30091 - Portuguese and Brazilian Language (LM)

Learning outcomes

At  the end of  this module, students should be able to reach Level C2 of the Portuguese language proficiency levels described in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Course contents

In the last years, the growing interest in Portuguese, at global level, has stimulated a large debate about its status in the international language market and about the presuppositions for belonging to the club of the so-called international languages. This course, entitled O português internacional, aims to question the ways in which Portuguese is represented and "marketed" in the local imaginary of the Lusophone world and how these ways intersect within the effective strategies of a real globalization of Portuguese in terms of language policies, power dynamics and relevance. Therefore, the first part of the course provides an overview of the current situation of Portuguese in the two main Portuguese-speaking countries, Portugal and Brazil, with their dual standard, their national certificates of proficiency in Portuguese, their different grammar books and so on. The second part of the course addresses the challenges of teaching and learning Portuguese as a foreign language, focusing also on how different approaches to language teaching and learning can be used especially within the Italian university context (for example, from a phonological, morphosyntactic and pragmatic point of view). Further, the course will provide suggestions to bridge ideological and linguistic divides between the two main linguistic varieties of the Lusosphere, through outlining principles for a new, integrated and ecumenical grammar of Portuguese.

Readings/Bibliography

The final exam will cover the following course readings, which will be made available to students at the beginning of the course:

- José Teixeira (org.), O Português como Língua num Mundo Global. Problemas e Potencialidades, Ribeirão - V.N. Famalicão, Edições Húmus, 2016 (limitatamente agli articoli n. 3-4-5-6 e 10)

- Henrique Barroso (coord.), O Português na Casa do Mundo, Hoje, Ribeirão - V.N. Famalicão, Edições Húmus, 2018 (limitatamente all'Introduzione e ai capp. IV, V e VI).

- Luiz Paulo da Moita Lopes (org.), O Português no Século XXI: Cenário Geopolítico e Sociolinguístico, São Paulo, Parábola Editorial, 2013 (limitatamente ai capp. 1-4-5-11 e 12).

If necessary, further bibliographic references will be given during the lessons.

Teaching methods

The module (60 hours) will be delivered through lectures and classroom interaction. Students are also required to attend practical Language classes (36 hours).

Assessment methods

The full exam consists of two components:

                                       Lectures

Assessment will consist of an oral exam in Portuguese, which students can take also before passing the test of the practical language classes. The exam in Portuguese and Brazilian Language will assess students' knowledge of the content of the course, and their abilities to elaborate information critically, describing the most important topics and approaches in this field. The final mark will also test linguistic skills with particular reference to fluency, clarity and students' capacity to use correct morphosyntactic constructions and lexis. The final grade for this component of the exam accounts for 70%.

                                 Practical language classes

This component of the exam consists of two parts, a written and an oral test, based on the contents of the language classes. These two parts assess the students' capacity to understand and use the Portuguese language at the C2 level of the Common European Framework for Languages. Students have to pass the written test with a minimum grade of at least 18/30, before taking the oral exam. The final grade for this component accounts for 30% and is the mean of the scores obtained in the two parts, written and oral.

Teaching tools

 

Office hours

See the website of Roberto Mulinacci