How to Study Aztec Languages

No other culture seems as surrounded by mystique as the ancient culture of the Aztecs. That explains why people continue to study Aztec culture and civilization, including the language. The Aztec language, Nahuatl, is difficult for non-linguists to study, but you can find ways to study the Aztec language of Nahuatl by following these steps.

Instructions

1. Learn the basic tools of any language by focusing on the words and grammar. Nahuatl is no different. Primers on grammar and dictionaries from the Summer Institute of Linguistics or the Mexican government's bureau for the indigenous people offer a way to study Aztec language basics.

2. Read the Aztec language alongside an English or Spanish translation. If you are fluent in Spanish, you have more opportunities to locate translations since the Spanish began studying the Aztec culture long before anyone else. Look at university presses for Aztec language books. For example, the University of Utah Press published the "Compendium of Nahuatl Grammar."

3. Check for Nahuatl language sources online at websites like Acoyauh.com.

4. Study through the Summer Institute of Linguistics or another program that focuses on the language of the Aztec people. Although few American colleges offer majors in Aztec culture, more than a few offer Aztec language courses, including the University of Minnesota-Morris and the University of Texas.

5. Immerse yourself in the Aztec language by taking a one-month course in Nahuatl at Mexico's University of Zacatecas. The course includes a five day stay in a Nahuatl village. Yale also offers an immersion course each summer with its Nahuatl Summer Language Institute held in Mexico.

6. Understand that how Aztecs spoke thousands of years ago is different than today. For many years, people have been discouraged against speaking Nahuatl in Mexico. In addition, Americans have anglicized some of the more Latinized Spanish spellings of the Nahuatl language.