Marc Maddox
 

Over the course of the last thirty years, Maya languages in Guatemala have been the subject of analysis and description and, later, identity and prescription through the incorporation of bilingual education into the Guatemalan education system.  Though all Maya languages have distinct, regionalized dialects, the decisions on language standardization have largely been determined through a highly politicized process stemming from the socio-political Pan-Maya movement.  Today, these processes are affecting attempts at bilingual education in communities.  Kaqchikel speakers from the bilingual section of the national education system are being sent to local communities in order to help transition to a use of standardized orthography and language instruction methodology, but are failing to take into account local dialects in discussing teaching phonological aspects of bilingual education.  San Antonio Aguas Calientes, Guatemala is one community whose teachers are involved in bilingual education instruction, but the prescriptive use of the standardized phonology and orthography is creating a divide between the bilingual education representative and the teachers in this community.  This paper will discuss the issue of the creation of a prestige dialect and the resulting tension and division among teachers from non-standard dialect communities and those promoting the prestige dialect.