Maya
Indiana University offers Maya at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. The instructor, CLACS senior lecturer Quetzil Castañeda, brings to the classroom over 20 years of research experience with the Maya, which enables him to offer in-depth instruction in Mayan history and culture as well. Ethnographic films are used to discuss cultural norms and ways of living among the Maya.
Courses are simultaneously taught at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The core reading materials are comprised of the "Spoken Yucatec Maya Language Lesson Book" prepared at the University of Chicago. Additional readings include the book "Maya Verbs" by Victoria Bricker and Refugio Vermont Salas, which provides complete conjugation models for all types of verbs and a dictionary of core verbs. Additional materials include dictionaries and published and unpublished explanations of grammar and verb models, socio-linguistics, etc. It is helpful, but not required, to know Spanish to take Maya language courses.
