This is an intensive beginner’s language programme. The course is designed to enable students with no previous knowledge of Portuguese to reach a lower-intermediate proficiency by the end of the year, and to build towards the use of the language at a high level. Study focuses on the major language skills;

• receptive skills (listening and reading)
• productive skills (speaking and writing)
• inter-cultural awareness skills (awareness of cultural diversity)

These skills, as well as the study of the grammatical and lexical patterns of the language are practiced and developed through classwork exercises, online activities and written work, use of video and audio material, and interaction with native speakers where possible, including native speaker exchange students hosted by the school.

1. Read, understand and speak Portuguese to a level comparable with A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR) (LO1)
2. Speak confidently and with appropriate grammatical correctness and spontaneity about topics that are familiar and routine (LO2)
3. Write coherent texts in Portuguese in a range of registers on a range of topics with appropriate grammatical accuracy (LO3)
4. Extract data and ideas from a range of authentic written texts (LO4)

There will be four weekly seminars on campus.

The module will be delivered through a range of interactive teaching sessions and may include, where relevant, asynchronous materials such as Xerte content or short grammar explanations.

Independent Learning: You will be expected to spend a significant amount of time studying and participating in individual and collaborative activities outside the live sessions. Materials will be provided on Learning Central which will help you develop your expertise as an independent language learner. You will be asked to consolidate your language learning by learning vocabulary and linguistic structures, and by reading, watching and/or listening to material in the Portuguese language. You will also be expected to prepare and complete exercises and activities online, to complete written, listening and oral tasks and to engage with tutors and peers through discussion boards and forums. Over the course of the year you will begin to acquire a repertoire of effective language learning strategies.

1. An understanding of the principles of learning a foreign language intensively and organise your learning with guidance with the tutor
2. Subject-specific language skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) in Portuguese at the appropriate level
3. The ability to use language creatively and precisely for a range of purposes and audiences
4. The abilities to extract and synthesize key information from written, spoken and other sources
5. A greater awareness of how languages (including the mother tongue) function
6. The skills to be effective, independent and self-aware Iearners, including active reflection on learning processes and preferences so as to independently develop appropriate strategies and linguistic skills to ensure progression
7. The ability to work creatively and flexibly with others as part of a team
8. Skills in intercultural awareness, understanding and competence, including a critical understanding of other cultures and practice other than one’s own
9. Enhanced skills in effective communication, presentation and interaction – both in an online environment and face-to-face
10. Extended and refined vocabulary and skills by engaging with the Independent Learning Portfolio
11. Enhanced digital literacy skills including the ability to engage with appropriate language learning technologies
12. The ability to identify, assess, and make good use of appropriate reference materials (e.g. dictionaries; online resources; self-study tool)

The key language skills are receptive (reading and listening), production (speaking and writing), and intercultural awareness. Developing these skills involves acquiring metalinguistic and lexical competence, i.e. studying the building blocks of the language including grammatical and lexical patterns and structures. All of these skills are assessed through continuous assessment over the course of the module which reflects the progressive and accumulative nature of language learning.

IMPORTANT: In order to meet the learning outcomes of the module and pass the module, you must achieve a pass mark (40%) in both the Oral Examination and the final Written Exam AND an overall module average of at least 40%.

The method(s) of assessing the learning outcomes for this module are set out in the Assessment Table, which also contains the weightings of each assessment component.

Mapping of Assessments to Intended Learning Outcomes:

Coursework 1 assesses ILOs 2,3,4

Coursework 2 assesses ILOs 1,3, 4

Written exam  assesses ILOs 1,3,4

Oral Examination assesses ILOs 1, 2

Reassessment

You may be required to resit one or more of the assessments in this module if you fail the module. The Examination Board will advise you which assessments you need to resit during the August resit period. Resit assessments that are not supported by extenuating circumstances will be capped at the pass mark applicable to your programme.

This module provides a thorough introduction to the Portuguese language, including Brazilian and African variants of Portuguese.

The module provides an introduction to the pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary of the Portuguese language, and to the cultural contexts in which the language is used. A number of key language structures will be introduced and integrated with strategies for communication. There will also be a focus on the development of reading skills and topics-based work using the course materials and recommended grammar books.

By the end of the first semester, students will be able to talk about themselves and describe events in the present, past and future. There will be a focus on understanding and producing spoken and written Portuguese for specific contexts.

The second semester will consolidate the knowledge and use of grammar acquired in part 1, and it will cover additional grammatical functions including the subjunctive mood. Students will increase their ability to understand and produce spoken and written Portuguese as a world language.