Indigenous Languages and Cultures-Mam

The Certificate of Achievement in Indigenous Languages and Cultures -Mam is designed to assist community members and students develop an understanding and appreciation of an indigenous language still spoken by thousands of Mam people in Central America, Mexico and United States. The certificate is designed to prepare community members and students to know the roots of their Mayan culture and civilization and the Mayan-Mam speakers. Honoring a community-based approach, the Mam courses emphasize a deep knowledge and understanding of the language and the culture.

Career Opportunities

With the arrival of more than 15 000 Mam speakers into the Bay Area in the last 15 years, there is an enormous need for Mam translators and interpreters in our society. Even though most of the families come from Guatemala and the south of Mexico, they do not speak either Spanish nor English. Their children attend day-care, elementary schools, and high schools and need to be educated and trained in their own language. Many schools, clinics, hospitals, and legal companies required services of translation and cultural intermediates. This recent wave of Mam immigrants has created great career opportunities for people who get trained in the Mam language and culture. This certificate of achievement in Mam language and culture addresses that need.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program a student will be able to:

1. 1.- Demonstrate oral competence in the Mam language
2. 2.- Demonstrate written competence in the Mam language.
3. 3.- Describe and analyze critically the intersections between Mam, Spanish, and English in the US.