Linguistic attitudes towards the quechua language and spanish in university students

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to analyze the linguistic attitudes towards Quechua and Spanish in university students of education at the National University of San Antonio Abad Cusco. To this end, the research was approached from a quantitative, descriptive-explanatory approach, with a non-experimental cross-sectional design. The population was composed of 620 students from the initial and primary education programs of the Canas branch of the university. The selected sample was non-probabilistic and intentional, and consisted of 230 students, men and women, aged between 18 and 23 years. For data collection, a questionnaire on linguistic attitudes was used. The results showed that Spanish is widely used and valued in academic and formal contexts, with 87.8% of students using it frequently. In addition, 81.3% consider it essential for educational success. Quechua is highly valued in cultural terms, as 80% of students consider it important, although its daily use is more limited and concentrated in the home and community. Thus, the study concludes that there is compatibility between cultural pride in Quechua and the pragmatic preference for Spanish, highlighting the need for inclusive educational policies that promote a balanced coexistence between both languages, strengthening cultural identity and the recognition of Quechua in the academic field, promoting linguistic equity and cultural diversity.