The Enchantment and Disenchantment of Cultural Diversity: Exploring the Intercultural Approach in the Practice of Intercultural Bilingual Education (IBE)

Abstract

The intercultural approach in Intercultural Bilingual Education (IBE) is closely related to the use of Indigenous languages in the classroom and has its roots in the Barbados I and II Declarations, issued in 1971 and 1977, respectively, which criticized the bilingual education models then being implemented through the instrumentalization of Indigenous languages for the teaching of Spanish. For approximately four decades, the linguistic and cultural diversity of Latin American societies has been politically recognized, and the intercultural perspective has been incorporated into educational policies and regulations throughout the region. This article examines the intercultural approach in relation to the use of Indigenous languages in classroom practice as well as in school textbooks produced by various educational projects. Through a comparative analysis, it highlights diverse critical and constructive perspectives within the complex processes of Intercultural Bilingual Education for Indigenous peoples.