The Spanish program at UO is not a Berlitz tourist course, where you go to learn just how to speak Spanish at a basic level. Our courses are UNIVERSITY-level, content-based classes; we hope to engage you in discussions about many different aspects of the cultures found in the Spanish-speaking world (even with a low-level proficiency in the language!). You may find some of the topics exciting, exotic, and entertaining, but others will be unfamiliar, uncomfortable, or unpalatable to you. In any case, we want to engage your intellect.
Our goal is to find a balance between the comfortable atmosphere you need to practice your emerging language skills, and the "cognitive conflict" necessary to increase your understanding and empathy for other cultures. You may find yourself uncomfortable when discussing race or sexual roles in Latin America, for example, but if we were to shy away from such topics, we would be doing a great disservice to our students by impoverishing their education.
Remember that in all university classes you are bound by the UO Student Conduct Code, and we expect both teachers and students to be civil in discussions, respecting the opinions and identities of class members on all topics (race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, political views, etc.).
