Department of Romance Languages

Undergraduate degrees: B.A. in French, Spanish, Italian, Romance languages
Undergraduate minors: French, Spanish, Italian

Language, Culture, and Travel  

There’s something wonderful about studying another language—knowing that you can think and express yourself in a new way. Using that skill to communicate with people whose culture and life experiences are vastly different from yours is exciting, and brings a sense of accomplishment that is incomparable.

You might want to study Italian, French, or Spanish language and culture to get in touch with your family’s history. Or maybe you’re looking forward to travel in a foreign country, and you want to take some language speaking skills with you. Perhaps you’re interested in a global business career that involves multinational companies. Whatever the basis of your interest, the University of Oregon’s Department of Romance Languages will help you to expand your knowledge and horizons.

The Department of Romance Languages is a diverse, multicultural and multilingual unit that offers a first-rate faculty of various national origins. As a major, you will gain an extensive knowledge of languages and cultures, as well as intellectual growth. You’ll discover a wide variety of ways to engage in the curriculum, from lectures and film festivals, to study abroad programs and international conferences.

Points of Interest

• Immerse yourself in culture—experience the magic of a study abroad program in Europe, Africa, or Latin America
• Earn credit for a Participatory Learning Experience, a bilingual internship program that allows students to use French or Spanish language skills as volunteers in their community
• Practice your new language skills during casual weekly gatherings of native and non-native speakers
• Apply for an internship in a foreign country. In past years, Romance languages majors have found great internships with a ski manufacturer and a bike touring company, and as a tour guide for a vineyard

Sample Courses

• Francophone Cinema emphasizes basic oral communication and listening comprehension through weekly viewings of films in French
• Culture et Langage: La France Contemporaine includes training in language and culture of modern France using newspapers, short stories, poetry and film. The course includes vocabulary enrichment activities, and is conducted in French
• Cultural Legacies of Italy concentrates on Italian contributions to world cultures, and includes topics such as modern Italian life, Italians in America, Italian cinema and its influence, the Italian Renaissance, Roman art, and opera. This course is conducted in English
• Dante in Translation covers the entire Divine Comedy, read in English. The class focuses on specific medieval components, relevance for modern readers, and effects and process of translation
• Survey of Spanish American Literature is an introduction to basic currents and movements in contemporary Spanish American literature from a historical perspective. Critical readings of selected poems, short fiction, and plays enrich students' learning experience

Interdisciplinary Opportunities

While studying other cultures, you will learn from experts across the disciplines. A major in Romance languages works well with a double major, minor, or elective courses in Latin American studies, European studies, comparative literature, women and gender studies, ethnic studies or African studies. You might also consider adding courses in history, art history, music, or linguistics to your academic plan.

Hands-on Learning

You already know the clear benefits to gaining intercultural experience and language skills. Taking advantage of a study abroad program is one of the best ways to expand your second language abilities, and might be exactly what you're seeking to add an extra dimension to your undergarduate career. The University of Oregon sponsors study abroad programs in more than 87 countries around the globe. You may be able to study abroad even during your first year at the university, so talk with your adviser as soon as you choose a focus. The following study abroad programs are of special interest to Romance languages majors. Coursework and length of stay will vary according to your interests.

• Italy: You may choose from programs in Perugia, Siena, and Macerata, Italy. You may choose courses on Italian art history, culture, literature, politics, history, and other subjects.
• France: The university has programs in Angers, Poitiers, Reims, and Lyon, France.Your studies may include humanities, social science, business, medieval studies and other topics.
• Spain: Look into the university’s offerings at Oviedo and Seville, Spain. You may choose from courses in history, languages, anthropology, Arabic studies, business, economics, journalism, and other subjects.

Student Work

Trevor Whitbread studied in Oviedo, Spain for five months, livinmg with a host family during that time. The apartment they shared was located near the downtown area of the historic, medieval district of the city, so Whitbread spent part of each day exploring and visiting the outdoor markets.

Whitbread says his host family helped him experience local culture and improve his language skills. “We talked about everything from politics and life in the US to culture in Spain and Asturias,” he says. “I learned a lot about Spanish history, what life was like during the dictatorship, and why the royal family is still important today.”

Sharryl Sosa chose the Romance languages major for the many different opportunities offered. She especially enjoyed upper division classes that allowed her to engage in research, explore her own ideas relating to literature, and participate in classroom discussions. “I learned from both the professor and from other students about different ways of reading a text,” she explains.

Rachel Jensen chose to double-major in business and French. Her love for the language made a study-abroad program a top priority, so she recently spent four months in Lyon, France. While studying business at the Catholic University of Lyon, Jensen lived with a host family who spoke only basic English. Jensen worked continuously on improving her language skills. “Overall, the experience was amazing! I learned so much about myself and how I can adapt and live in a strange, difficult culture,” she says. “Having lived there and made such a connection with my host family has given me the confidence to go out in the world and make something of myself.”

Selected Faculty Work

Barbara Altmann is a professor of French. She teaches the Middle Ages and Renaissance in France. Her research concerns narrative and lyric poetry from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Altmann is a text editor and translator, and writes literary criticism about medieval texts as they appear in manuscripts from that period.

Robert Davis is an associate professor of Spanish. His work in second-language teaching focuses on the use of authentic materials (content-based instruction) and teaching culture. His courses include second-language teaching methods, the cultures of Spain, and Spanish and Romance linguistics, including Spanish phonetics, history of the Spanish language, Spanish dialects, advanced grammar, and comparative Romance linguistics.

Massimo Lollini is a professor of Italian. His research and teaching interests include
Baroque and modern Italian literature, and comparative modern literature. The modern and contemporary part of his research and teaching activities focuses on Baroque culture, the philosophy of Giambattista Vico, the poetry of Giacomo Leopardi, the prose of Alessandro Manzoni, and the testimony of Primo Levi.

Karen McPherson is an associate professor of French. She specializes in twentieth- and twenty-first century French and Francophone literatures with an emphasis on the literatures and cultures of Québec and the Caribbean. Her research focuses on contemporary women writers, feminist and gender theories, narrative theories, and postcolonial studies.

Tania Triana is assistant professor of Spanish. Her teaching and research interests include nineteenth- and twentieth-century Cuban literature and culture, Caribbean studies, theories of race and mestizaje, feminist studies, and African diaspora literature in the Americas.

Career Opportunities

You can use your bachelor’s degree in any of the Romance language majors to pursue a career in college or secondary teaching, or in any field that requires fluency in your specialty language. You might go into international business, diplomacy, government, or foreign service. Translation and editorial work are also good options. You may decide to go on to graduate school in Romance languages, or in another discipline such as international law.

Contact Information
(541) 346-4021
(541) 346-4030 fax