Soledad Chango

The shift in use of Kichwa as reflected in vocabulary Introduction Languages of minority have a great significance to their speakers and descendants. They symbolize and even embody traditional values, religion and culture, rich oral literature, history, and a sense of rooted identity (Fishman, 1985). This is the case of the Kichwa, the second most spoken variety of the Quechua language. According to research from Penn State University, Quechua also called Runa Shimi (the language of the people) is spoken by 8 to 11 millions of people in the South American Andean region. This is the most spoken indigenous language in the entire Americas. Quechua linguistic varieties are spoken mostly in Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru but also in Colombia and Argentina. But Quechua/Kichwa speakers do not live in these countries only, and its language/varieties are spread in different cultures with their own variety. However, unfortunately, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization