The importance of using culturally authentic materials in foreign language instruction is discussed within the context of national calls for American students to understand other cultures. A brief report on a summer institute for Spanish teachers is presented. Participants studied the teaching of culture, some tenets of U.S. culture for awareness and comparison purposes, and the culture of Mexico in general and of Michoacan in particular. Coursework included information on schooling, family structure, sex roles, social class, indigenous cultures, the ritual life of the community, popular and fine arts, etc. Participants also defined and shared extensive quantities of authentic materials. Materials identified as "clearly authentic" included transcripts, greeting cards, newspapers, invitations, advertisements, menus, and schedules. "Teacher-made" materials included videos, slides, prints, and taped interviews. "Derived" materials included questionnaires for students and writings based on personal experiences. Teachers also wrote narratives to describe the "intimate" culture they had experienced, such as weddings and baptisms. Materials gathered within the Hispanic community in San Antonio, Texas, during a 2-week orientation prior to the Mexico institute were also defined as authentic. Activities and evaluation procedures were developed for classroom use. Five appendices contain the following: steps in preparing class activities based on culture-authentic materials; types of authentic materials; student response and involvement formats/functions; and an evaluation form for culture teaching. Contains 12 references. (LB)