Prospectus

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Portuguese 1 Beginners

Course
2024-2025

Admission requirements

This course is only available for students in the BA International Studies programme.

Description

This is a beginners’ course that develops written and oral/aural communication skills through an intensive programme of language acquisition. Grammar and language structures are taught around a schedule centred on practical/concrete situations, such as speaking about oneself, getting to know others, finding one’s way round town, communicating present and past situations, etc.

Course objectives

This course enables the student to achieve a good level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
This is the first in a series of three language acquisition courses within the International Studies program. The final objective of this course series is to obtain an intermediate level of proficiency in Portuguese, aimed at communication with people in the region in everyday social situations and enabling students to follow current affairs in the region via various media.

Skill CEFR Level
Reading A2
Writing A1
Listening A1+
Speaking A1

Timetable

The timetables are available through My Timetable.

Mode of instruction

Tutorials

Three two-hour tutorials every week, with the exception of the midterm exam week. Attending all tutorial sessions is compulsory. If you are unable to attend a session, please inform your Tutorial-lecturer in advance, providing a valid reason for your absence. Being absent will result in a lowering of the participation grade with 0.5 for every absence after the first five (5) times.

Assessment method

Assessment & Weighing

Exam 1 (Midterm Exam)

Partial grade Weighing Time of examination
Listening comprehension & reading comprehension & written production 25% Week 6

Exam 2 (Final Exam)

Partial grade Weighing Time of examination
Listening comprehension & reading comprehension & written production 35% Week 12

Oral Exam

Partial grade Weighing Time of examination
(Final Exam) Interview and interaction with another student 10% Week 12
Assignments Oral production 10% tba
Participation 20% tba

Quizzes: Grammar structure and vocabulary
Assignments: Written production
Attendance and engagement

End Grade

  • To successfully complete the course, please take note that the End Grade of the course is established by determining the weighted average of the in-class oral and listening performance, and written exams.

  • The End Grade needs to be a 6.0 or higher to pass the course.

Resit

If the End Grade is insufficient (lower than a 6.0), there is a possibility of retaking the full 80% of the exam material (reading, writing, speaking, and listening). No resit for the tutorial (participation) is possible.

The BA International Studies program does not allow students to resit passed (constituent) examination(s) within the language courses. Language acquisition is, primarily, accomplished through in-class acquisition activities and practical assignments which contribute to the (final) examination. The diverse structure of the language courses and characteristics of language acquisition therefore withhold the possibility to resit a passed examination.

Exam review and feedback

How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.

Reading list

  • Novo Avenida Brasil 1: curso básico de português para estrangeiros: Emma Eberlein O.F. Lima … (et al.) - São Paulo: E.P.U. 2008 - ISBN: 9788512545202.
    There is also an e-book version for the Bookshelf app ISBN: 9788521627692.

  • Isabel Coimbra and Olga M. Coimbra, Gramática Ativa 1. (Porto: Lidel).
    There are two versions of this book: the European Portuguese (also applicable to African Portuguese) and the Brazilian Portuguese. Choose the one related to your area of studies.

  • Vailati, Tecia E., Apostila 1 (Reader). This reader will be available for free download on Brightspace.

Registration

  • Enrolment for the workgroup through My Studymap is mandatory.

  • No enrolment needed for the language exams.

Contact

Remarks

Passing this course is an additional requirement for a positive Study Recommendation at the end of the year.

This course uses an integrated communicative language learning approach. Therefore, active participation in the classroom activities is essential for successful learning outcomes.