La lealtad lingüística del indígena Maya Yucateco. Validación de la prueba "matched-guise"

Abstract

The Mayan language in the Peninsula of Yucatán of today is present in various parts of public life (mass media; education; religion and culltural events). Nevertheless we can observe a decrease of the number of monolingual Mayan speakers. The objectives of this study are to investigate the extralinguistic factors which are influencing the vitality of the Mayan language and to analyze the attitudes towards Spanish and Mayan of bilingual persons. For this purpose the "matched-guise test” was used in conjunction with some elements of the "semantic differential test”. These tests furnish subjective and subconscious data which are determinant in linguistic loyalty and ethnic consciousness. This study focuses on the problems of adapting the "matched-guise test” to a completely different cultural environment. Both the factors which prevented a successful application of this test and some of the possible solutions will be presented.