Aims

The basic aim of the Maryknoll Language Institute is primarily to assist Church personnel in the acquisition of communicative proficiency in language skills in the context of mission.

Students are also given a basic understanding of and an appreciation for the people and cultures of Latin America. An on-going Orientation Program familiarizes them with the pastoral vision of recent Church documents of the Latin American Episcopal Conference, as does a series of conferences on similarly related topics. Specialists in the field of linguistics, Latin American history and culture, Base Christian communities, the role of women, and other relevant topics provide rich insights into the reality of Latin America. Students are encouraged to participate in the liturgical life of the Institute, in Pastoral Theological Reflection groups, and regularly scheduled social events. They are also encouraged to become involved with local people and pastoral situations such as: orphans, street children and the homeless mothers of Cochabamba.

Method

• Communicative Method
• Combination of small groups, learning pairs and individual tutoring
• Conversation classes with a focus on natural concerns and mission
• Spanish for special purposes: (Medical Spanish, Spanish for Community Builders, Ecclesial and Pastoral Spanish, etc.)

Our Staff consists of

• A team of qualified people with practical mission experience and academic credentials in Latin American affairs, mission theology, counseling, linguistics and language teaching.
• A group of well trained Bolivian language instructors, equipped to teach Spanish, Quechua and Aymara, many of whom have more than twenty-five years of teaching experience.

Course schedules

Basic Courses in Spanish, Aymara and Quechua cover a period of 22 weeks (including a week of basic orientation and testing, as well as a week for rest and travel.) These Programs begin in January and July each year.

Intermediate and Advanced programs of six weeks length are scheduled six times each year. In some instances, two such programs can be taken in succession for a total of 12 weeks.

Students receive four classes each day with an additional language laboratory session scheduled for each student.

Living Quarters/Housing

Students live with Bolivian families or with local religious communities (Brothers, Sisters and priests) in which Spanish is spoken. The Institute maintains a list of qualified families accustomed to dealing with language learners. The Institute staff can help students in making arrangements with those families. For a student, the cost of lodging with a family is US$ 270.00 per month. For missionary families, special arrangements can be made.

Location

Cochabamba, Bolivia, in the heart of Latin America, is an ideal setting for language learning and the introduction to the cultures of Latin America. Set in a fertile valley and surrounded by the majestic Andes mountains, Cochabamba has roots reaching back in time to the Inca civilization, blended with the Spanish colonial style. Both the indigenous and Hispanic cultures exist side by side in modern Cochabamba.