric violence with the imposition of hegemonic culture on the indigenous population. The elimination of the "other" was the leitmotif of the colonial period" ^{[6, p. 146]}.

Nevertheless, despite the legislative and socio-cultural difficulties described above, the local population has made attempts to form and develop an inclusive education system. Speaking of this, it is impossible not to mention Dolores Cacuango and her contribution to the formation of bilingual education in Ecuador. Back in the 1940s, on her initiative, a network of three schools with indigenous teachers was founded in the city of Cayamba in Pichincha province, who used the Quichua language as the main medium of instruction. The main purpose of these schools was not only the implementation of the educational process, but also "the protection of ancestral culture, the provision of technical means for the rural population, the use of the Quichua language as the language of instruction and the maintenance of dialogue with the mestizo society" ^{[7, p. 139]}. However, these schools were closed in 1963 by decision of the military Government in response to numerous protests from official bodies, especially the Ministry of Education, whose representatives considered these schools insufficiently qualified to conduct educational activities. Despite this, it is impossible to deny that Dolores Cacuango's contribution to the development of education in the country was the impetus for the creation of other educational systems.

In further analysis of this issue, it seems necessary to consider the terms "bilingualism" and "bilingual education" in more detail. Within the framework of this study, bilingualism is understood as the possession of two languages at the native speaker level. It is important to note that this phenomenon is divided into several types: subordinative (mastery of one language is better developed) and coordinate (both languages are equally well developed); active (both languages are used equally often) and passive (one of the languages is used more often); contact (communication with native speakers is maintained) and non-contact (communication is not supported); autonomous (languages are mastered separately from each other) and parallel (one of the languages is used as a support when learning the second) ^{[8, p. 7]}. In turn, bilingual education is a learning system in which the educational process is carried out in two languages at once, which, according to researchers, contributes to the formation of a "new culture of perception of the modern world" among students ^{[1, p. 27]}.

So, after the failed attempt to reform the educational system undertaken by Dolores Cacuango, the public demand for the introduction of bilingualism did not subside, which is why American missionaries and the Ministry of Education of the country joined together to create the Summer Linguistic Institute (Instituto Linguistico de Verano), which from 1952 to 1982 was responsible for the education of the indigenous population of the country. However, education in the autochthonous languages of the region was conducted only until the third grade, and after that a complete transition to Spanish was carried out ^{[9, pp. 43-44]}. Finally, in 1986, the project of intercultural bilingual education (Proyecto de Educación Bilingüe Intercultural) was created, the purpose of which was to develop methodological materials and train teachers from the indigenous population, as well as the creation of schools. It is still believed that this event was the impetus for the development of the educational system taking into account the interests of the indigenous population not only in Ecuador, but also throughout Latin America ^{[10, p. 60]}.

In 1988 and 1989, under the influence of the indigenous peoples' movement aimed at defending the right to study in their native language, the National Directorate of Intercultural Bilingual Education of Indigenous Peoples (Dirección Nacional de Educación Indígena Intercultural Bilingue) and the National Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of Ecuador (Confederación Nacional de Indígenas del Ecuador) were established, respectively. After they signed an agreement with the Ministry of Education, the learning process among the indigenous population completely came under the jurisdiction of these units. Finally, the creation of the National Directorate of Intercultural Bilingual Education (Dirección Nacional de Educación Intercultural Bilingue) led to the opening of 53 schools in seven provinces of the country by 1993, employing 175 teachers and educating about 4,000 students ^{[11, p. 106]}. Subsequently, a Model of the intercultural Bilingual Education System (Modelo del Sistema de Educación Intercultural Bilingue) was also formed, which was aimed at forming an educational system that fully takes into account the interests of the indigenous population. However, it is worth noting that this initiative was criticized for excessive emphasis on the Quichua language and insufficient attention to other autochthonous languages; thus, this program, which was initially considered unique and reference for the whole of Latin America, lost its autonomy in 2011 due to a number of disagreements at the highest level and by 2017 became only a department of the Ministry of Education ^{[12, p. 444]}. In 2007, President Correa decided to establish the Millennium Educational Centers (Unidades Educativas del Milenio), which were later also criticized due to the fact that the main focus was not on bilingual education and taking into account the unique characteristics of each of the indigenous peoples, but on the use of new technologies, which is why the president was accused of using the indigenous population as a symbol in order to strengthen his position as a leader ^{[13, p. 45]}. The researchers emphasize that all this only deepened the existing social gap between rural and urban populations at that time and led to an even greater fragmentation of Ecuadorian society.

All of the above has given the Government of the country and the local population a reason to think about the formation of a new, much more effective system of multicultural education, taking into account the needs of indigenous people. Thus, taking into account the criticism of previous years, in 2018, President Moreno decided to create the Council for Equality of Peoples and Nationalities of Ecuador (Consejo para la Igualdad de los Pueblos y Nacionalidades del Ecuador). As for the bilingual education system itself, a number of reforms have taken place here. So, at the moment, the educational programs of secondary and higher education necessarily include the study of the native language and literature, which is carried out within the framework of a discipline called Lengua y literatura de la nacionalidad ^[10]. At the same time, the country's educational policy is engaged not only by the government, but also by youth activists, for whom the issue of cultural and national identity, as well as the development of the indigenous population in general and autochthonous languages in particular, is extremely important. Through their efforts, they strive to positively influence the current situation.

Attempts are also being made in the academic environment to establish an intercultural dialogue. Thus, the University of the Andes, in order to popularize autochthonous languages, developed the project "Reading Schools" (Escuelas lectoras) ^[14]. The Salesian Polytechnic University offers programs in intercultural bilingual education, and the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, in its "School of Linguistics" (Escuela de Linguistica), trains specialists in interpretation and translation in indigenous languages ^[15]. Finally, some proposals to strengthen the status of indigenous peoples and the implementation of bilingual multicultural education among them are also being made at the global level with the participation of countries such as the United States of America and Spain, as well as a number of other European States ^[5]. All this underlines the importance of conducting an even more inclusive educational policy among the indigenous population in order to form a clear national and cultural identity among its representatives, as well as to establish contact between the rural and urban population of the Republic.

Taking into account the data presented above, it cannot be denied that the problems of bilingual education in Ecuador and its impact on the formation of the cultural identity of the local indigenous population still represent a difficult task, the solution of which requires a deep understanding of the entirety of the historical and socio-cultural context associated with it. Thus, since the introduction of bilingual education in the country, aimed at the preservation and development of indigenous languages and cultures, there has been a significant change in the perception of one's own cultural identity among local residents. These conditions dictated the need to conduct a survey among representatives of the indigenous population of the Republic of Ecuador in order to establish exactly how the implementation of education in the Quichua and Shuar languages contributes to the development of communities speaking them.

A total of 33 people participated in the survey. The respondents were carefully selected according to the following criteria: 1) higher education; 2) age over 18 years; 3) belonging to the indigenous population of Ecuador and proficiency in both the local national version of Spanish and one of the autochthonous languages. This ensured the highest possible level of awareness of respondents on issues related to bilingual education and cultural identity, which guaranteed the representativeness of the data obtained. The survey consisted of the following questions:

1. How has learning Spanish and an indigenous language influenced your cultural identity?

A) Strengthened the connection with the roots of my people.

B) Distanced me from my autochthonous identity.

C) Created a balanced sense of dual identity.

D) Had no effect on cultural identity.

2. Do you think that bilingual education helps to preserve the culture and traditions of your indigenous people?

A) It helps a lot.

B) It helps to some extent.

C) There is no significant difference.

D) Weakens the preservation of culture.

3. What problems have you encountered in the process of bilingual education regarding the balance between Spanish and your native language?

A) Too much emphasis on Spanish.

B) A good balance between both languages.

C) Too much attention to the native language.

D) There were no problems.

4. In your experience, does bilingual education improve the quality of education for indigenous students?

A) Significantly improves the quality of education.

B) It improves to some extent, but it could be better.

C) Does not have a significant impact.

D) Negatively affects the quality of education.

5. Do you think bilingual education has influenced the way indigenous communities interact with Ecuadorian society as a whole?

A) Improved interaction and mutual understanding.

B) Not a strong, but a positive influence.

C) No significant impact.

D) Caused tension or created barriers.

6. How does proficiency in Spanish and the language of your indigenous people affect your employment opportunities or career advancement?

A) Expands the possibilities.

B) It has little effect.

C) Creates problems with employment.

D) No specific influence has been observed.

7. Do you think that bilingual education meets the academic and cultural needs of indigenous students?

A) Meets both academic and cultural needs well.

B) Satisfies academic, but not cultural needs.

C) Satisfies cultural but not academic needs.

D) Does not satisfy either of these or other needs.

8. In your opinion, has bilingual education contributed to greater respect and recognition of indigenous languages in Ecuador?

A) Significantly increased respect and recognition.

B) Increased respect and recognition to some extent.

C) It did not affect.

D) Reduced respect for indigenous languages.

9. What improvements would you suggest to the bilingual education system for indigenous students?

(A) Pay more attention to the preservation and teaching of indigenous languages.

B) Improve the training of teachers teaching both Spanish and their native language.

C) Pay more attention to cultural education.

D) The system is working well, no changes are required.

The survey results helped to generate certain statistics on the attitude of bilingual representatives of the indigenous population of Ecuador to the modern format of bilingual education in the country, as well as on how such an educational system affects their own cultural identity. The majority of respondents (87%) noted that learning both languages strengthened their connection with the indigenous culture and helped in the formation of their cultural identity. 78% believe that bilingual education contributes to the preservation of their culture and traditions, although a third of them faced problems in maintaining a balance between Spanish and their native language, mainly due to the dominance of the former. The issue of the quality of education also received a positive assessment – 81% of respondents admitted that the bilingual system improves their academic performance.

Speaking about social integration, 81% of participants believe that bilingual education has contributed to improving the interaction of indigenous communities with the monolingual Spanish-speaking part of Ecuadorian society. In addition, 58% said that speaking two languages improved their professional prospects. However, only 33% of respondents believe that the bilingual education system adequately meets both the academic and cultural needs of students. This highlights the need for further modernization of the bilingual education system in order to improve it. This is also confirmed by the opinion expressed by the majority of respondents (78%) that there is a need to pay more attention to the preservation of indigenous languages and improve teacher training.

Thus, it is obvious that the educational and language policy of the Republic of Ecuador has undergone a number of serious changes in recent decades. Not all of them turned out to be positive, which not only slowed down the process of establishing intercultural dialogue in the country, but even increased discrimination against representatives of the indigenous population. Nevertheless, the modern processes of introducing bilingual education represent an important step towards preserving the indigenous cultural heritage and improving the quality of education in general. This is due to the fact that education not only contributes to the preservation and development of indigenous languages and cultures, but also improves the socio-economic situation of their speakers by expanding educational and professional opportunities.

The above proves that the effective implementation of bilingual education requires an integrated approach, including the development of appropriate curricula, the training of qualified teachers and the active participation of local communities. However, the successful implementation of these initiatives is possible only with active and adequate support from government and international organizations. Despite the existing challenges, such as lack of resources and proper infrastructure, as well as the need to overcome social and political barriers, bilingual education remains an important tool for the development of the indigenous peoples of Ecuador. In the long term, all this will contribute to both educational achievements and better social integration, while strengthening the national identity of representatives of the indigenous peoples of the Republic. In turn, the currently emerging system of inclusive bilingual education and the initiatives and programs proposed within this framework prove the Government's willingness to work to provide high-quality education that would meet the needs of the indigenous population, taking into account the entire historical, linguistic and socio-cultural context.