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The "Living In" Series:

Living in Mexico
About the Authors
by: Alvino E. Fantini, Ph.D., and Beatríz Céspedes de Fantini
Copyright © 2005 Revised and Updated - 5th Edition


About the Authors

Dr. Alvino E. Fantini and his wife, Beatriz Céspedes de Fantini, have been staff members of The Experiment in International Living since the mid-1960s. The Experiment is one of the oldest and most prestigious intercultural exchange organizations in the world. For nearly twenty years, the Fantinis ran a Mexican language and cultural orientation program for The Experiment at Oaxtepec, Tlaxcala, Valle de Bravo, and Metepec. This gave them a wonderful opportunity to explore Mexico, make hundreds of close Mexican friends, and follow their interests in anthropology, folk dancing, art, and Meso-American indigenous cultures (especially Aztec and Mayan).

When they are not visiting or teaching overseas, the Fantinis live in Vermont, where they are on the faculty of The School for International Training (SIT), which is the academic branch of World Learning, the parent organization of The U.S. Experiment.

At SIT, Beatriz Fantini directs the Language and Culture Center. Over the years, she has also taught Spanish and runs a remarkable variety of language and cultural orientation programs both in the United States and in several Latin American countries. She is a native of Bolivia.

Dr. Alvino Fantini is Professor Emeritus of the School for International Training and formerly the director of Bilingual and Multicultural Education for the SIT Master of Arts in Teaching Program. Aside from his native English and Italian, he is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese and familiar with French, Greek, Esperanto, German, and Aymara. His Master's is in Latin American Studies and Anthropology, his Doctorate in Applied Linguistics, both from the University of Texas. For SIT and The Experiment, he has served as a director, teacher, consultant, translator, exchange leader, and materials developer for programs all over the world. Recently he served as president of SIETAR International (The Society for Intercultural Education, Training, and Research).

Between them, Dr. and Mrs. Fantini have written over a hundred and thirty published books and articles on language and culture.