The Challenge

Indigenous culture and customs are fundamental in a country’s history and development, and their preservation enriches society. In Peru, 8 million people identify as Quechua, the largest indigenous group in the country, and 4 million native speakers.¹ As a recognition of this heritage, the government made Quechua an official language, and in 2018, the Ministry of Education implemented a policy of intercultural bilingual education aimed at helping indigenous students maintain, improve, and learn Quechua. However, this policy is primarily focused on rural regions, where most of the Quechua population lives,² potentially leaving urban Quechua children behind.

To encourage playful language learning for students, the Organization of Ibero-American States and the IDB created an indigenous language app to teach Quechua Collao, which is spoken in Southern Peru. This app incorporates common Quechua Collao words or phrases in written and audio format over three entertainment modules to improve listening, reading, and writing comprehension. It is integrated into the school language curriculum, with sessions by pedagogical monitors, who also raised awareness about the importance of preserving and strengthening Quechua Collao. In an era when indigenous languages are falling out of use among children, can digital platforms bridge the gap between traditional preservation efforts and modern learning?

The Evaluation

Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to measure whether the Quechua language app improved students’ Quechua reading, writing, and listening skills. They also measured students’ and teachers’ attitudes and beliefs towards Quechua and teachers’ knowledge of the app’s content.

The intervention involved sixth grade and first year secondary school students in 200 rural and urban schools in Cusco and Puno. These schools were classified by the Ministry of Education as part of the “Revitalize” and “Urban” models of the intercultural bilingual education policy to serve students who either have limited exposure to Quechua or live in urban areas with diverse indigenous language backgrounds.

The 200 schools were randomly assigned to either receive the Quechua language app instruction program or serve as a comparison group.

Results

The Quechua language app significantly improved students’ language skills. Students improved their overall Quechua scores by four percentage points, with gains in oral, listening, and writing skills. When focusing specifically on topics taught through the app, students showed even larger improvements in their Quechua skills, with an eight percentage point increase overall.

Beyond increasing students’ language skills, the language app also increased the use of Quechua. In school, students reported greater access to Quechua classes, which increased their effective exposure to the language and Quechua use with peers and teachers. In the community, students’ Quechua use increased in public spaces and the chacra³ with neighbors and close family members. While attitudes toward Quechua did not change, the increase in Quechua use in public spaces suggests a shift in social practice, potentially reflecting an indirect form of positive re-evaluation of the language.

Altogether, results suggest that culturally sensitive technology like language platforms can be an effective method to stimulate youth engagement and proficiency in the language and thus help indigenous communities preserve their heritage in the modern era.

Sources

^1. Minority Rights Group, “Highland Quechua in Peru,” Minority Rights Group, Accessed August 8, 2025, https://minorityrights.org/communities/highland-quechua/

^2. Flores Liñán, H., J. Gamarra Sano, C. J. Mamani Paucar, and L. Vilcarromero Tafur. "Research in Subject-matter Teaching and Learning." (2023).

^3. A chacra is a family-managed plot of land that is owned by the community.

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