Latin American and Iberian Studies

The Council on Latin American and Iberian Studies

Special Programs

Intensive Summer Nahuatl Language and Culture

Yale’s Council on Latin American and Iberian Studies (CLAIS), in collaboration with the Institute of Latin American American Studies at Columbia, the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at New York University, and the Instituto de Docencia e Investigación Etnológica de Zacatecas will offer an intensive course in Older and Modern Nahuatl at the beginning, intermediate and advanced levels. The course is offered through Yale Summer Sessions as NHTL 125 (See www.yale.edu/summer/)

The course seeks to: 1. develop students' oral comprehension, speaking, reading, writing and knowledge of language structure, as well as their cultural wisdom and sensibility, in order to facilitate their ability to communicate effectively, correctly and creatively in everyday situations; 2. provide students with instruments and experiences that demonstrate the continuity between past and present Nahua culture, through the study of colonial and modern texts, conversation with native speakers, and an optional residency in a Nahua community; 3. penetrate into the historical, economic, political, social and cultural aspects of Nahua civilization; 4. prepare students to take university level humanities courses taught in Nahuatl alongside native speakers.

Beginning students will have class five hours per day, Monday through Friday: two hours of Modern Nahuatl immersion and introductory grammar with native speaking instructors; two hours of Older Nahuatl taught by John Sullivan; and an additional hour of individual work on a research project of the student’s choice with a native speaking tutor. Intermediate students will study specific topics drawn from Older and Modern sources, using Nahuatl as the sole language of class discussion, and continue to work with individual tutors. Advanced students will design and implement a research project in collaboration with the native speaking tutors, and will write a short paper in Modern Nahuatl.

Six weeks of class will be held in Zacatecas from June 22 to July 31, 2009. Full class attendance is required. Students who are absent for reasons other than illness will be asked to withdraw from the Institute.

Students may elect to spend an optional seventh week in the village of Tepecxitla, Veracruz where they will reside with an indigenous family and participate in the Chicomexochitl ceremony. A decision regarding the viability of this homestay option will be made two months prior to the beginning of the program after the pertinent regional security issues have been evaluated. This visit, however, will not be under CLAIS auspices, and those students who wish to participate must cover the additional costs (see below).

Tentative course costs:
1. Tuition for three credits, $4,000

2. Room for six weeks in Zacatecas (one or two adults per room): a) studio with private bath and kitchenette, $600; b) studio with private bath and shared kitchen, $525; c) studio with shared bath and kitchen, $450.

3. Food for six weeks in Zacatecas: between $400 (preparing your own food) and $600 (eating out).

Tuition is payable to Yale; all other costs including travel between the United States and Mexico are paid by the student directly to the provider.

5. (Optional) Students who travel to the village of Tepecxitla at the end of the course will pay $550 for transportation, room and board, and financing of the Chicomexochitl ceremony.

Course materials: All students must have personal copies of the following texts:

Karttunen, Francis. 1983. An Analytical Dictionary of Nahuatl. Texas Linguistics Series. Austin: University of Texas Press. $26.95 @ amazon.com

Lockhart, James. 2001. Nahuatl as Written. Lessons in Older Written Nahuatl, with Copious Examples and Texts. Stanford: Stanford University Press. $25.43 @ amazon.com

Molina, Alonso de. 1977(1555-1571). Vocabulario en lengua castellana y mexicana y mexicana y castellana. Colección “Biblioteca Porrúa” 44. México: Porrúa. $25 (The work is out of print, so a bound photocopy can be purchased at the Institute).

Two weeks before class begins students will be sent, free of charge, electronic copies of the exercise manuals, grammar charts, vocabulary lists and manuscripts which will be studied.

Funding availability: CLAIS and its partners make every effort to ensure that financial constraints are not an obstacle for participating in the Summer Nahuatl Language program. Financial aid is available to graduate students in the form of FLAS fellowships through your own institution or CLAIS at Yale. Undergraduates may be eligible for partial scholarships. Once paid, tuition is non-refundable.

For more information, contact Jean Silk at jean.silk@yale.edu or by phone at 203/432-3420 or John Sullivan at idiez@me.com or by phone at +52 (492) 925-3415.

To Register for the course, go to Yale Summer Sessions online at http://www.yale.edu/summer/. Please also contact Jean Silk, Assistant Chair, Council on Latin American and Iberian Studies, Yale University, PO Box 208206, New Haven, CT 06520-8206 to inform CLAIS that you are planning to enroll in the course.

We anticipate offering Nahuatl language courses during the academic year through distance learning. Interested students should contact Thomas Trebat (tt2166@columbia.edu) or Jean Silk (jean.silk@yale.edu) for further information.