Accelerated course introducing basic principles of the
Portuguese language to students dedicated to intensive foreign
language study.
Athena Title
Accelerated Elementary Port
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in PORT 1002
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall and spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
Students will be able to engage in interpersonal communication in Portuguese about ongoing activities, future plans, past experiences, how to make or do things, and give and understand directions. By engaging in pair and group interactions, students will initiate and sustain conversations in both oral and written forms, demonstrating level and context-appropriate use of vocabulary and sentence structures.
Students will be able to use communication strategies to handle essential real-life situations across a range of topics in Portuguese such as writing a letter in response to a pen friend or an email to a study abroad director, organizing an office party, requesting an appointment or going to the doctor. By engaging in interactive tasks, students will communicate effectively with speakers accustomed to interacting with language learners, using communication strategies to maintain comprehension and express their ideas.
Students will be able to use Portuguese appropriately across colloquial and professional contexts. Through role-plays, written assignments, and simulated real-world interactions, students will demonstrate awareness of register, tone, and audience, adapting their language to fit the communicative situation and interlocutor.
Students will be able to demonstrate awareness of Brazilian geography and culture, making comparisons with their own cultural background. By engaging with course materials and tasks through guided interpersonal communication, students will evaluate stereotypes about Brazilian culture, especially regarding family structure, holidays’ practices, and shopping. In addition, through presentations, discussions, and written compositions, students will explore aspects such as Carnival and Brazilian festivals such as Festa Juninas, demonstrating their ability to convey information, interpret cultural practices, and engage in cross-cultural comparisons in Portuguese.
Students will be able to reflect on their own progress by reviewing feedback from instructors and peers, identifying strategies to improve pronunciation, grammar, and fluency.
Students will demonstrate familiarity with vocabulary related to their field of study.
Topical Outline
Pronunciation: Rhythm, consonants, vowels, dipthongs, stress and intonation
Basic tenses for communication: Present, imperfect, preterite,
future.
Regular verb conjugations: First, second, third person.
High frequency irregular verbs: Ser, estar, ter, fazer, poder, querer, vir, etc.
Useful Vocabulary: Personal possessions, food, family members, clothing, shopping, travel, places of origin, arts and entertainment, holidays and celebrations.
Pronouns: Subject, direct and indirect object, reflexive, interrogative, and relative pronouns.
Moods: Indicative, subjunctive, imperative.
Structure and lexicon of conversational topics: Numbers, time, weather, calendar, greetings, coursework.
Cultural context and additional thematic readings: The Portuguese-speaking world, the university, family life, travel
and vacations, household goods, sports and hobbies, holidays, and health.
