With a focus on communication, this course introduces students to the Portuguese language and Brazilian culture. Vocabulary, grammar, phonology, comprehension, and language production are explored in context to help students participate in social interactions in Portuguese.

Throughout the course, students will explore and discuss topics related to everyday life and contemporary society, such as technology, social media, career development, and higher education.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Talk about childhood experiences.

• Describe actions taking place at the moment of speaking using the present continuous.

• Compare life in the past with life today.

• Understand texts describing past events and experiences.

• Request a promotion at work and justify their reasons.

• Give advice using the present subjunctive.

• Express wishes and hopes for the future.

• Participate in a job interview.

Topic 1: Childhood and Technology

My Childhood

• Vocabulary related to childhood games and activities.

• Describing childhood experiences and past routines.

• Comparing life in the past with life today.

• Present continuous tense.

• Imperfect tense (pretérito imperfeito).

Technology: I'm Online

• How technology has changed the world.

• Problems caused by technology.

• Common collocations with the Portuguese verbs tomar, jogar, and pegar.

Topic 2: Professional Life

Studies and Career

• Life changes and transitions.

• Expectations versus reality.

• Vocabulary related to recruitment and the hiring process.

• Present subjunctive.

Job Interviews

• Describing previous work experience.

• Talking about academic background.

• Impersonal expressions followed by the present subjunctive.

Moreira, A.; Barbosa, C. N.; Castro, G. N. (2017). Brasil Intercultural: Língua e cultura brasileira para estrangeiros. Editora Pontes.

Coimbra, I; Coimbra, O. M. (2012) Gramática Ativa 1. 2ª ed. Lisboa: Lidel Edições Técnicas.

The course is taught through interactive lectures that encourage students to participate actively in class discussions and activities.

Students are also encouraged to engage in independent study outside class through videos and exercises available on the Open eClass platform.

• Use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in teaching.

• Support for the learning process through the Open eClass platform.

• Students may use AI tools to revise and improve their own written work. However, they must write an initial draft themselves before using AI to make revisions.

Written assignments, an oral examination, quizzes, and exercises on the Open eClass platform.