Mayan Language Institute
The Mayan Language Institute is a 6-week program designed to train students in either Kaqchikel or K’iche’ Maya, two of the most widely-spoken Mayan languages in Iximulew (Guatemala) today. Thanks to the collaboration between faculty at Tulane University’s Stone Center for Latin American Studies, Vanderbilt University, the University of Kansas and Maya teachers in Iximulew, participants can study at the beginning, intermediate, or advanced levels of either language. The program’s highly individualized classes combine language immersion activities, lectures, one-on-one conversations, guest speakers and cultural excursions. The intensive nature of these classes, combined with students’ daily immersion in Maya communities, enables them to enhance their language skills rapidly while interacting with the Indigenous peoples that sustain them.
Kujch’aw pa K’iche’– Hablemos en K’iche’
These language classes are run by K’iche’ linguist Vianna González Ajiataz alongside other language teachers. They offer K’iche’ classes online at multiple levels for a fee of $Q 250, approximately $35 dollars for a total of 20 hours of language exposure over an 8-week period. The classes are completely online from Guatemala, meaning students must speak Spanish to receive classes. “Monolingüe” refers to monolingual Spanish speakers and “bilingüe” refers to bilingual Spanish/K’iche’ speakers, meaning English/Spanish speakers fall into the “monolingüe” category. Classes are offered in the Spring and Fall but the best way to find out about the specific start and end days is to email Vianna at escuelaidiomakujchaw@gmail.com.
Self-guided Beginner to Advanced Online Course (open access)
University of Texas at Austin
This open access, online resource was collaboratively created by graduate students, professors, and instructors of K’iche’ based at UT Austin, Vanderbilt University, and in Nahualá, Guatemala. The course focuses on oral fluency, grammar, and reading skills in the Nahualá variety of K’iche’. There are 41 easy to navigate lessons that range from beginner phonetics to more advanced topics.