ABSTRACT
This chapter details collaborative, innovative less commonly taught language (LCTL) instruction at the University of Kansas (KU) during the first two years of COVID. Between 2020 and 2022, a team of language instructors and staff in KU's Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies expanded and enriched their Kaqchikel Maya language course offerings through relationships with sister institutions. Courses were moved to an online synchronous platform in March 2020, which allowed for novel collaborations across universities and programs. Historically modest LCTL enrollments grew as non-KU students were welcomed into these virtual courses; native speakers were brought in for increased immersive conversation opportunities for the students; and inter-institutional partnerships increased through shared virtual Language Table events, summer and winter break modules, bidirectional recruitment, and the addition of Yucatec Maya language course offerings. The chapter describes unexpected benefits, along with pitfalls, solutions, and processes, contributing to a roadmap for other institutions and instructors seeking to innovate LCTL instruction across universities and language levels.
