Mexico

Spanish Language & Latin American Culture and Society

Program

About Oaxaca

Courses

Faculty

Accommodation

Field Trips

Cost

Calendar

Eligibility

Application Deadline

PROGRAM

The Temple in Mexico summer program is designed for students at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels of Spanish who are interested in perfecting their language skills in an immersion setting, while discovering the richness of everyday Mexican culture. The program is based at the Instituto Cultural Oaxaca in the state of Oaxaca, one of the most culturally significant regions of Mexico. The program is comprised of coursework in the Spanish language, literature, and political and cultural studies taught by native Spanish-speaking professors and by Temple University faculty, Silvia Álvarez-Olarra and Deborah Augsburger. Students enroll for a total of six or seven credits: three/four credits of language and three credits of literature/social studies.

ABOUT OAXACA

Oaxaca is located in the southeast of the country. It is bordered in the north by Puebla and Veracruz, in the south by the Pacific Ocean, to the east by Chiapas and on the west by Guerrero. The state of Oaxaca is the most complete tourist destination in the country. In this vast area -more than 93,000 square kilometers-, you will find beaches, mountains, forest and valleys; pre-Columbian archeological sites, colonial architecture, all the conveniences of the modern world, century old traditions, and endless folklore.

The strong presence of indigenous people is manifested in 16 different groups who speak over 14 languages and 90 dialects; in the eight regions (Valles Centrales, Sierra Norte, Sierra Sur, Cañada, Costa, Mixteca, región del Papaloápam and Istmo de Tehuantepec) that divide the territory of the state are located the Mixtec and the Zapotec cultures, the foundation of the most developed civilization of pre-Columbian America.

As the administrative, commercial, and cultural center of the state, the capital of Oaxaca is a lively and vigorous city with a population of approximately 300,000. In it you will find Mexico's most splendid churches, some of its finest museums, and dozens of well preserved municipal and religious buildings from the colonial era. Beside the beauty and harmony of its architecture, Oaxaca owes its fame to the richness of its cultural traditions, the wide variety of its typical foods, and its temperate climate, spring-like throughout the year. The city houses pre-Hispanic and colonial treasures unparalleled in Mesoamerica, and the area around Oaxaca city is rich with archaeological sites, of which about 800 have been surveyed. Some of the area's main attractions are the majestic sites of Monte Albán, Mitla, and Yagul.

TOP

COURSES

The academic program is comprised of courses in Spanish language, literature and Latin American studies. Students choose two of three courses offered, one of which must be the appropriate level of Spanish language study. Students may then choose as their second course either Spanish 3002/4183 or Latin American Studies 22361/Anthropology 2361 , depending on their interest and level of Spanish.

Language classes are given mornings, Monday through Friday, from 9am to 12pm at the Instituto Cultural Oaxaca by native Spanish-speaking professors, and are designed to improve the students' understanding of Spanish and to strengthen their speaking and writing skills. A placement exam will be given upon arrival in Oaxaca, to determine the appropriate Spanish language level.  Depending on background and proficiency, students are placed into one of the following: Spanish 1001: Basic I (4 cr); Spanish 1002: Basic II (4 cr); Spanish 1003: Intermediate I (3 cr); Spanish 2001: Conversational Review (3 cr); or Spanish 3001: Advanced Composition and Conversation (3 cr).

In the afternoons, students take either a Mexican culture course (Latin American Studies 2361/Anthropology 2361) or a Mexican literature course (Spanish 3002/4183). They also have the opportunity to participate in any of the workshops offered by the Instituto Cultural Oaxaca. Some of the workshops scheduled for the summer include cooking, pottery, salsa dance, Mexican music, Mexican art, conversation, and backstrap weaving.

Spanish 3002: Hispanic Readings II/Spanish 4183: Directed Readings (3 cr)
Themes in Mexican culture in the context of short prose readings, including the short story and the short novel. Emphasis on tools for analytical reading: vocabulary recognition, comprehension of idiomatic expressions, and knowledge of advanced grammar. Includes writing and oral discussion. Taught in Spanish.

Latin American Studies 2361/Anthropology 2361: Peoples of Latin America (3 cr)
Oaxaca has long attracted anthropologists, tourists, and others with its diverse communities and their ongoing histories of continuity and adaptation. This course will explore the cultural diversity of Oaxaca from an anthropological perspective, using readings and the unique opportunities afforded by the city and nearby communities to explore issues such as: social inequality; continuity and change in indigenous communities; religion and social relations; tourism and the marketing of culture; and the impact of migration. Taught in English.

FACULTY

Silvia Álvarez-Olarra, who will teach Spanish 3002/4183, is a professor of Spanish at Temple University. Her areas of specialization include contemporary and modern Mexican literature. She is currently writing her dissertation on 20th century Mexican poetry.

Deborah Augsburger, who will teach Peoples of Latin America, is a professor of Anthropology at Temple University. She received her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, and did her dissertation research on cultural transmission, identity and language in an indigenous Zapotec community in the Isthmus region of Oaxaca. She has been visiting Oaxaca for nearly 15 years.

TOP

ACCOMMODATION

For further immersion in Spanish and to develop an appreciation of everyday life in Mexico, students are lodged with local families, allowing for both exposure and the practice of Spanish skills. Participants have single rooms, two meals a day, and the opportunity to continually practice what they have learned while experiencing daily Mexican life.

Field trips

On weekends in Oaxaca, students are provided with the opportunity to experience today’s indigenous culture outside the city. Weekend tours, led by a bilingual guide, visit archaeological sites, indigenous markets and artisan villages around the central valley of Oaxaca. Some of the destinations include Monte Albán, Mitla, Teotitlán, Tule and the waterfall of Hierve el Agua.

COST

*Please note that this fee is based on last year’s costs and will be updated.

The Mexico fee includes housing and two meals a day in Oaxaca. Students must also budget money for round-trip airfare from the United States to Oaxaca, estimated at $700-900; one meal a day in Oaxaca (about $10 a day); personal expenses (about $125-250 per week); health insurance; recommended immunizations; and the International Student Identity Card (currently $22).

2008 CALENDAR (Summer I)

Dates are tentative and subject to change

ELIGIBILITY

Please see General Summer Information for program eligibility and application requirements that apply to all programs.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 15

For more information, contact Silvia Álvarez-Olarra, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, Temple University, 215-204-5952, salvarez@temple.edu