Sociolinguistic characteristics of teachers and didactic practices for teaching Ngigua

Abstract

The objective of the study was  to characterize the  microsociolinguistic features of primary school teachers from the Ngigua indigenous  community of San Marcos  Tlacoyalco, Puebla, and to  identify the methods used for
teaching the language. The study adopted a qualitative
approach through discourse analysis. Findings indicate that the use of the Ngigua language is largely confined to the teachers’ family domain, while Spanish predominates in school settings and public spaces.  Teaching strategies for Ngigua are primarily based on methods
designed for Spanish language instruction. This suggests a  need for training and  professional support to develop approaches aligned with the grammatical structure and linguistic specificity of Ngigua. Although the study is limited to a specific community context, it
provides situated evidence of  the tension between the social and school-based use of Ngigua, contributing to a deeper understanding of how intercultural education is enacted.