2008 Summer Language Session

June 27 through August 15, 2008.

Students registered in the 2008 Portuguese School will be enrolled in one of five levels according to their proficiency as determined by placement tests and prior experience with Portuguese or other Romance Languages. In 2008, students will also have the opportunity to take graduate level credits to be transferred to other programs.

It is important that students realize that prior study of Portuguese, while a factor in placement, does not necessarily guarantee placement in a higher level. In other words, those who have had one year of Portuguese may still be placed in the beginning level according to their proficiency rating. We reserve the right to determine where the student will gain the most from the Middlebury Portuguese School experience.

Language learners vary in their background, experience with this or other languages, and motivation. The course descriptions below are general and details may vary. Students will receive detailed syllabi when they arrive at Middlebury. Projected outcomes depend on motivation and willingness on the part of students to adhere to the Language Pledge, and to participate fully in the co-curricular program.

All courses in the seven-week program provide proficiency-oriented instruction in listening, reading, speaking, writing, and grammar, with an emphasis on Brazilian Portuguese. Students will engage in activities that will emphasize presentational, interpretive, and interpersonal modes of communication both orally and in writing.

INTENSIVE LANGUAGE/CULTURE COURSES

Read about the Summer 2008 Course Highlights


Daily activities normally include four to five hours of classroom instruction plus additional work in computer laboratories.  Schedules, texts, and staffing are subject to change.  All students in the Portuguese School will engage in extensive reading activities using the texts from the invited lecturers, novels, short-stories, plays, and journalistic accounts.  Each level offers three required units encompassing grammatical forms, stylistics and composition, pronunciation and phonetics, oral expression in formal contexts, as well as interpersonal oral expression.

In addition to grammar instruction, classes will be thematic in nature with  modules lasting approximately two weeks.  For the 2008 session we are planning the following modules: Faces of the Afro-Brazilian Traditions; Brazilian Music in Context; The Brazilian Amazon Rainforest; Media in the Portuguese Speaking World; Culture and Civilization of the Portuguese Speaking World.


The Portuguese School will again offer a special institute for teachers who wish to improve or maintain their Portuguese language skills and also prepare  secondary age appropriate materials in Portuguese.  Teachers who wish to participate in this project will enroll in one of the levels below. Those who are already at the Advanced Level in Portuguese language will be eligible to enroll in the Graduate Level.

PGSE 3101-3102-3103  Beginning Portuguese

This course sequence is designed for students with no previous classroom instruction or functional ability in Portuguese, and little or no previous experience in Spanish.  Most students completing this course sequence will be able to initiate, sustain, and close a conversation dealing with familiar topics, and will be able to write short narratives and read authentic texts based on specific reading strategies.  Based on data gathered during the previous Portuguese School summers, the majority of students completing this level achieved Intermediate levels in the Oral Proficiency Examination. (3 units)

PGSE 3198-3199-2000 Advanced-Beginning Portuguese for Spanish Speakers

This course sequence focuses specifically on issues that arise when Spanish-speakers learn Portuguese.  Because of the similarity between the two languages, typically Spanish speakers progress trough Portuguese language classes at a fast rate.  In addition, with work on vocabulary and specific structures, they are able to communicate at a higher proficiency level in a shorter period of time.  Students with some formal instruction in Portuguese may also place in this level depending on their proficiency.  Based on previous  Portuguese School summers, the majority of students completing this level achieved Intermediate High to Advanced Low levels in the Oral Proficiency Examination.(3 units)

PGSE 3201-3202-3203 Intermediate Portuguese I

Students enrolling in this sequence will have completed successfully one year of Portuguese and will have a proficiency level of "novice high" or "intermediate low," according to the ACTFL proficiency guidelines. In this class, they will strengthen their knowledge of grammatical and syntactical structures and improve their mastery of the language while increasing vocabulary and functional communicative ability. Most students successfully completing this sequence will emerge with a proficiency level of "intermediate high." Depending on motivation, effort, and previous knowledge some students may progress to a level of "advanced low" or "advanced mid" during this sequence. (3 units)

PGSE 3301-3302-3303 Intermediate Portuguese II

Students enrolling in this sequence will have completed successfully one or more years of study in Portuguese and will have a proficiency level of at least "intermediate-mid" according to the ACTFL proficiency guidelines.  Students will continue to strengthen their knowledge of grammatical and syntactical structures and will continue to master the language while increasing vocabulary through extensive reading.  Students completing this sequence will emerge with a proficiency level of "Advanced-low" or "Advanced-Mid".  Depending on motivation, effort, and diligence, some students will progress to Advanced-High during this sequence.  (3 units)

PGSE 3401-3402-3403 Advanced Portuguese

Students enrolling in this sequence will have a basic mastery of Portuguese and will have a proficiency level of at least "intermediate-high" according to the ACTFL proficiency guidelines.  In this sequence, students will continue to increase vocabulary through extensive reading; they will practice writing and speaking at different registers; and they will study cultural and literary texts in depth.  Students completing this sequence will emerge with a proficiency level of Advanced-High or Superior.(3 units)

Graduate Level 
The Portuguese School now offers a non-degree graduate level of instruction.  These units are designed for graduate students who are currently enrolled in graduate programs elsewhere and wish to tranfer credit to their home institutions.  Students interested in this option should check with their home institutions about credit transfer.

We plan to offer the following courses in 2008:

PGSE 6510 Portuguese Pedagogy
Students enrolling in this course have an oral proficiency of Advanced Low or above.  In addition, they are at the advanced level in writing and reading proficiency.  The course explores the modes of communication described in the Portuguese Standards for Learning Languages in the 21st Century.  Students will do extensive reading and critical writing about the newest language acquisition theories as they apply to second and third language learning.  All readings and assignments are in Portuguese. (1 unit) 

PGSE 6615 Film and Literature 

Students enrolling in this course have an oral proficiency of Advanced Low or above.  In addition, they are at the advanced level in writing and reading proficiency.  The majority of students who choose this class will be enrolled in graduate programs at other institutions.  The course explores a variety of novels and short stories from Brazil as well as their filmic adaptations. Students will expand their literary vocabulary and will learn filmic language.  There will be a minimum of one novel and pertinent film per week.  After discussing and analyzing in depth the respective works, students will write comparative papers applying theoretical frameworks of cross-cultural literary and filmic cultural studies.  All readings and assignments are in Portuguese. (1 unit)

PGSE 6621  Contemporary Lusophone Civilization and Culture

Students enrolling in this course should have an oral proficiency of Advanced Low or above.  In addition, they are at the advanced level in writing and reading proficiency. The course is designed to provide students with a deep understanding of the Lusophone civilization and culture through cross-cultural examinations of the Portuguese-speaking world (Brazil, Portugal, Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, St. Tome and Principe, and East Timor). The course examines topics such as colonization and decolonization, hybrid cultures, contemporary politics, race relations, status of women, religion, education, cuisine, and the arts. Students will write critical essays. All readings and assignments will be in Portuguese. (1 unit)