“Hoy seguimos hablando y hoy estamos retomando la escritura del namui wam”  (Today we continue to speak (Namui Wam) and today we take back the writing of Namui Wam) : A case study of Language Practices and Ideologies of Namui Wam in a Misak school of Guam

Abstract: This study aims to shed more light on the role indigenous languages have in bilingual education by focusing on the language use of Namui Wam in a Misak school of the territory of Guambía in Cauca, Colombia. Based on a critical linguistic ethnographical approach, this study investigates language ideologies and linguistic practices among teachers and students. The data collection includes classroom observations of three different classes, semi-structured interviews with students, teachers and community members and visual representations of languages in the school. The findings of the visual representations show that Namui Wam serves as a symbolic complementation and Spanish is for informative and academic purposes. Moreover, Namui Wam is used mainly in the subject Namui Wam or for greetings and translations of Spanish-taught content in other classes. The interviews indicate a desire among the Misak teacher and headmaster to extend the existing policy of Namui Wam as a medium of instruction after primary school. As concluded in the study, it has great importance for Namui Wam to exist as an independent subject, because in these classes the value of having their own alphabet and own writing system is taught. This creates a space for the local language to be used for academic purposes. This study adds to the growing knowledge of bilingual education in the Global South and emphasizes the  importance of teacher-agency in bottom-up policies.    Keywords Bilingual Education, Language Policy, Language Ideology, Language Practices, Bilingualism within Indigenous Communities.