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 (the total native speakers of all varieties of Maya are as many as 6 million), the vast majority of whom are to be found on the Yucatán Peninsula(Southeast Mexico and its neighboring countries like Guatemala, Belize). It remains common in Yucatán and in the adjacent states of Quintana Roo and Campeche.
Maya is taught regularly at IU through the Center for Latin America & Caribbean Studies (CLACS). IU coursework includes Beginning (LTAM M-101 and M-102) and Intermediate (LTAM M-201 and M-202) levels. 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. Additional resources are available here on CELT website.
The US Department of Education offers Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships grants to study Indigenous and Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTL). The Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships program provides allocations of academic year and summer fellowships to institutions of higher education or consortia of institutions of higher education to assist meritorious undergraduate students and graduate students undergoing training in modern foreign languages and related area or international studies.
