Presenter(s)

Kassandra Zapata and Ahnna Burkhart

Abstract

Mazahua is an indigenous language of Mexico that currently has about 100,000 speakers. What this language and many other indigenous languages need are literacy curricula and materials to help speakers of this language learn to read and write in their first language. Research has demonstrated that students who learn to read and write in their home language will be more successful when it comes to learning to read and write in the language that is dominant in society (in this case, Spanish in Mexico). This project details a coordinated effort to create initial literacy materials for first-grade students who are learning to read and write in Mazahua in Mexico. The presenters used Canva.com to create templates using the Mazahua alphabet for items such as letter booklets, tracing documents, and simple reading exercises. The presenters worked with Mazahua linguists and educators to create lists of words that could be used in the templates; this required ongoing communication between the presenters and the speakers of Mazahua in order to avoid errors in vocabulary or spelling. Presenters used WhatsApp to communicate with speakers of the language. Challenges of this project include not knowing Mazahua; the presenters relied entirely on the information provided by the Mexican colleagues. Not being speakers of a language that one is creating literacy materials for is a challenge in that the timeline for revisions is affected; the presenters had to send questions and ask for feedback to Mexican colleagues who may not have been able to respond immediately. Additionally, there is not a lot of resources for Mazahua online. Items presented include letter booklets for each letter of the alphabet, in which students must trace the letter, read words that include the letter, and then copy the letter. Other items include a fill-in-the-blank sheet for each letter of the alphabet, in which students must fill in the missing letter of a familiar word. These sheets required finding appropriate clip-art pictures to accompany the words and appropriate, high-frequency words for the sheets themselves. Mazahua vocabulary was tracked using a shared spreadsheet to inform future efforts. There are many challenges remaining for creating literacy materials for indigenous students, including the process of literacy acquisition in Mazahua, lack of funds to foster the creation of materials, and the need for research in best practices around indigenous literacy.

College

College of Liberal Arts

Department

Global Studies & World Languages

Campus

Winona

First Advisor/Mentor

Mary Hudgens Henderson

Start Date

4-24-2025 9:00 AM

End Date

4-24-2025 10:00 AM

Presentation Type

Poster Session - Early-Year RCA

Format of Presentation or Performance

In-Person

Session

1a=9am-10am

Poster Number

11

Comments

WSU Review Needed

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Apr 24th, 9:00 AM Apr 24th, 10:00 AM

Mazahua Literacy Project

Mazahua is an indigenous language of Mexico that currently has about 100,000 speakers. What this language and many other indigenous languages need are literacy curricula and materials to help speakers of this language learn to read and write in their first language. Research has demonstrated that students who learn to read and write in their home language will be more successful when it comes to learning to read and write in the language that is dominant in society (in this case, Spanish in Mexico). This project details a coordinated effort to create initial literacy materials for first-grade students who are learning to read and write in Mazahua in Mexico. The presenters used Canva.com to create templates using the Mazahua alphabet for items such as letter booklets, tracing documents, and simple reading exercises. The presenters worked with Mazahua linguists and educators to create lists of words that could be used in the templates; this required ongoing communication between the presenters and the speakers of Mazahua in order to avoid errors in vocabulary or spelling. Presenters used WhatsApp to communicate with speakers of the language. Challenges of this project include not knowing Mazahua; the presenters relied entirely on the information provided by the Mexican colleagues. Not being speakers of a language that one is creating literacy materials for is a challenge in that the timeline for revisions is affected; the presenters had to send questions and ask for feedback to Mexican colleagues who may not have been able to respond immediately. Additionally, there is not a lot of resources for Mazahua online. Items presented include letter booklets for each letter of the alphabet, in which students must trace the letter, read words that include the letter, and then copy the letter. Other items include a fill-in-the-blank sheet for each letter of the alphabet, in which students must fill in the missing letter of a familiar word. These sheets required finding appropriate clip-art pictures to accompany the words and appropriate, high-frequency words for the sheets themselves. Mazahua vocabulary was tracked using a shared spreadsheet to inform future efforts. There are many challenges remaining for creating literacy materials for indigenous students, including the process of literacy acquisition in Mazahua, lack of funds to foster the creation of materials, and the need for research in best practices around indigenous literacy.

 

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