Alums Nancy Clarke (BA, ’16)  and Alicia LeClair (BA, ’17) attended the 2017 Field School directed by Masha Polinsky at the Guatemala Field Station of the Language Science Center at the University of Maryland. The field station is located close to Sololá and Lake Atitlán in the western highlands of Guatemala. Several Mayan languages are spoken in the area. In collaboration with the NGO Wuqu’ Kawoq, the Field School offered beginner and continuing two-week immersion classes in Kaqchikel. Both classes were taught by experienced Kaqchikel teachers who planned the lessons, provided one-one-one help, and provided language learning materials. Following the two-week classes, University of Maryland linguistics faculty provided mentoring for collecting language data from native Kaqchikel speakers. During the trip, students stayed with local families to gain a better insight into everyday Guatemalan life. Additionally, on the weekends, students and faculty took field trips to sites where Wuqu’ Kawoq is working and assisted with their projects. Source: University of Maryland Language Science Center. You can find out more about the 2017 Field School from their blog.