Dr. F Eduardo Castilla-Ortiz , Director

Registration and Orientation is in the Study Away Office, Hearnes 101, (816) 271-5995.

Information about Past Mexico Trips

To see pictures of the 2007 Summer Study in Mexico please click here.

Description of 2000 Program
Description of 1999 Program
Description of 1998 Program
Description of 1996 Program

The Pyramid of the Sun, near Mexico City

Program Description:

Come to Cuernavaca, Mexico, located 50 miles south of Mexico City, whose near perfect climate has attracted visitors since the days of the Aztec emperors. Cuernavaca is the ideal place to develop Spanish language skills and to experience the Mexican culture.

Missouri Western State University's Study Abroad Program in Mexico offers a unique opportunity to students wanting to fulfill their foreign language requirements or to practice and perfect what they already know and immerse themselves in the Mexican culture. Students attend classes at the Spanish Language Institute in Cuernavaca, Mexico from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday for a total of 90 hours of instruction. The class schedule includes a three-hour grammar block, a two-hour conversation class, and a one-hour functional Spanish class. Classes are small, with a maximum of five students in the grammar classes, and have an emphasis on conversation.

Students live with middle-class Mexican families (usually two to four students per family) in a shared room. Some private rooms are available at an additional cost. In addition to the room, the family provides three meals per day, transportation to and from school (if not within walking distance) and plenty of conversation. Many former students in this program agree that living with a Mexican family is the best part of the Study Abroad experience.

Also included in the program is an excursion to Mexico City, the largest city in the world. In the historic center of the city, students visit the Metropolitan Cathedral, the National Palace, and the ruins of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan. They also visit the Museum of Anthropology, one of the best museums of its kind in the world, and the pyramids of Teotihuacán, outside of Mexico City. As one student stated, the pyramids are "just plain amazing!"

Cuernavaca

Program Fees:

The 2009 program fees are $1,820. The following items are included in the fees:

• Tuition at SLI
• Classes at the Spanish Language Institute in Cuernavaca, Mexico
• Room and board with host family in Cuernavaca
• Transportation from Mexico City to Cuernavaca
• Books for classes at Spanish Language Institute
• Several excursions to areas of cultural interest

Not included: 

• Tuition at MWSU
• Round-trip airfare:  Kansas City - Mexico City - Kansas City
• Personal spending money

Itinerary for 2009 Program in Mexico

Saturday, June 13

• Early morning departure from KCI to Mexico
• Arrival in Mexico City about 2:00 P.M.
• Transfer to Cuernavaca by private bus
• Assignment to Mexican families

Sunday, June 14

• Orientation at Spanish Language Institute

Monday, June 15 - Friday, June 19

• First week of classes at Spanish Language Institute

 Sunday, July 5

• Depart for Kansas City.  Arrive Kansas City Sunday evening.

Comments from former participants in the Study Abroad Program:

"I spoke Spanish nearly all the time, and I feel that I improved my proficiency quite a lot. I would recommend this program to anyone who has even the slightest interest in learning Spanish."

"I feel the program provides an opportunity of a lifetime."

"Cuernavaca was a wonderful experience. It was great to be able to apply what I have been studying in real life situations."

"I love my family! Good food, clean rooms, wonderful people!!"

"This was an excellent opportunity to 'talk'. Not only was it fun, I learned so much in a short period of time."

"I think the Mexico trip is an excellent learning opportunity that can not be duplicated in regular college classes."

"My family is the BEST!"

"I loved all my teachers."

"I think the program is a very productive environment for anyone interested in really having the opportunity to practice everything they have learned in the classroom. I had a very wonderful family, productive classes, and a really enjoyable time."

My trip to Mexico was by far the best trip I have ever taken in my life and was also the best learning experience I have ever had."

"I was more impressed by the school than anything else about the trip. Every teacher I had was outstanding."

"The only word that keeps coming up when I try to describe my experience is 'incredible'. This trip was life changing in many ways."

"The trip was incredible. I would definitely encourage other people to go. It was an experience of a lifetime."

"I would strongly recommend this trip to anyone studying Spanish. To do any less would be to miss half of the

true meaning of the language."

"The Mexico trip was well worth the money, the time, and the energy." "The Spanish Language Institute was wonderful. The staff was friendly, helpful, and very well-educated."

"The entire experience (although intense and fast-paced at times) was a joy."

"This trip was one big oral exercise, the language was constant, and so was my learning."

"I don't think that I have ever learned so much in three weeks as I did in Mexico. The classes were taught very

well... but I also learned a lot more than just language."

For more information contact:

• Dr. F Eduardo Castilla-Ortiz, Director
• Missouri Western State University, Eder Hall 212-A, 4525 Downs Drive, St. Joseph, MO 64507
• (816) 271-4167, E-mail: fcastillaortiz@missouriwestern.edu

This program is open to anyone 18 years of age or older with at least one year of college Spanish or two years of high school Spanish.