Hi FIG members! My name is Keli Yerian (‘Keli’ is pronounced the same as ‘Kelly’) and I’ll be the instructor of our FIG Speak to the World. I am excited to be joining the FIG family this year for the first time while teaching the LING 144 class again as I did in Spring 2022. In this FIG you’ll be tracing your own language learning journey as you take a language class at the same time as you learn more about all the different strategies you can try out for learning languages in and out of the classroom in LING 144.

I mostly grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska, way up north, so Oregon seems comparatively tame to me, but it’s also familiar with its Northwest ‘vibe’. I went to university in North Carolina and graduate school in Washington DC, so I’m used to the east and south a little too. In some ways I think I am a good example of ‘how to learn languages’ because I started late in life, like some of you may be doing. I started taking French as a junior in high school, which opened up a whole new world to me. Now I use French regularly in my personal and professional life as part of my research and extended community. I also have spent some time learning Spanish, German, and Wolof, a language in West Africa.

I am now the director of the undergraduate Second Language Acquisition and Teaching (SLAT) certificate, which may interest some of you while you’re at UO, and the Language Teaching Studies (LTS) Master’s program in the Department of Linguistics. My work focuses mostly on helping future language teachers in these programs create fun, motivating, and personalized experiences for language learners.

I am excited also to be partnering with your FIG Assistant Alexa Rose this year. We look forward to getting to know you and to supporting you as you navigate your first year at UO, learning languages but also learning so much more about your opportunities at the University of Oregon. Reach out to me anytime by email or in class. See you soon!

Hello! My name is Alexa Rose (she/her) and I will be your FIG Assistant for Speak to the World. I am a second-year student at UO and a first-year FA. I come from rural Eastern Oregon, in a small town called Echo. Last fall, I was in the Breaking the Wall FIG which spoke to my History major. I'm excited to dive deeper into languages and language learning with this FIG, which compliments my second major (Linguistics) quite nicely. 

There is a variety of things to do here in Eugene, whether by yourself or with friends. Some of my favorites are trivia at the EMU, games on the lawn, cafe hunting around town, and movie marathons. I'm always up for discussing books (certified avid reader), trading stories of siblings and adventures, or debating why chocolate chip mint is one of the best ice cream flavors.

My FIG experience greatly helped me navigate my first year at college. Having smaller class sizes allowed me to foster a deep sense of community, something I hope to provide and grow along with you in this FIG. If you have any questions about the FIG or first-year life at UO, feel free to reach out to me via email. Have a wonderful summer and I look forward to meeting you in the fall!

Email: arose7@uoregon.edu