Spanish and Maya Immersion in Mexico
Na’atik Language and Culture Institute has scooped an international award for its Maya and Spanish immersion Mexico program. The school has won a Community Choice Award from GoOverseas, an online guide to thousands of study abroad programs worldwide.
Na’atik has been recognized from 10,000 schools globally for supporting students on site during their language immersion experience.
Na’atik’s Director and Founder, Catherine Gray said: “We pride ourselves on providing excellent support to all of our students. Our philosophy is to teach real-life, communicative language skills in a student-centered environment. We help our students to continue learning and growing outside the classroom.
“Whether our students are coming as a group or traveling alone, our staff is on hand to give advice, make recommendations and ensure that they are getting the most out of their Maya or Spanish immersion Mexico experience.”
Maya immersion
Furthermore, the institute is also one of the few places in the world to offer Maya language immersion and has seen an increase in the number of foreign students studying it.
For example, this January, for the third year running, Na’atik hosted a student group from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. As Spanish speakers with Latino heritage, the John Jay students visited the school to study Maya. They learned about the history and modern culture of the Yucatan Peninsula’s indigenous residents.
Speaking about his experience, John Jay student Santos Garcia Avelar, said: “We learn Maya in class, we go on the trips and we learn about the ruins and the history. Then we come home to our homestay families and we learn about the community. The learning never really stops. And if you engage with the homestay families, they really open up to you. Then you get to know about their lives. I think that is a key component of the program.”
Santos enjoying a day out at Chacchoben as part of his Maya immersion experience
Above all, the school also teaches local children, teenagers and adults to learn English. Na'atik is dedicated to sustainability and its community. The school is fully solar and reinvests ten percent of its revenue to subsidize its English language program for students in Felipe Carrillo Puerto.
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.