State of the art in research on teaching and learning foreign languages in Chetumal, Quintana Roo from 2000 to 2010

Abstract

It is very clear that if we wanted to talk about the first foreign language centers in higher education in Mexico, we should not forget to mention the Centro de Enseñanza para Extranjeros de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), which was built in 1923. In the 70’s many foreign language centers similar to the UNAM’s were founded in higher education institutions in this country. These centers expanded very quickly and most of them concentrated on the teaching field. Many new undergraduate and graduate programs in foreign language teaching have been opened in many Mexican higher level institutions; consequently, the requirements associated with the new national guidelines in order to accredit and certificate those programs encourage the teachers, and the increasing incorporation of full-time professors with post graduate degrees, to create centers or departments focused not only on teaching but also on research studies.