Level Descriptions
Enrollment above Level 1 Beginning Portuguese requires students to take a placement assessment prior to the start of the program. The placement assessment is not part of the application process.
Explore our course catalog to see the courses offered in past years.
Level 1 Beginning Portuguese
PGSE 3101-3102 (Language and Culture) & PGSE 3103 (Thematic)
Beginning Portuguese is designed for students who have never studied the language and have little or no experience in another Romance Language. You will work on building your vocabulary and learning language structures in context through interaction. By the end of this sequence, you will be able to sustain simple conversations, write short narratives, and read simple authentic texts and you will be able to interact in Portuguese to deal with everyday activities and satisfy simple social demands. You will also explore arts in general, history, geography, and daily life of the Portuguese-speaking world.
Students completing this course generally reach the “Intermediate level” in the exit assessment.
Prerequisite: Placement and/or approval of the instructor and/or director prior to registration
Level 1SS - Beginning Portuguese for Spanish Speakers
PGSE 3151-3152 (Language and Culture) & PGSE 3153 (Thematic)
Beginning Portuguese for Spanish-Speakers—or another Romance language—is a program specifically conceived to build on the strengths and challenges of Spanish-speakers learning Portuguese. Because of their previous knowledge of a Latin-based language, Spanish-speakers progress at an astonishing rate. You will work on your pronunciation and intonation and develop your communicative skills by contrasting and working on specific vocabulary and language structures that will take you to higher levels of proficiency. This course also introduces you to the arts in general, history, geography, environment, politics, and elements of culture and values of everyday life of the Portuguese-speaking world.
Students completing this level generally achieve “Intermediate-High” to “Advanced-Low” levels in the final oral assessment.
Prerequisite: Placement and/or approval of the instructor and/or director prior to registration
Level 1.5 High Beginning Portuguese
PGSE 3198-3199 (Language and Culture) & PGSE 3200 (Thematic)
High Beginning Portuguese is ideal for students with an ACTFL “Novice-Low to-Mid” proficiency level and heritage-speakers. This course continues to build your vocabulary and works on more complex structures of the Portuguese language through constant interactions, developing your ability to communicate using connected discourse. You also increase your cultural understanding of the Portuguese-speaking world through the critical exploration of authentic texts to help you confidently express more culturally informed structured arguments to convey your perspectives.
Students completing this sequence generally reach an “Intermediate-Mid” or “Intermediate High” proficiency level.
Prerequisite: Placement and/or approval of the instructor and/or director prior to registration
Level 2 Intermediate Portuguese I
PGSE 3201-3202 (Language and Culture) & PGSE 3203 (Thematic)
Students enrolling in Intermediate Portuguese I have an ACTFL “Novice-High” proficiency level. This course strengthens your knowledge of more complex grammatical and syntactical structures while increasing your vocabulary. You will improve your language skills and ability to communicate using paragraph length connected discourse, diminishing patterns of error, exploring the vibrant cultural diversity of the Portuguese-speaking world. Through interaction, you learn more about these communities and develop fluency to express culturally informed structured arguments to convey meaning with confidence and accuracy.
Students completing this sequence generally reach an “Intermediate-Mid or High” or “Advanced-Low” proficiency level.
Prerequisite: Placement and/or approval of the instructor and/or director prior to registration
Level 2.5 Intermediate Portuguese II
PGSE 3298-3299 (Language and Culture) & PGSE 3300 (Thematic)
Students enrolling in Intermediate Portuguese II have an ACTFL “Intermediate-Low” proficiency level. You improve your knowledge of complex grammatical and syntactical structures and improve your language skills by intensive exposure to the target language though debates, in-class presentations, and discussions of cultural manifestations, that increase your communicative ability in diverse registers. In this course you discuss cultural and social topics of contemporary Portuguese-speaking societies that will help you understand the target cultures and develop fluency to use culturally informed structured arguments to convey meaning with confidence and accuracy.
Students completing this sequence will reach an “Intermediate-High”, “Advanced-Low” or “Advanced-Mid” proficiency level.
Prerequisite: Placement and/or approval of the instructor and/or director prior to registration
Level 3.5 Advanced Portuguese I
PGSE 3398-3399 (Language and Culture) & PGSE 3400 (Thematic)
Students enrolling in Advanced Portuguese I have an ACTFL “Intermediate-High” or “Advanced-Low” proficiency level. You continue to strengthen your knowledge of complex grammatical and syntactical structures to improve your language skills, while exploring a richer and more diverse vocabulary. You learn how to deal with linguistically unfamiliar situations, coping with complex communicative exchanges. Through theoretical readings, critical discussions, debates, writings, and cultural products and practices you will develop your intercultural competence and sensibility.
Students completing this sequence reach an “Advanced-Mid or High” or “Superior” proficiency level. This course sequence is not offered every summer.
Prerequisite: Placement and/or approval of the instructor and/or director prior to registration