SUMMER SEMINAR IN MEXICO FOR SPANISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS
2008 PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT
Application (This is a pdf file you will need Acrobat Reader)
Observations and comments by previous participants
I. LOCATION. OIC’s 2008 Summer Seminar for Spanish Teachers will take place from July 3 (Thursday) through August 1(Friday) in Puebla, Mexico, at the English/Español Training Center (ETC), a private educational institution which has hosted this program annually since 1995. The Seminar program includes intensive instruction in Spanish and teaching methods, numerous field trips in and near the city, as well as a three-day tour of Mexico City, and additional travel options. Puebla, a city of some 4 million people, two hours from Mexico City, lies apart from the usual tourist routes and combines the moderate climate of Mexico's central highlands with clean air, magnificent scenery, and many examples of pre-Columbian, Hispanic and Modern Mexican culture. Program details are as follows.
II. ACADEMIC CONTENT
The classroom program will begin with a special and intensive pre-seminar placement evaluation, conducted on July 5, following Independence Day observance on the 4th. It will also include:
a. language instruction - 80 hours at levels (up to 7) appropriate to participant needs, combining speech practice with structural analysis and vocabulary development, based on a multi-level text, Loteria, developed by school director Mtra. Bertha Loya.
b. language teaching applications - 20+ hours of instruction and consultation, emphasizing communicative proficiency, designed to meet needs for levels K-16, with Seminar Director Anne Mueller as instructor.
Faculty. ETC is directed by Mtra.. Bertha Loya-Martinez, formerly Director of International Programs at the University of the Americas (where she received an MA on the teaching of Spanish as a second language). She has extensive experience teaching both English and Spanish to non-native speakers. Language classes are taught by native speakers of Spanish, many holding advanced degrees from Mexican and/or US universities, and with specific training in language instruction methods and procedures.
Anne Mueller, who has led the OIC Seminar for Spanish Teachers since it was initiated in 1995, has taught Spanish at elementary, high school, university, and continuing education levels and is widely known for her work in language teaching and assessment methodology, as well as for keen insights into inter-cultural communication issues, and ways to teach cultural content in beginning language classes. (Participants in pat seminars have said: “Anne is the element that glues it all together” and “...her attentiveness to the participants as individuals and to the diverse details of the program make the difference between a seminar that is “satisfactory” and one that is “outstanding.”). She provides a wide variety of educational ideas, with practical examples in teaching for communicative proficiency, and in developing classroom applications that build on the unusually extensive Mexican experience the Seminar offers.
Books: Spanish Language texts, and materials for the methodology course, will be provided by ETC and OIC. Additional recommended texts for language teaching methods are: Curtain and Pesola, Languages and Children: Making the Match; and Hadley, Teaching Language in Context, which participants may want to obtain before traveling to Mexico.
III. IMMERSION IN MEXICAN CULTURE will take place as follows:
1. Living in the homes of host families, selected by ETC on the basis of many years’ experience in acquainting Americans with every-day Mexican life.
2. Daytime field trips for all participants in:
a. downtown Puebla, one of Mexico's oldest Hispanic cities;
b. the pre-Columbian religious center of Cholula (5 miles away); c. many other immersions in Mexico's rich and complex cultural traditions (pre-Colombian and Hispanic), and modern Mexico, ranging from the Cinco de Mayo memorial to Puebla industrial plants, as well as the ancient and modern communities of Cacaxtla and Tlaxcala.
3. Out-of-school assignments involving transactions in Spanish in Mexican society, and during field trips to significant cultural sites as described above.
4. Special July 4 Observance.
5. Mexico City Tour. The weekend of July 18-20 will be spent in the Mexico City, visiting, among other locations: a) Teotihuacan, one of the most impressive archeological sites in Mesoamerica; b) The historic downtown of Mexico City, which will give participants an artist’s vision of the Great City of Tenochititlan, as well as the Templo Mayor and the world-famous Museum of Anthropology; c) The murals of Diego Rivera in the Palacio Nacional, The Frida Kahlo Museum, and other locales which provide more contemporary insights; d) the Ballet Folklorico which offers a history of Mexico in dance and music.
(Note: Mexico City, one of the world’s largest urban metropolises, is also one of the most troubled, politically and socially. While it can present security problems, participants in previous OIC programs who have adhered to procedures recommended during a special briefing have had no difficulty, while some others have encountered instances of theft and illness.)
5. Optional Weekend excursions. These trips (scheduled for the weekends of July 11-13 and July 25-27) provide opportunities to experience other locations of importance in understanding Mexico’s complex culture. They involve additional costs, and will require sufficient enrollment to make them economically feasible. All weekend excursion plans listed are preliminary, subject to confirmation in Spring 2008 or as situations develop. Registration after the deadline (to be determined) may involve extra costs, or space may not be available, so you are advised to select your options well before departure from the US. Costs cited include transportation, hotel (double occupancy), and guided tours; meals not included.
Oaxaca - (July 11-13) In Oaxaca travelers will experience some of the finest examples of Mexico’s ancient cultures, its Colonial history, its arts and crafts, and food. The city itself, and visits to the Zapotec ruins at Monte Alban and Mitla, the Tule Tree, and a Weavers’ Village, offer first hand exposure to the cultural breadth and depth of pre-Columbian Mexico, as well as some of the variety of Hispanic and contemporary life styles. Cost (in advance) - $355.
Taxco/Cuernavaca (July 25-27) - These picturesque mountain towns display Mexico’s colonial heritage, including the Cortez Hacienda/Museum, silver mines and workshops, and a famous cathedral. Cost (in advance) - $355. Veracruz (July 25-27 - alternate option to Taxco/Cuernavaca - $380)
IV. ELIGIBILITY. The seminar, although designed for Spanish teachers, is open to any adult who wants to learn Spanish, and to children of participants. A modest discount is provided for accompanying family members. We regret that we cannot accommodate minors not accompanied by at least one parent.
V. COSTS. Registration fee - $2,600 for 4 weeks, $1,850 for 2 weeks - covers instruction as described above, room, board, local field trips, and bus travel from Mexico City airport to Puebla and return, and the weekend in Mexico City. NOT included in the costs listed above are: international travel to and from Mexico City, weekend tours other than Mexico City, OSU credit fees, and incidentals such as laundry, tips, and daily travel from homestay to ETC.
Accompanying adults attending classes should plan to pay as follows: 4 wks - $2,450; 2 wks - $1,750; costs for children will be determined according to individual needs for schooling, daycare, etc. For other special arrangements please consult OIC.
VI. UNIVERSITY CREDIT. This program has been approved by Oregon State University for Professional Development (808) credits in Spanish, offering 10 quarter credits for the 4-week program and 5 quarter credits for the 2-week option. Cost is projected at $575 for ten credits and $350 for five credits, including OSU charges and an OIC handling fee. Currently registered students at OSU may be exempt from a portion of the fees - see registration form for details. Credit will require: a) evidence of measurable progress in Spanish language proficiency on the basis of before and after assessments; and b) a preliminary outline of a teaching unit complying with the proficiency-oriented standards on which the methodology course is based. While the program is designed primarily for educators, others may be able to receive credit on the basis of language learning and appropriate applications relating to their professional needs.
VII. APPLICATION AND DEADLINE: Please send your completed registration to OIC, PO Box 111, Salem OR 97308-0111, with a deposit of $300 to guarantee space. Each application must include four pages - Parts A, B, C & D. NOTE: In order to conduct this seminar, OIC must have received a minimum of 15 registrations, with deposits, by April 15, 2008. If that minimum is not reached by that date all deposits will be returned. Assuming that this threshold is attained, later applications will be accepted as space permits.
Application (This is a pdf file you will need Acrobat Reader)
KEY LOGISTIC INFORMATION
A. TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS. Participants should plan to arrive at Mexico City airport by 5PM on Thursday, July 3. They will be met there by OIC and/or ETC personnel, and provided with bus transportation to ETC in Puebla (about 2 hours’ bus ride), where they will meet their host families. The weekend will include a special July 4 celebration, and important language placement testing and orientation activities on Saturday and Sunday, so timely arrival will be important. Classes will start Monday morning. Further details will be provided on receipt of your application, or in response to questions by email, phone, fax, or USPS. Departure plans should provide for departure from Mexico City on or after mid-day on Saturday, August 3, for 4-week participants, or on or after Monday afternoon, July 21, for two-week participants. (Those staying after the designated departure date will be responsible for any additional accommodations required.)
B. DOCUMENTATION: Passports. All participants should obtain a United States Passport (unless they are not U.S. Citizens in which case special travel documentation will be necessary - see below). See <www.state.gov> for details on documentation procedures, or consult the US Postal Service for Passport Information. Mexican visas will NOT be needed for this trip.
Participants who are NOT United States citizens must make their own arrangements with the US Department of Homeland Security to provide for return to the United States, and may need a special visa. Permanent Residents of the US who are not US citizens must take their ORIGINAL permanent residence authorizations (Green Cards), to present to immigration authorities ON RETURN to the U.S. Failure to meet this documentation requirement can result in denial of entry onto the return flight, or deportation from the U.S. on arrival! No Kidding!
Minors NOT ACCOMPANIED BY BOTH PARENTS must have notarized authorization from the absent parent to leave the United States and go to Mexico. (Form available from OIC on request.)
C. MONETARY NEEDS. The registration fee covers: language and methods instruction and materials, room and board with a host family in Puebla, round trip from Mexico City airport, local field trips, and the weekend tour in Mexico City.
The following expenses are NOT included in your registration fee:
1) Laundry and other incidentals. Your host may have household employees, who would expect to be paid for this work; other hosts may recommend a local laundry service.
2) Transportation between the homestay location and school. Some homes may be in walking distance of the school but we cannot guarantee this and definitions of walking distance vary. You should probably allow $3 to $6 per day for this purpose, depending on whether taxi-sharing is feasible.
3) Restaurant meals during the Mexico City tour. There may also be other occasions when you prefer to dine out, and you should plan on that contingency. Meal costs in restaurants with good sanitary conditions will probably be similar to what you would expect to pay at a moderate-priced restaurant in the U.S.
4) Gratuities to baggage handlers, tour bus drivers and guides, household employees and others as appropriate. These indications of appreciation for personal services are customary in Mexico and will help in making your stay pleasant and satisfying, so we hope you will be prepared to meet this expectation.
5) Emergency medical expenses. All participants - please bring $200 in cash-card or travelers’ checks to cover emergency medical expenses. Many insurance programs provide coverage only on a reimbursable basis, and credit cards may or may not be acceptable for this purpose. (Please see note on Trip Insurance, below). Many hospitals, as well as stores, do not accept credit cards, while others may add a surcharge for their use.
6) Optional weekend tours to Oaxaca (July 11-13), and to Vera Cruz or Taxco/Cuernavaca, July 25-26. ETC fees will cover transportation, hotel room and tours including guide. All meals, with tips, will be extra.
7) Other purchases. Many teachers find that authentic teaching materials and high quality artistic items justify an additional investment. Some bring an extra suitcase for this purpose and perhaps another $200 or so, although this is a purely personal decision.
8) Oregon State University fees (as outlined in Section VI, above).
D. INSURANCE: You need to be sure that your medical insurance is valid for costs incurred in Mexico, and to have travelers checks or some other cash-source on hand for emergency needs. Many facilities in Mexico require immediate payment, which may be reimbursed to you by your insurance company, but they will not accept assignment of the costs for later payment.
E. HOMESTAYS: A “homestay” means living as a paying guest in somebody's home. ETC works hard to find host families that match your preferences while providing good learning opportunities. However, Mexican culture and life styles differ from ours, and from each other, and Mexicans are individuals just as we are, so every home is different and some may be more satisfactory than others. Some problems which could seriously affect the value of the program to the participant, and should be brought promptly to the attention of the Project staff, include following:
a. There should be a maximum of two foreign guests in any home where participants are assigned. Host families are asked to help in the learning process. However, a few hosts turn out to be more interested in income than in helping their guests to learn, or they may lack the understanding necessary to perform their expected roles. Please be sure to inform the Seminar Director promptly if you encounter this kind of situation
b. Most homes are clean and well cared for but conservation of electricity, water and paper occurs at levels most North Americans consider restrictive. Please inform the Seminar Director if you find this to be a problem.
c. Vegetarian meals and smoke-free environments are not common in Mexico and ETC may not be able to guarantee them. Please be as flexible as you can on these issues - and be sure to inform OIC, on the Homestay Request Form, of the limits within which you believe you must remain.
d. While many teachers would like to be in homes with children, most hosts are only able to accommodate you because their children have grown and flown.
e. Travel time between home and school sometimes becomes a problem, especially when the long mid-day break, which is customary in Mexico, conflicts with late afternoon and evening program activities. We work with ETC to minimize this problem, but participants often find it worthwhile to incur the expense of an occasional mid-day meal at a restaurant near the school, or to hire a taxi at $2-3 per trip.
f. Host families will provide packed lunches on excursion days, but may need to be reminded of this need the day before.
Important other factors to bear in mind:
1) When listing your homestay preferences on Part D of the Application please give careful thought to conditions you regard as crucial; i.e. - would you prefer not to go if your expectations could not be met? Indicate also the preferences you are willing to sacrifice if need be.
2) To benefit fully from this program, you must show some flexibility as well as judgment in drawing on the experience of others.
3) If, taking into account # 1 & 2 above, you find a problem which endangers your health or interferes seriously with the learning benefits you hoped for, PLEASE INFORM THE SEMINAR DIRECTOR IMMEDIATELY. Many misunderstandings can be resolved if attended to early. Others may require relocation, which could take time to arrange. OIC and ETC will help you as we can IF you tell us of the problem; ON THE OTHER HAND - if you don’t, we can’t. Complaining after the event when you have not raised the issue with the seminar director will mean you benefit less than you should from the program, but will elicit little sympathy if you did not act when you could.
F. HEALTH ISSUES. Mexico is a nation with sharp contrasts of modern and traditional living conditions, wide disparities of wealth and poverty, and standards of safety and sanitation that differ from those expected in the United States. Visitors MUST plan to take precautions, with possessions and health, which might not be required at home. Do not expect street hazards to be marked or fenced. Backpacks should be worn in front. Consult with hosts on times and places to avoid in cities and in the countryside as well; and observe the following special health advisory so that your brief visit is not spoiled by contending with illness.
1) Make sure your medical insurance will cover you in Mexico, and find out how it will work. (See Application, Part A.) Many plans operate overseas on a reimbursement basis; one of the major credit cards may be valuable for this purpose, BUT ... experience indicates that credit cards do not always work and many Mexican doctors and hospitals have found them unsatisfactory. Therefore - all seminar participants are asked PLEASE to carry with them $200 in travelers checks or a cash-card for use in medical emergencies. Costs of special travel assistance required by health problems will also be up to the individual.
2) Be sure to use purified water for drinking, tooth-brushing or any similar purpose. One lapse from this precept may result in days or weeks of illness or discomfort.
3) Raw foods are not recommended. Even fresh fruit that can be peeled may require special treatment. Most cooked foods are safe but you need to be careful of hamburger or any other meat that might be the least bit rare. Do not drink un-boiled water or beverages with ice in them, except at high class restaurants and hotels (where it is not a breach of etiquette to ask about purified water), or in the homes of your host family. (Purified water is part of the lodging agreement, but you should also seek reassurance on this point). Beware of pulque or other home-brew beverages which, experience indicates, are prime growing media for e.coli and various parasites.
4) Many travelers take a supply of Handi-wipes to clean their hands, tops of soft-drink cans, fruit before peeling, etc; bottles of water-free sanitizing solution can also be useful.
5) Even with these precautions, diarrhea is a frequent complaint and Pepto-Bismol tablets or Imodium can be a reassuring companion. Please note, however that these symptomatic treatments cannot be depended on for dealing with a serious infection, and the first few uncomfortable hours can also help in the long run by getting rid of the infection source. So - you SHOULD NOT self-medicate without consulting seminar staff, as over-medication can also present problems. You may want to consult your doctor on remedies to be carried for emergencies.
6) Take a month's supply of any prescription medicines, in the original containers, (and the prescription in case of loss or customs inquiry), as well as any cold and allergy remedies you may need. You can catch cold in the tropics and many do. SPECIAL NOTE: Participants who require regular intake of prescription medications should make a point of maintaining dosage - taking special precautions in that regard. An attack of diarrhea or vomiting can negate the effect of medication, resulting in a possibly serious relapse, so careful responses can be important.
7) Take sun screen, and a wide-brimmed hat, as high altitudes increase the risk of sunburn.
8) Also: culture shock can take a traveler unawares, and cause overreaction to simple frustrations, even with experienced travelers. Discussion with the Seminar Leader can help here as well.
PARTICIPANTS WILL FIND FURTHER INFORMATION ON THESE AND OTHER ISSUES IN A BRIEFING BOOKLET TO BE SENT TO ALL PARTICIPANTS
BEFORE DEPARTURE FOR MEXICO
G. DRESS: Mexicans expect people to dress as well as they can; not doing so can be regarded as an insult to the beholder. Casual is fine; sloppy is not. Too much bare skin, on men or women, can be taken as a come-on. Adults seldom wear shorts in public except on the tennis court. You will need good walking shoes (even in the city, where sidewalks can be uneven). You will be in Mexico during the rainy season, which means rain most afternoons, sometimes a downpour, as well as evenings that can be fairly cool, although mid-day can be 80s and 90s. Take an umbrella and a jacket as well as warm-weather clothes.
H. LUGGAGE. Travelers are allowed two suitcases as checked baggage (not to exceed 70 pounds each), plus one carry-on bag and one “personal item”. Additional bags of up to 70 pounds can usually be checked for $100 each (Portland to Mexico City), BUT, given the uncertainty of today’s world you should be sure to check all these points with the airline when buying your ticket.
I. COMMUNICATIONS. Information on host families is normally available in advance of departure and OIC will forward it to you as soon as it is received, with mailing address and telephone number. However, last minute changes can happen, and you and your family should be prepared for them.
You can probably arrange to receive long distance calls at your homestay, but do not ask to use the phone to call home. Even when the call is made “collect” the host often gets billed for it anyway. Many travelers find it useful: a) to buy a telephone card to make pre-paid calls, or: b) to arrange for a cell phone to be programmed, before departure,
to function in Mexico. ETC will provide help in an emergency, and you should leave the information below with your family for such situations. OIC will also provide assistance to the extent feasible.
Please use contact information below.
In the U.S. Oregon International Council, PO Box 111, Salem OR 97308-0111
Email: <oic@chemeketa.edu>; phone 503 584-7100; fax 503 584-7102
In Mexico Español Training Center (ETC), Calle 27 Sur No. 111,
Colonia La Paz, 72160 Puebla, Mexico
For emergencies only -
by phone: your international code, then - 52 222 230 3243
by fax: your international code, then - 52 222 248 5365
Email - Internet service is more expensive and less reliable in Mexico than in the U.S. ETC cannot allow students access through its site, but there are Internet cafes in Puebla that many travelers find handy for routine communications. OIC or ETC personnel should be able to help you establish such contact.
FAX. If you need to send a fax from ETC on an emergency basis, please offer to pay. Paper and phone calls are expensive in Mexico.
All application materials may be copied as needed.
For answers to questions not dealt with in this packet please contact OIC.
All application materials may be copied as needed. Click here for the Application (This is a pdf file you will need Acrobat Reader)