El podcast como herramienta educomunicativa para fomentar el kichwa en la ciudad de Machala

Abstract

In Ecuador there are 14 indigenous nationalities, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Census INEC, which total approximately 1 million 100 thousand inhabitants who are distributed in local, regional and national organizations. However, some of the ancestral languages of these communities are being lost to such an extent that their intangible heritage (language) only prevails in their community or environment where they continue to speak them. However, it is understood that Kichwa is the predominant ancestral language in the country, with a greater number of Kichwa speakers in different cities, and yet, to date, and after more than a decade of the new Constitution, no clear public policies have been established to prevent and neutralice the risk of the disappearance of the culture of these peoples. In this context, the inhabitants of the city of Machala have little knowledge of this ancestral language and prioritize customs, traditions and foreign languages, devaluing their roots. In addition, there are no training programs or communication products that allow citizens in general to be motivated to learn Kichwa. One way to promote a new language is based on hearing and listening; therefore, the podcast is defined as a language teaching tool, it has been used on previous occasions to teach English and Quechua. Its audio format means that it is considered an effective and practical means of educational-communication learning. From this position, the research problem is born: How to promote the Kichwa language through a podcast as an educational-communication tool in the inhabitants of the city of Machala? In order to solve the problem, the following objective is proposed: To promote the Kichwa language through a podcast as an educational and communicational tool to enhance its learning in the inhabitants of the city of Machala. In this research we used data collection techniques such as interviews with several professionals and creators of podcast content, in order to gather information on the most appropriate way to create a communication product, the importance of it and know the benefits of teaching through audios. We also conducted surveys to the population of the city of Machala to know the degree of knowledge that people have about the language, especially young people and the acceptance of the final product, in this case a podcast. Finally, a focus group was carried out to assess the relevance of the proposal and an expert evaluation based on three parameters: the audio message, the production and methodology of a podcast. The population mostly interested in learning Kichwa through podcasts is between 16 and 25 years old; they are young people who see the product as an entertaining way to continue educating themselves, for them Kichwa is a way to identify themselves culturally and determine this language as relevant in the Ecuadorian culture. The population mostly interested in learning Kichwa through podcasts is between 16 and 25 years old; they are young people who see the product as an entertaining way to continue educating themselves, for them Kichwa is a way to identify themselves culturally and determine this language as relevant in the Ecuadorian culture. On the other hand, in the evaluation of the experts it was determined that the podcast is a dynamic product, with a capacity to teach in an interactive way, this educational-communicative tool is potentially useful to know, learn and strengthen the Kichwa language. The characteristic of its format makes its realization more feasible.