This page is the brochure for your selected program. You can view the provided information for this program on this page and click on the available buttons for additional options.
** Indicates rolling admission application process. Students will be immediately notified of acceptance into this program and be able to complete post-decision materials prior to the term's application deadline.
Summer in Mexico at Cuernavaca Center for Linguistic and Multicultural Studies of the Universidad Internacional (UNINTER) Program Description
The six-week study abroad program in Mexico (click on date tab above to see exact dates) offers undergraduate students the
opportunity to study at the Universidad Internacional. Classes are small (often with five students or fewer) and are
always taught in Spanish by faculty whose first language is Spanish.
Students study intensive Spanish and develop communication strategies that promote thorough and in-depth oral and written communication
skills. Emphasis is placed on listening comprehension, speaking, reading, writing, and pronunciation.
University The CLMS at UNINTER was founded in 1980 with the mission to teach Spanish as a second language along withMexican culture at the university level.
UNINTER
has 14 buildings located in a safe residential area. The campus
includes facilities such as a computer lab, library, bookstore, money
exchange office, first aid center, copy center, cafeteria, fax, and
telephone services.
Students of many ages come from around the world to live and study. There
are numerous extracurricular activities on and off campus in which
students can participate. For instance, there are various dance classes
(including salsa), cooking, singing, yoga, chess, and personal defense
classes. Sports available include tennis, swimming,
basketball, volleyball, and soccer.
Cuernavaca
Cuernavaca (population 500,000) is known as the "City of Eternal Spring", boasting year-round temperatures of 75 to 80
degrees F. It is a resort city and capital of the state of Morelos, 75
kilometers (50 miles) south of Mexico City. Acapulco beaches are less than 4 hours away by bus.
The
city
offers many interesting museums, colonial and archaeological
sites, a cathedral dating back to the sixteenth century, Jardin Borda,
and the Palace of Cortes with murals painted by Diego Rivera. Other
attractions include parks, a modern mall with a large movie theatre
that boasts plush, reclined seating. Academic Program
Students participating in the 6-week program can earn up to 7 credits. Spanish
grammar, conversation, and composition classes meet three hours per
day, Monday through Friday. Each language course lasts four weeks (60
hours), which means they are 4-credit courses. In the 6-week program, students will take a grammar class for 4 weeks and then another course (literature/culture) for 6 weeks, which earns 3 credits. Students are
grouped by their knowledge of Spanish, ability to communicate, and
fluidity of conversation. If for whatever reason you are not satisfied
with your group, the Academic Coordinator on site will help you switch
to a different group with a different instructor.
Prerequisites
and course requirements are similar to those set for courses taken on
the ISU campus. The grades for these courses are based on
written exams (taken each Friday), final written exam (the last Friday
of each course), vocabulary exams, auditory quizzes and oral exams,
compositions, presentations in class, attendance and participation, and
homework. Here is a sample weekly class schedule.
Grades are determined by the
teachers and the Academic Director at the UNINTER. One person from
UNINTER will be assigned to the ISU group in case you have immediate
questions or concerns. Students may also contact the program coordinator at ISU
directly via email or phone.
Accommodation
Immersion
into modern Mexican culture through housing with Mexican families
provides opportunities for learning outside the classroom. This is a
great way to practice Spanish and learn about Mexican life and culture.
Students live in middle-class Mexican homes. Families are carefully
interviewed and selected for the program through UNINTER, and students
always have the opportunity of changing families if they are not
comfortable with the one assigned.
ISU requires that
students live with a Mexican family in Cuernavaca. Students share a room and bath with another student of the same gender. Included in the
students' housing is transportation to and from the university and three meals per day:
Full breakfast
Full dinner (or box lunch when on an excursion or at optional classes)
Light supper
Excursions The following cultural excursions are required for all students enrolled in the program and are included in the program fee:
(Descriptions provided by UNINTER)
Pyramids of Teotihuacán
The most important, complete, and popular archaeological zone of
Central Mexico due to the pyramids (Sun and Moon Pyramids) and the city
around them. The pyramids date back to 500 C.E. and represent the
religious, cultural, and architectural importance of the region.
Mexico City murals and art
Murals of the University, Zócalo, Murals of the National Palace,
Cathedral, Plaza of the Three Cultures, walk through Coyoacan. The
field trip to Mexico City introduces you to the Mexican Murals
Movement, such as the magnificent murals of Orozco, Rivera, Siqueiros,
Tamayo, and other painters who form a part of the artistic movement
originally inspired by the Mexican Revolution, the first social
revolution the 20th century. Coyoacan is a suburb of Mexico City whose
colonial style of buildings and present-day intellectuals give this
area a special bohemian, artistic flair. You will have opportunity to
walk through the art market.
Program Fee The
2010 program fee is $2,650. The fee includes registration, tuition, fees, accommodation, 3 meals a day, transportation to Cuernavaca, and excursions. The fee does not
include health insurance, airfare, books, supplies, incidentals, passport, ISIC, and personal travel expenses.
Questions? Contact: Nancy T. Guthrie Study Abroad Center 3224 Memorial Union 515-294-6792 nguthrie@mail.adp.iastate.edu
Brochure
