Linguistic perceptions and attitudes of wayuu university students about spanish in their speaking community

Abstract

This article describes the results that emerged from the analysis of the linguistic assessments of a group of students from the University of La Guajira belonging to the indigenous Wayuu community. The purpose of this work is to describe the perceptions and linguistic attitudes that the speakers of an ethnic community have of their language against Spanish and their different dialect variables in Colombia and other Spanish-speaking countries. The study consisted of a sample of 12 participants belonging to the Wayuu community students of the distance ethnoeducation program of the University of La Guajira Uribia headquarters, located in the upper Guajira. This sample was administered a survey that included questions that allowed to capture and measure ideas and feelings towards Spanish and the speech of the inhabitants of this community. The result shows that being a diglossic community has allowed them to project a positive attitude towards Spanish as the language they use for university, work, and commerce. In addition, there is a clear preference for the recognition of the identity value of their language.