Nahuatl clases in Zacatecas

[John Sullivan]

    Mexican public education offers a low-cost alternative to studying
náhuatl at Yale or Mexican private institutes. The following is a brief
description of what we do during the normal school year (February-June, and
August-December) at the Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas.
    I have designed a two trimester sequence of Spoken Huastecan Nahuatl
through the university Language Center. It is based on the (antiquated, I
know) methodology I learned while working as a Spanish TA for Stephen
Krashen at the University of Southern California, and Tracy Terrel at the
University of California, San Diego. There is no grammar, translation, books
or writing. No Spanish (or English) is allowed in the classroom. Just pure
spoken náhuatl from day one. There is lots of TPR and close daily
interaction with native speakers. The next sesion begins around mid March.
    I also teach an ongoing workshop in transcription and translation of
colonial náhuatl documents through the History Ph.D. program, where I am a
professor.
    The U.A.Z. is one of the few Mexican public universities that is
actively resisting the trend to raise tuition in Mexico. The current total
cost for taking both of these courses (Modern and Classical Nahuatl) for a
trimester is under 500 pesos (it doesn't matter where you are from).
    We are planning to start intensive courses during the vacation months
(January and July). They would cost a little more (to pay the teachers), but
then again, it wouldn't be more than 2000 pesos. I'll send more information
on this later.
    If anybody has questions, feel free to contact me:
John Sullivan, Ph.D.
Doctorado en Historia
Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas
jsullivan at prodigy.net.mx
(4) 922-9848 (office phone and fax)