 |
ELI Comparative policy and administration courses
Monte Alban
SPANISH AND CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS
Oaxaca, Mexico
The Executive Leadership Institute offers a four-week immersion in Spanish and Cross-Cultural Communications, to be held in Oaxaca, Mexico. The session is typically held in the summer. In addition to intensive training in Spanish you will live with a Mexican family, meet with professionals from a variety of non-profit and government agencies, and enjoy an intimate experience with Mexican culture in one of the country's most vibrant and exciting settings. Educators, human service professionals, and others seeking to strengthen their capacity to work with Spanish-speaking publics will find these four weeks an exceptional opportunity. Our four weeks include:
A) A minimum of forty-five hours of small-group Spanish classes. Groups assemble on the basis of language skills with instructors trained to teach Spanish to foreigners. Emphasis on oral proficiency and everyday use.
B) Homestays with local families under the supervision of an experienced homestay coordinator. Participants are placed one per household (unless with partner or child) with a private room, and eat with the family whenever possible. The homestay provides an informal, nurturing setting to reinforce language learning and insights into everyday family life.
C) Visits to government and non-profit agencies to understand their organizational environments, operational behavior, and professional practice. For example, we might meet with teachers, school administrators, and union leaders; visit advocacy groups; spend time in family service programs, health centers, or a juvenile detention facility; and hold discussions with practitioners and analysts.
D) Visit rural communities, regional markets, and other locations to learn how demographic and economic change affect the local population. We give particular attention to circumstances which make Oaxaca a major source of migrant labor to the United States, and to the implications of growing interaction between our two nations.
The city of Oaxaca offers a wide range of cultural opportunities and a solid logistical base. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site in recognition of its colonial architecture, provides excellent access to a range of archaeological sites, and is surrounded by communities known for their artisanries and cultural diversity. The city also includes the medical, communications, banking, and other facilities which support academic programs, and is known for a friendly population ready to receive outsiders who demonstrate a genuine interest in learning from them.
Course Details and Costs
Participants may enroll for three or six quarter hours of undergraduate or graduate credit in the College of Urban and Public Affairs, Public Administration Department.
Dr. Jack Corbett has coordinated undergraduate programs in Oaxaca, Central America, Ecuador, and Washington, D.C., and graduate programs in Mexico, Canada, and the United States. A faculty member in the College of Urban and Public Affairs at Portland State University and in the graduate program in planning and regional development at the lnstituto Tecnologico de
Oaxaca, he has thirty years of teaching and research experience in Oaxaca.
Cost: $1,950/$2,700 (3 credits/6 credits). Includes tuition, language training, local transportation, fees, room and board. Does not include a flight to Oaxaca.
Further Information and Registration:
Executive LeadershipInstitute,
College of Urban and Public Affairs,
Portland State University,
PO Box 751,
Portland, Oregon 97207-0751
Telephone: 503-725-5153.
Fax: 503-725-8250.
E-mail: chambersj@pdx.edu
|
|
