About the Language:
Q’anjob’al is a Mayan language traditionally spoken by the Q’anjob’al people of Guatemala, particularly in the department of Huehuetenango. The language is an important part of Q’anjob’al cultural heritage and continues to be spoken by communities both in Guatemala and abroad.

About the Interview:
In this interview, Matias discusses his connection to Q’anjob’al and shares his experiences with maintaining and using the language in his life and community.

Matias Esteban Tomas Esteban – Q’anjob’al

Translation Note: This interview was originally conducted in Spanish and has been translated into English for this website. The translation is intended to preserve the interviewee’s original meaning and responses as accurately as possible.

VRS: What is your full name, and where were you born and where do you currently reside?

ME: My name is Matias Esteban Tomas Esteban. I was born in Guatemala and I live in Hickory (NC).

VRS: What Indigenous or heritage language do you speak?

ME: I speak Q’anjob’al

VRS: How did you learn this language?

ME: Well, it’s an herencia that my parents left me because I grew up with that language that my family spoke. So I have to speak it too because it’s the first language I learned

VRS: Do you regularly speak this language in your day-to-day life? If so, who do you speak it with?

ME: Yes, I do speak it, when I talk to my mom and my brothers and other people that I know that also speak it. We talk.

VRS: Have you noticed a decline or increase in the number of speakers? Why do you think that is?

ME: I would say that it has declined a little because a lot people do know how to speak it but over time they might forget it because many people will learn other languages (such as Spanish) and they will forget it because most people nowadays speak Spanish.

VRS: How do you feel about speaking your language in public? Why?

ME: Well, I feel proud and also sometimes it feels a little uncomfortable because other people can’t understand you so as people we listen and sometimes don’t understand what others might say.

VRS: How do younger generations in your community engage with the language?

ME: Well I would say normal because like I said, if their family speaks the language then they have to learn in order to be able to communicate with their family. I would like for them to put in more effort into what their family teaches them so they don’t lose that part of them.

VRS: What concerns, if any, do you have about the future of your language?

ME: Yes, I would like more kids that are growing nowadays to learn in order for my culture to not be lost and so more people speak it.

VRS: What advice would you give to someone interested in learning your language?

ME: I would say if someone really wants to learn an indigenous language or another language I would tell them to put in effort and to not be ashamed and to try to speak it and learn it because it’s really good to learn indigenous languages in order to learn about more cultures in the world.

In the audio above, Matias shared two short phrases in Q’anjob’al that he would like other people to know about. The first is a question he asks his mother frequently, “How are the kids?” and the second is “How are you?“