¿Papas o Patatas?


Why don’t all members of a linguistic community speak the same way? What is a ‘dialect’? This FIG will explore how variation within a linguistic community illuminates our understanding of what human language is, with a focus on the different varieties of Spanish around the world.

Photo of College Connections faculty for Papas o Patatas, Robert Davis. College Connections Faculty:  Robert Davis

Robert Davis is a professor of Spanish at the University of Oregon. He acquired a B.A. in Spanish at the University of Southern Mississippi and then went on to pursue a M.A. and Ph.D. in Linguistics at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Dr. Davis speaks Spanish and French and continues to learn Portuguese, Catalan, and Italian. As Director in Language Instruction, Davis has been able to work on issues in language program direction, teaching methodologies, and teacher training. Since being at the UO, Dr. Davis has focused his research towards content-based instruction, using technology in L2 teaching, teaching culture, and second-language assessment.

FIG Assistant: Graham Shepard

Graham Shepard is a sophomore at the University of Oregon. He is from Federal Way, Washington, and he is currently pursuing his B.A. in Spanish Linguistics. In his freshman year at the University of Oregon (2014-2015), he was a part of the ¿Papas o Patatas? FIG. Being a part of this FIG helped Graham find his love for linguistics. Other than Spanish and linguistics, Graham is also interested in sciences and the preforming arts. He plays both piano and percussion and is always looking to play with other people. If you have any questions for Graham about the ¿Papas o Patatas? FIG or anything at all, you can contact him at gshepar2@uoregon.edu

Remember, if you have any questions you can contact your Professor Davis at rldavis@uoregon.edu and Graham Shepard at gshepar2@uoregon.edu. See you all in the Fall!

Next Steps: Summer Assignment and Information

Summer Assignment:  File papas_o_patatas_summer_assignment_2015.pdf

First Meeting: We look forward to our first mandatory meeting, which will take place during the Week of Welcome on Friday, September 25, 2015. We will meet in Straub 156 at 11:00 a.m.

Are you looking for future classes related to your FIG?

The courses below are related to the focus of your FIG and are a great way to keep exploring the subject matter that you dove into your first term at the UO. Many of these courses satisfy general education requirements.

  • LING 211: Language and Power
  • INTL 260: Culture, Capitalism, and Globalization
  • LING 296: Language and Society in the US
  • LING 396: Language and Cognition
  • SPAN 305: Cultura y lengua: cambios sociales
  • SPAN 322: Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics
  • PHIL 342: Introduction to Latin American Philosophy
  • HIST 248 Latinos/as in the Americas