LEARN PORTUGUESE
General Information
Portuguese is the language of Portugal and Brazil, as well as several other countries in Africa and Asia. It has a long history and a rich literary heritage. Portuguese is based on Latin, though its vocabulary has been influenced by many different cultures. Learners who have some knowledge of Spanish, Italian, or French will encounter some familiar forms and vocabulary. However, it is not necessary for anyone to know these or any other languages to be able to acquire, successfully and enjoyably, a good understanding and use of basic Portuguese. WAL courses are generally concerned with the use of the language in Brazil.
Students are introduced to grammar, with clear explanations and examples, and are given the opportunity to practice what they are learning in realistic situations. The vocabulary base is expanded in every lesson with useful and relevant words and phrases. Though the emphasis is on conversation, the course is designed to give the students both active communication and comprehension skills so that they practice listening, reading and writing in each class.
In addition to the course book, authentic materials such as newspapers and magazine articles, Portuguese and Brazilian popular music, menus, and official forms are used in the classes.
Textbook for levels 1-6 : Ponto de Encontro: Portuguese as a World Language
Anna Klobucka, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth; Clémence de Jouët-Pastré, Harvard University; Patrícia Isabel Sobral , Brown University; Maria Luci de Biaji Moreira, College of Charlesto; Amélia P. Hutchinson, The University of Georgia
Portuguese I (PORT 1501)
30 hours of instruction/5 weeks
By the end of this course, students will be able to introduce themselves and other people, describe their daily routines and their present activities, give simple instructions and orders, describe people and talk about the immediate future. Social language includes greetings and farewells, polite requests, asking for information, making suggestions and plans, and expressing likes and dislikes. In grammar, this course includes personal pronouns, possessive adjectives and pronouns, the present tenses (both simple and continuous), and the comparative and superlative of adjectives. Students will learn numbers up to 1000, days of the week, dates, and how to tell time.
Chapters: Preliminary - 2
This course may be taken for 4 quarter units of university credit.
Portuguese II (PORT 1502)
30 hours of instruction/5 weeks
This course reviews and consolidates what was learned in the previous level and introduces new material. Students study the past tenses (both simple and continuous) and practice narrative forms. They learn how to express present and future obligations. This course includes more practice in social situations such as using the phone and banking. The text and vocabulary give students greater opportunities to appreciate Portuguese and Brazilian history, art and culture.
Chapters: 3-5
This course may be taken for 4 quarter units of university credit.
PORTUGUESE III (PORT 1503)
30 hours of instruction/5 weeks
The principal goal of this course is to involve the students to actively use their Portuguese language in realistic daily situations through role plays, pair work and group activities. Students will work on the preterit with regular and irregular verbs, direct and indirect objects, adjectives of comparison, the imperfect and reflexive verbs and pronouns within the contexts of shopping for various items, attending soccer games, or discussing physical and leisure activities. Cultural notes about festivals, traditions and religions in Portuguese-speaking countries will be part of the classes.
Chapters 6 – 8
This course may be taken for 4 quarter units of university credit
PORTUGUESE IV (PORT 1504)
30 hours of instruction/5 weeks
Many opportunities are provided within this course for the student to practice the language in social contexts and situations. Discussions about the professions, work, health and cultural foods are conducted while using the subjunctive and building on knowledge of the preterit and imperfect of verbs, relative pronouns and commands. Vocabulary building is focused around these topics as well as more general discussions about the global economy or searching the internet appropriate news items and then discussing them in class.
Chapters 9 – 11
This course may be taken for 4 quarter units of university credit
PORTUGUESE V (PORT 2501)
30 hours of instruction/5 weeks
Students will actively use Portuguese in social contexts such as using local transportation, traveling and exploring various environments to practice using the subjunctive, conditional and future tenses. There will be specific activities; for example, planning a travel itinerary, purchasing tickets and discussing possible routes with an airline. There will also be more general conversations about such topics as ecotourism and exploring opinions about preservation of threatened environments and solutions to ecological problems.
Chapters 12 – 13
This course may be taken for 4 quarter units of university credit
PORTUGUESE VI (PORT 2502)
30 hours of instruction/5 weeks
The objective of this course is to involve students in discussions about society and scientific and technological advances in the Portuguese-speaking world; fluency, enhanced vocabulary and confidence in actively using the language are the goals. For example, there may be discussions of topics such as issues facing Brazilian women today. Within this context, students will use and practice past participles, and the present perfect and perfect preterit of verbs. There will be a general integration of grammatical knowledge within the discussion contexts as the instructor pulls out specific grammar points for review.
Chapters 14 - 15
This course may be taken for 4 quarter units of university credit