30091 - Portuguese and Brazilian Language (LM)

Learning outcomes

On completion of this module, students should be able not only to reach Level C2 of the Portuguese language proficiency levels described in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, but also to consolidate and expand awareness and competencies in Portuguese Language from the point of view of the acquisition and reflection on linguistic concepts (linguistic variation, norm and standard-language) as well as the development of a critical understanding of key aspects of Lusophone history, culture, politics and contemporary society.

Course contents

In the wake of a previous didactic path, indirectly related with some of the main research topics of the so called “Department of Excellence” Project, such as the linguistic diversity of the Lusosphere, considered both in a diachronic-inclusive and in a synchronic-contrastive approach, this new course, developed during my “buyout period”, aims to investigate the complex relationship between Portuguese Language and Citizenship Policies from an interdisciplinary perspective, ranging from sociolinguistics to foreign language teaching, which focuses especially on the social aspects of the CPLP (Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries). Starting from an overview of the language rights granted by some Constitutions of the Lusophone countries, this course will identify the concept of citizenship as the most significant point of reference for the discussion of cultural and linguistic diversity in the field of education, taking as its premise the importance of language as a means of constructing community membership and political participation, and not only as a communication tool. In so doing, despite the official language policies of the Lusosphere, which tend to ensure effective integration of internal linguistic minorities and immigrants through promoting the acquisition of Portuguese through the local education systems, the discrepancy between these language education policies and their translation in national citizenship practices remains an enduring and important theme. The issue manifests itself in different ways, not only, for instance, in the linguistic contents of the traditional textbook-based teaching of Portuguese as a second or foreign language, but also in the evaluation criteria of the Portuguese language tests for citizenship (CAPLE e Celpe-Bras) or in the way language education is currently conducted in some portuguese-speaking countries (among which Brazil is perhaps a paradigmatic case study), where, paradoxically, Portuguese can contribute to exclude rather than include, so that sometimes it can remain, even today, more of an obstacle than a pathway to a full citizenship.

Readings/Bibliography

Edoardo Guimarães-Eni Pulcinelli Orlandi (orgs.), Língua e Cidadania. O Português no Brasil, Campinas, Pontes Editores, 1996;

Marilda C. Cavalcanti, “Estudos sobre educação bilingüe e escolarização em contextos de minorias lingüísticas no Brasil” in DELTA v. 15 (1999), pp. 385-417;

Eni Pulcinelli Orlandi (org.), Política linguística no Brasil, Campinas, Pontes Editores, 2007;

Beth Marcuschi-Maria da Graça Costa Val (orgs.), Livros Didáticos de Língua Portuguesa. Letramento e Cidadania, Belo Horizonte, Autêntica, 2007;

Maria B. F. De Oliveira, “Política linguística, cidadania e ensino de língua portuguesa” in Linguagens & Cidadania, v. 19 (2017);

Priscila de Pinho Valente, “Português como língua de acolhimento para acesso a direitos humanos: políticas linguísticas e reflexões a partir da análise de materiais didáticos para migrantes” in Muiraquitã, v. 7, n. 2 (2019), pp. 10-22, pp. 287-306;

Renata Anunciação-Helena Camargo, “O Exame Celpe-Bras como política gatekeeping para a naturalização no Brasil” in Muiraquitã, v. 7, n. 2 (2019), pp. 10-22.

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

PowerPoint presentations.

Office hours

See the website of Roberto Mulinacci