High Beginning Portuguese

PGSE 3198-3199 (Language Studies) & PGSE 3200 (Cultural Studies)



This course sequence is intended for students with a proficiency level equivalent to “Novice-Low to-Mid”, according to the ACTFL guidelines of language proficiency. In this class, they will acquire a solid foundation of the basic concepts of the Portuguese language through concise explanations focused on usage, enhancing their lexical and communicative competence, which will allow them to interact in more meaningful ways while also taking initiative to develop communicative exchanges using simple connected discourse. Through distinct and diverse cultural modules of the Cultural Studies course, students will be able to enrich their experience as they heighten their awareness of the Portuguese-speaking world. This will help them grasp the target language culture, as well as develop fluency as they are exposed to authentic texts in Portuguese, which will reinforce what they are learning in the grammar class, as they start becoming more confident while using a more structured argument to convey meaning. Most students successfully completing this sequence will emerge with a proficiency level of “Intermediate-Mid”, or in some cases, “Intermediate High”.



Prerequisite: Placement and/or approval of the instructor and/or director prior to registration