Commodification of Kaqchikel: A Commodities Chain Approach to the Kaqchikel Language in the Foreign Language and Area Studies Program*

Philip T. Duncan
2014 Kansas Working Papers in Linguistics  
Investigating how Kaqchikel is commodified through U.S. foreign language instruction programs reveals complex and often contradictory ideologies about language, including linguistic capital and exchange value. I argue that Kaqchikel is commodified through the FLAS program, which treats language as a skill that has value in promoting U.S. national needs (e.g., security and economic competitiveness). Moreover, while globalization has negatively impacted the vitality of indigenous languages
more » ... de, including Mayan languages such as Kaqchikel, the narrative I develop suggests that individuals successfully utilize existing structures of globalization in ways that subvert hegemony and cultural and linguistic homogeneity. In particular, I show how individuals use structures that emerge through globalization and commodification in order to create transborder alliances that increase the value of Kaqchikel.
doi:10.17161/kwpl.1808.15947 fatcat:pnsbzgvp2bgqjem6ddk3h5qkua