Ciao a tutti, herkese merhaba (Can you guess what these languages are and what I am saying?), I am your "Bella Italia!" FIG instructor this term and am very excited to work with you all! I teach first-, second-, and third-year Italian language and culture courses. I am also the Coordinator of the Self Study Language Program at the Yamada Language Center where I teach Turkish supervise language tutors who teach many Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs) like Thai, Farsi/Persian, Hindi/Urdu, Vietnamese, Ukrainian each term.  My passion lies in keeping language learning at the UO fun, interesting, and meaningful for students of all ages through research in pedagogy and advancements in technology. In my classes, I seek to create a community of learners who can set individualized learning goals, focusing on their current language skills and cultural understanding, and work on improving them day by day. By incorporating metacognitive strategies, I aim to help students become more aware of their learning processes, enabling them to plan, monitor, and evaluate their progress effectively. I also emphasize the importance of learning a language with a purpose—whether for travel, work, or cultural enrichment—to make the experience more engaging and meaningful. The way I design the language learning experiences also help learners gain transferable skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and cultural empathy, which are valuable in various aspects of life. I hope to transmit my passion for language learning and appreciation for world cultures through this course. I look forward to being inspired by you and learning from you as well! Non vedo l’ora di incontrarvi in autunno e iniziare la nostra avventura in Italiano! Can you guess what this means based on the context, the vocabulary you know in English, Spanish, French, or another language beyond English? If the cognates and context are not helpful enough, look up words on WordReference, ask someone who speaks Italian, and if all fails, try an online tool. Feel free to drop me a note via email (harinder@uoregon.edu) in writing or as a short video to introduce yourself and tell me what excites you most about coming to the University of Oregon and studying Italian.  A presto! P.S. Here are some links if you wish to get to know me a little better before we meet.

Harinder #SpeaksToTheWorld in Turkish,

Italian and English Provost’s Teaching Academy Profile

Email: harinder@uoregon.edu

Hello! My name is Bleu and I am so excited to be your FIG assistant this term! I am originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, but I love Eugene just as much. I am a sophomore BA student majoring in comparative literature and cinema studies, with a minor in creative writing. This will be my second year taking Italian, along with studying abroad in Italy during the summer of '24, so I am so thrilled to assist with the "Bella Italia" FIG!

I cannot wait to meet all of you! I would be delighted to hear from you guys, so if you have any questions about the FIG, about UO, about Italy, don't hesitate to email me! Even if you don't have questions, feel free to say hi and to introduce yourself :). Personally, I love reading, writing, music, and making movies, so if you guys have any recommendations or would like to share your interests with me, I would be thrilled to learn about them! I am looking forward to experiencing this new term with you all!

Email: ebjo@uoregon.edu