LAII Co-Sponsors Intensive Summer K'iche' Maya Program

January 31, 2012

The University of Chicago Center for Latin American Studies, in partnership with Vanderbilt University Center for Latin American Studies, University of New Mexico Latin American and Iberian Institute, and the University of Texas Teresa Lozano Long Institute for Latin American Studies, is accepting student applications for a summer intensive immersion language program in K'iche' Maya that will take place on site in Nahualá, Guatemala. From June 18-July 27, 2012, the program will provide instruction at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels.

The program will help students develop proficiency in modern spoken K'iche'. Beginning students will spend weekday mornings with linguistics and anthropology faculty from Vanderbilt University, University of Kentucky, University of New Mexico, and the University of Texas in a classroom setting in order to develop a strong foundation in K'iche' grammar and vocabulary. During the afternoons, each student will work one-on-one with a native K'iche' speaker in a conversation workshop. Each student will be placed with a local home-stay family for the majority of the program, thereby experiencing genuine immersion. Weekly cultural demonstrations, including wood carving, backstrap loom weaving, foot loom weaving, and metate fabrication will complement the formal instruction.

Enrollment applications are due by March 30, 2012. The enrollment application is available through the University of Chicago Center for Latin American Studies.