John Jay Chapters: Adrialisa on learning Maya in Quintana Roo, Mexico

Kuxtal ich mayao’ob tin kaambal mayaa taan Quintana Roo, Mexico (learning Maya in Quintana Roo, Mexico)

All my life I have had a passion to travel the world and explore the history of different countries and what better way to start my journey than to go to Mexico and learn the Mayan language and history. I am a student from John Jay college, my major is Criminal Justice and a pursuing two minors: Law and Latino/Latina Studies. Fourteen days ago, I arrived at a town called Felipe Carrillo Puerto in Quintana Roo, Mexico as part of Study Abroad Program from John Jay College. Quintana Roo, especially its people, is beautiful and charming. My excursion through Quintana Roo has been wonderful; I have visited different important places where you can appreciate the Maya traits. Also, I have been learning the Maya language at Na'atik school. Also, I met Linda, my beautiful and admirable Maya teacher, her name defines her perfectly. Interacting with authentic Maya from the region and learning from their language has been a unique experience.

I must admit that learning the Maya language is very difficult, I believe that the Maya language does not resemble any language in the world. However, I think that is what makes it more interesting, its authenticity. The grammar of the Mayan language is very organized and requires an exceptional pronunciation. I have learned a lot of the language, sometimes I even had small conversations. But it has been a great challenge for me to pronounce the words with the apostrophes, for example: k ', J'. According to my patient teacher Linda, who cannot help but laugh to see me struggling to pronounce the K' and the J', the pronunciation requires a lot of practice, and eventually I will learn it. Unfortunately, the time has come to leave Quintana Roo. I'm leaving with nice memories. Definitely, I will come back and I will learn the Maya language.I must admit that learning the Maya language is very difficult, I believe that the Maya language does not resemble any language in the world. However, I think that is what makes it more interesting, its authenticity. The grammar of the Mayan language is very organized and requires an exceptional pronunciation. I have learned a lot of the language, sometimes I even had small conversations. But it has been a great challenge for me to pronounce the words with the apostrophes, for example: k ', J'. According to my patient teacher Linda, who cannot help but laugh to see me struggling to pronounce the K' and the J', the pronunciation requires a lot of practice, and eventually I will learn it. Unfortunately, the time has come to leave Quintana Roo. I'm leaving with nice memories. Definitely, I will come back and I will learn the Maya language.

This blog is part of a series from the 

John Jay

 students who visited 

Na’atik

 in January of 2018. They came for two weeks to learn about Maya history and modern Maya culture in Mexico. Be sure to look at the other blogs in the series where they share reflections on their time spent in and around Felipe Carrillo Puerto. You can also find some great pictures of their trip over at our 

Facebook page

.

If you would like to read more about Mexican culture, history, cuisine and language, check out our blog page for our latest monthly articles. You can also sign up to our newsletter to receive these straight to your inbox along with the latest news about our non-profit school for local and Indigenous students in Felipe Carrillo Puerto. 

The best way to experience the Mexican lifestyle is in person, with a Na’atik Immersion experience. Not only do you live with a local Mexican-Maya family, sharing home-cooked meals and free time, but also receive expert instruction in your chosen language at our school. Best of all, every immersion experience helps fund our subsidized and free local education program, helping local students to access opportunities and make their own futures.

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John Jay Chapters: Gina's Journey