The Instituto Lingüístico de Verano A.C. (abbreviated ILV, in en, Summer Institute of Linguistics (in Mexico)) is a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

incorporated in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

with the legal status of a civil association (''Asociación Civil''). It is the affiliate body in Mexico to the overarching parent organization

SIL International SIL International (formerly known as the Summer Institute of Linguistics) is an evangelical Christian non-profit organization whose main purpose is to study, develop and document languages, especially those that are lesser-known, in order to ex ...

, a worldwide

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

-based

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

organization that sponsors the study, documentation and development of indigenous and

minority language A minority language is a language spoken by a minority of the population of a territory. Such people are termed linguistic minorities or language minorities. With a total number of 196 sovereign states recognized internationally (as of 2019) and ...

s across the world. ILV in Mexico was formally established in 1948, with a stated focus on the study and documentation of the

indigenous languages of Mexico Many languages are spoken in Mexico, though Spanish is the ''de facto'' national language spoken by the vast majority of the population, making Mexico the world's most populous Hispanophone country. The indigenous languages are from eleven lan ...

and involvement with Mexico's indigenous peoples' affairs generally. The Institute publishes dictionaries, grammars and other literacy and education materials in many of the indigenous languages, and it is also a sponsor of language workshops, presentations and conferences. As a body with ongoing degrees of association and sponsorship of

Christian missionary A Christian mission is an organized effort for the propagation of the Christian faith. Missions involve sending individuals and groups across boundaries, most commonly geographical boundaries, to carry on evangelism or other activities, such as ...

activities and goals, ILV also works to produce translations of Biblical texts in local languages. While its work in the fields of

linguistics Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...

and

cultural anthropology Cultural anthropology is a branch of anthropology focused on the study of cultural variation among humans. It is in contrast to social anthropology, which perceives cultural variation as a subset of a posited anthropological constant. The portma ...

has been lauded and recognized as substantial and positive contributions in many quarters, some of the ILV's activities have also attracted criticism and controversy with a number of anthropologists and other commentators severely criticizing its relations with Evangelical proselytism, and also alleging political involvement, pro-U.S. stance and

acculturation Acculturation is a process of social, psychological, and cultural change that stems from the balancing of two cultures while adapting to the prevailing culture of the society. Acculturation is a process in which an individual adopts, acquires and ...

policies.Miguez Bonino (1994, pp.589–590)

Notes

References

* *Hvalkof, Søren, and Peter Aaby (eds.): ''Is God an American? An Anthropological Perspective on the Missionary Work of the Summer Institute of Linguistics'' (A Survival International Document, International Workgroup for Indigenous Affairs, Copenhagen/London 1981), . *Stoll, David. 1983 ''Fishers of Men or Founders of Empire? The Wycliffe Bible Translators in Latin America. A US Evangelical Mission in the Third World'' (London, Zed Press 1983) *Todd Hartch. 2006. Missionaries of the State: The Summer Institute of Linguistics, State Formation, and Indigenous Mexico, 1935–1985. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2006.

External links

Instituto Lingüístico de Verano A.C.
main website Non-profit organizations based in Mexico Evangelical parachurch organizations Linguistic societies Mesoamerican studies {{ling-org-stub