Q: Does the Latin American Studies program teach Spanish?
A: No. All Spanish language classes at SDSU are taught by the Department of Spanish and Portuguese.

Q: How much Spanish do I have to take to get my BA or MA?
A: The catalog description of the BA and MA programs is quite specific on this point and you should refer to them. One of the most valuable opportunities available to students in LAS is language acquisition. Very few things in your undergraduate or graduate studies are more valuable than the opportunity to become fluent or nearly fluent in Spanish and/or Portuguese. You should view the unit requirement as a bare minimum.

Q: If I take the required courses in Spanish, will I be fluent?
A: No. You need more units and you need to spend a summer or semester in a Spanish speaking country. Everyone is different, however, and even this amount of effort may not get you to fluency, although you will be able to communicate easily.

Q: How do I arrange to study Spanish or Portuguese in Latin America?
A: See your advisor and the webpages on study abroad.

Q: SDSU’s Center for Latin American Studies also offers Mixtec. What is Mixtec and why would someone want to learn it?
A: SDSU’s CLAS has the only Mixtec classes in the United States. In addition, it offers a study abroad summer experience in Oaxaca, Mexico, where Mixtec is still spoken. Most Mixtec speakers live in the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, and many have migrated to the United States. California has many Mixtec speaking communities, including neighborhoods in San Diego, Madera County, Los Angeles, and the Salinas Valley. Social service providers, hospitals, schools, and other institutions need Mixtec speakers.

Q: What is the summer intensive language program in Oaxaca?
A: The summer program focuses on Mixtec. CLAS will add a Spanish intensive component in the near future, with an emphasis on the cultures and history of Oaxaca. MA students wanting to attend are eligible to apply for a summer Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship if they concentrate on Mixtec.

Q: Besides Oaxaca, are there any other summer intensive language courses sponsored by Latin American Studies?
A: Yes. A program in La Paz, Mexico, focuses on language acquisition and the human and natural histories of the Baja peninsula. A program in Cartago, Cost Rica, focuses on language and the modern political history and political economy of Central America, especially Costa Rica.

Q: When do these programs take place:
A: La Paz will run from May 24, 2004, through June 18 (4 weeks). Cartago (Costa Rica) will run approximately the same dates, although it will probably start 1-2 weeks later. Oaxaca runs from mid-June through the beginning of August (6 weeks).

Q: Are the summer language programs expensive?
A: No. They are not free, but the cost is well below comparable programs offered through nearly all other sources. Program costs vary because the number of weeks varies and the costs of providing the program varies. In general, if you live with a family, you can expect to spend around $400 per month for a room and 1-2 meals per day. Private apartments are more once food is included. Transportation costs depend on whether you leave from San Diego or Tijuana, and where you are going ($300 to $800 for round trip airfare). The cost of the classes and field trips varied between $800 and $2,000 in 2003. Registration fees at SDSU were additional, and incidentals (phoning home, local transportation, meals, etc.) were between $500-$1,000 per month.

Q: Is there financial assistance available for the summer language programs?
A: Yes, although this varies from year to year. The Office of International Programs offered a large number of partial scholarships in 2003 (about 15 to students in the three programs sponsored by LAS). In addition, the Center for Latin American Studies provided most attendees of the Oaxaca program a scholarship, and the Foreign Language and Area Studies fellowships covered the complete cost of the Oaxaca program for about 4 students, all in 2003.