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UCL Centre for Languages & International Education (CLIE)

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Portuguese Level 4

Prerequisite for entry

Successful completion of Portuguese syllabus level 3+ at UCL Language Centre or a low A-level grade (or equivalent).

Term duration

10 x 2-hour classes.

Aims and objectives

The aim of the course is to enable students who already have a good knowledge of Portuguese to acquire an advanced level. Students will be able to communicate in all situations within Portuguese speaking countries, converse with native speakers and follow debates on a wide range of issues as well as express themselves with more complex and linguistically accurate structures. Cultural awareness will be further developed and raised within European/global context. Various transferable skills will be covered.

Functions

  • Reading and interpreting colloquial and formal texts; using expressions to develop a debate or discussion; giving opinion
  • Understanding meaning of Brazilian/Portuguese expressions and colloquial expressions with the superlative; learning the pronunciation of words with “X”; agreeing and disagreeing
  • Sentido próprio e figurado; learning some “simpatias” of Brazil

Course content

Main topics/themes to be covered: 

  • Coisas e fatos;  Árvores Paulistanas; Colloquial language (Blitz); Idiomatic expressions; Point of view (uma opinião contra os transplantes); Formal language (Em Minas, sinal aberto aos ladrões)
  • Dona Custódia;  O Preconceito racial; Colloquial language (Vamos acabar com esta folga); Como é que é?!; Point of view (Viajar para quê?); Formal language (Os sinais do tempo)
  • Criança ontem e hoje; Festas juninas; colloquial language (Num país com tanto sol, é um pecado.....); formal language (Do Sol & da Chuva com Pequeno Milagre)

Phonetics

Introduction to the various registers/accents

Grammar and linguistic structures

  • Grammar revision: imperfect tense, direct object pronouns, verbs: ser, estar, ficar; forming words (1) with suffixes and prefixes, compound nouns, plural of nouns; accent rules; ditongos e hiatos; some verbs and its prepositions (1)
  • Grammar revision: Present and imperfect of subjunctive; colocação pronominal; masculine and feminine nouns; masculine nouns ending in “a”; nouns with different meanings (masculine and feminine); singular e plural; forming words (2); the superlative; colloquial expressions with the superlative; verbs and its prepositions (2)
  • Grammar revision: future of subjunctive (with conjunctions, in relative clauses); verbs: to see, can; contractions of articles + prepositions/pronouns; indefinite pronouns; numerais; prepositions of movement; compound verbs of the verb “ter” and “ver”; pronomes oblíquos com valor possessive; collective nouns; verbs and its prepositions (3)

Learning resources

Books

  • Main textbook: Via Brasil – Um Curso avançado para estrangeiros (Emma Eberlein O.F.Lima/Samira A. Lunes
  • The tutor will be using different books and handouts for extra exercises.