Abstract
The ancient family of Quechua languages of the South American Andes is in a precarious
situation, not because of numbers of speakers as such, but because of impediments to
intergenerational transfer. This thesis, in two parts, is both reflexive and active. It
endeavours to understand the history and context of the current fading language, and
then it studies and adopts strategies, in local and international contexts, that attempt to
maintain and revitalise Quechua. As part of the research study, I visited three global
locations: Cusco, Paris and New York, in order to investigate how people use a range of
strategies to grow the Quechua language. The research draws on sociolinguistics,
ethnographic methods and a range of other disciplines. This thesis is presented in two parts,
a documentary film and a written thesis.
As a Peruvian whose knowledge of her Quechua language and heritage was blocked by wellmeaning
parents who saw Spanish as the road to success, I embody the intergenerational
problem this thesis tackles. As a documentary filmmaker, I sought to mobilise my skills in
the production of a film as the creative part of this thesis. The making of the film across the
three locations was intimately tied to the ongoing research in theory, method and practice.
Inviting people (Quechua teachers, artists, media practitioners) to participate in the film and
respond to it enabled them to become allies in the objective of this research: the
promotion of Quechua as an attractive, interesting and vital language for future
generations.