Launch of a MOOC "Indigenous languages and cultures": mazatec (Mexico)

26 February 2025

  • Distance learning

  • Training

The second MOOC in the "Indigenous Languages and Cultures" series has been launched! Discover the Mazatec language and culture of Huautla de Jiménez, a town in the north-eastern Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is available in French and Spanish versions.
Rue d'un village de la vallée d'Oaxaca (Mexique)
Teotitlan del Valle Oaxaca Mexico Streets and buildings of an indigenous town in Mexico © alpositivlight / Freepik‎

"Indigenous languages and cultures": mazatec (Mexico)

The MOOC Indigenous Languages and Cultures offers an introduction to the mazatec of Huautla de Jiménez, a locality in the northeastern Mexican state of Oaxaca. Mazatec belongs to the "otomangue" family, is the indigenous language of around 239,000 speakers and is one of the most widely spoken Mesoamerican languages both in the region and nationwide.

Inalco's MOOC Indigenous Languages and Cultures will enable you to discover the Mazatec world with the help of bilingual support.

Accessible in French and Spanish, this online course will immerse you in the history, culture and grammar of Mazatec.

Organized into practical thematic modules, this course will introduce you to the basics of communication in Mazatec, through interactive dialogues, grammatical explanations and practical exercises.

You'll explore a variety of topics, from daily greetings to market traditions, travel to this region and the importance of corn in Mazatec culture.

Mozatec MOOC teaser

Introduction to the Mazatec MOOC, designed by Jean Léo Léonard, Karla J. Avilès Gonzalèz and Doña Clementina Cerqueda García.

Training schedule

February 27 to May 17, 2025: registration opens on the France Université Numérique platform
April 3, 2025: opening of MOOC content
May 31, 2025: end of MOOC

What you will learn

During this course, you will be able to:

  • Discover the history of the Mazatecan language and culture
  • Get to grips with basic lexical and grammatical elements in Mazatec
  • Be introduced to the basics of using the language in everyday communication situations: greetings, the market, travel
  • Finally, explore one of the major aspects of Huautla de Jiménez culture: corn

MOOC format

This MOOC lasts five weeks. Each week, you'll find:

  • dialogue videos
  • lesson videos: lexicon, grammar, conjugation
  • practice exercises
  • discussion forums

Evaluation and certification

This MOOC does not award certification, but you have the opportunity to earn a tracking badge by passing graded exercises with a score of at least 50%.