Studying Portuguese at Middlebury
Bem-vindos! Welcome! Portuguese is one of the newest language offerings at Middlebury College, but it already gives students the opportunity to undertake a minor in Portuguese and to study abroad at the C.V. Starr Middlebury School in Latin America, in Belo Horizonte, Florianópolis, or Niterói, Brazil.
The program's growing curriculum offers beginning, intermediate, and limited advanced-level instruction during the academic year, with the possibility for additional advanced work through Independent Study, at the summer Portuguese Language School, and during study abroad.
The curriculum during the academic year focuses on Brazilian Portuguese and contemporary Brazilian culture. With a population of 177 million, Brazil is the largest Portuguese-speaking country in the world and is often considered a nation of superlatives. It is home to the world's most voluminous river and largest rain forest, and two of the world's biggest cities.
Did you know that the largest Japanese community outside Japan is in the city of São Paulo? (Notin California!) Did you know that Brazil's soccer team is the only one to win the World Cup five times? Did you know that the participatory budget, hailed as one of the most innovative and democratic forms of government, was first instituted in the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre?
Why study Portuguese?
First of all, because it's fun! Brazilian Portuguese is a lyrical, playful language with a rich vocabulary that reflects the many cultures that have shaped the nation's past and the many regions that constitute its present. Brazil is one of the strongest musical cultures in the world, and Middlebury's Portuguese courses make ample use of its musical traditions in teaching grammar and culture. The program does not stick to a textbook; it incorporates newspapers and magazines, films, commercials, short stories, novels and plays to immerse students in the Brazilian language and culture.
What about the world "outside the bubble"? Portuguese is a natural choice for students interested in Latin America. Brazil is the region's largest country and represents nearly 40 percent of its population. Portuguese is relatively easy for Spanish-speakers to learn (although this doesn't mean the languages are the same or that you won't need to study!), and is considered increasingly essential for business, study, and travel in Latin America. Thus, knowledge of Portuguese in addition to Spanish can give Latin American Studies students an added advantage as candidates for employment or graduate studies.
Studying Portuguese will also open new worlds in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Portuguese is one of the world's top-10 languages, spoken by more than 190 million people worldwide (more than French, German or Italian!). It's the official language of Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Cape-Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé e Príncipe, and East Timor. It is also widely spoken in Macau (China) and Goa (India), and in growing communities in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and California.
Students interested in Environmental Studies would also benefit from Portuguese. The richness and diversity of Brazil's flora and fauna are simply astonishing. Brazil has the largest variety of fish and plant species in the world, the second-largest variety of amphibian species, the third most bird species, and the fourth-largest variety of butterfly species. Environmental issues are hotly debated in Brazil, as the nation struggles to balance conservation and economic growth amidst increasing rates of deforestation, pollution, and desertification.