Yucatec Maya (known simply as "Maya" to its speakers) is the most commonly spoken Mayan language in Mexico. It is currently spoken by approximately 800,000 people (with the total number of native speakers for all varieties of Maya being as many as 6 million), the vast majority of whom are to be found on the Yucatán Peninsula.
Maya is taught regularly at Indiana University through the Center for Latin America & Caribbean Studies (CLACS), with four semesters of study regularly available. The Maya courses focus on communicative proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Our Maya courses provide an introduction to the cultural traditions and historical contexts of Maya society that allow students to enter into their unique linguistic world view and ways of understanding reality.
