Mayan Language Literacy Courses
While advancing modern objectives, one of MEF’s long-standing priorities is the preservation and continued use of Mayan languages in Maya communities. To facilitate this, Sna Jtz’ibajom members train and supervise instructors who teach reading and writing in the Chiapan Mayan languages Tsotsil and Tseltal, in both San Cristóbal de Las Casas and in the surrounding rural communities.
To date more than 4,000 children and adults have taken these weekend courses and learned to read and write the languages they speak. Beyond this, teachers offer literary contests and encourage creative writing, the best examples of which have been published. Both groups also encourage the use of Mayan in mastering modern communication applications like computers and cell phones, so that Spanish does not become the de facto language of technology.