Family Adventures with Na'atik
Have you ever considered learning a language with your family?
Language learning can often seem like a personal journey filled with hard work and focus to master grammar and memorize vocabulary. While there is some element of truth to this, each of us learns at our own pace and reaching proficiency certainly requires a degree of dedication, sharing the experience of learning with others, and combining hard work with fun group activities can make the process both easier and more rewarding. We have also seen that if students are having fun and feeling relaxed, language acquisition tends to be a faster process.
Learning with your family can be even more valuable as the process of learning a language together creates a unique bonding experience. Shared challenges, triumphs, and the collaborative effort required to master a new language forge a sense of togetherness. The support system within the family provides a safety net, encouraging each member to persevere through the inevitable hurdles of language acquisition. These shared experiences contribute to the development of stronger emotional connections, as family members become not only learners but also each other's cheerleaders and motivators. The benefits can also extend beyond the language being learned, positively influencing how family members communicate with each other in their native language as well.
This year Na’atik has redesigned our Family Adventure Immersion program, which is designed to offer adventurous families a way to combine learning Spanish with a vacation packed full of activities showcasing the beauty and culture of the Zona Maya. We know that arranging a trip for the whole family can be challenging, and that time spent together is incredibly valuable, so our program takes care of everything, leaving you to immerse yourself in the laid back culture of the region.
Authentic Cultural Immersion
The key to learning languages is immersing yourself within the culture and taking part in everyday conversations. During your Family Adventure Immersion program your family lives with one of our friendly local homestay families, giving you a genuine insight into the way real people live in the region. Our families love to share their culture with visitors and to lend a helping hand with practicing Spanish.
Your family’s homestay experience also includes sharing three meals a day with your host family, meaning delicious home cooked Mexican and Maya food from one of the countries most vibrant regional cuisines. Meal times are incredibly important in Mexican culture, with family members gathering to discuss their days and share some valuable family time. These conversations are a great way to use the Spanish you are learning in an organic everyday manner.
Our homestay families are able to handle most dietary restrictions with advance notice.
Engaging Classes
The program includes small group (no more than five students) classes for adults and children aged eight and above. Students are split by ability, so it is not a problem if your family is at different levels. We will send you a short language assessment before your vacation so we can place everyone in the appropriate class.
Our teachers are all fully qualified and professional language instructors and are native speakers from across the region. They share an interest in sharing both the language and culture of the region with our students.
Our teaching philosophy is to focus on real-life communications, getting students to speak as much as possible and to become confident in their pronunciation and vocabulary. While classes will cover grammar-based topics, we avoid becoming bogged down in overanalyzing the rules and corner cases (in less that is what you prefer, in which case just let your teacher know).
Exciting Activities
We know that keeping your whole family entertained for a week or two is a priority, and for this reason the Family Adventure Immersion program itinerary is packed full of different activities designed to appeal to every taste. You can check out the two rotating weekly itineraries we run on the program page.
Each day has at least one activity outside the classroom, and each package includes a full day trip to see incredible Maya ruins at either Chacchoben or Cobá and the stunning towns of Bacalar or Tulum. Families that visit for two weeks will do both day trips. Other activities include:
A visit to a nearby cenote, an example of a beautiful geological formation unique to the regions, where you can swim or simply take in the view.
A walking tour of Felipe Carrillo Puerto followed by a welcome meal featuring local antojitos (small dishes).
Intercultural activities with local students (during the local school year).
And many more….
A Genuinely Sustainable Option
Choosing Na’atik for your family’s vacation helps change lives here in Felipe Carrillo Puerto. Na’atik is a nonprofit language school, which offers around 200 local students from the town and the surrounding Indigenous Maya communities subsidized and sponsored English language classes. Learning English is crucial for young people, who need to demonstrate proficiency to access good universities and career opportunities. Over 70 percent of the local community here in the municipality live below the poverty line, with many denied the opportunities that are open to people from the wealthier tourist destinations. With the support and participation of families like yours, Na’atik works to give students the skills which will open doors for them and enable them to build their own futures.
Na’atik is committed to ensuring that all income generated from immersion student visits is reinvested into the local economy, through paying our local staff and homestay families a dignified living wage and working with local suppliers. We have been able to offer our team secure employment and benefits that are often denied to local workers, and have supported homestay families in expanding and upgrading their homes. We also work with local cooperatives and micro businesses by offering excursions and activities which support their work.
Na’atik is also working towards environmental sustainability, through the use of solar panels to power the school, onsite composting and recycling as well as promoting the importance of mindful consumption to staff and local students.
You can read more about the impact your visit has on the local community here.
If you are interested in visiting Na’atik with your family, you can find more information on the Family Adventure Immersion Program page or reserve your space by contacting our team on MaS@naatikmexico.org.