Resumen de Bilingual education curriculum development in Guatemala
The Mayans of Guatemala, who outnumber the Spanish of that country, have maintained their distinct linguistic and cultural identity despite more than four centuries of Spanish domination. Recognising the ineffectiveness of trying to assimilate these Mayan Indians, the Government of Guatemala and, in particular, the Ministry of Education initiated an experimental bilingual curriculum for the first three years of school which it hoped would be more relevant to the Mayans and therefore encourage them to greater participation in the public education offered them. This paper describes the process of developing the bilingual curriculum for Guatemala's four largest Mayan language groups. It includes a discussion of the results and the direction bilingual education is taking today among the Mayans of Guatemala.
