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UCL Centre for Languages & International Education (CLIE)

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Portuguese Level 4+

Prerequisite for entry

Successful completion of Portuguese syllabus level 4 at UCL Language Centre or A-level grade (or equivalent).

Term duration

10 x 2-hour classes.

Aims and objectives

The aim of the course is to enable students who have an advanced knowledge of Portuguese to acquire a better fluency in the language. Students will be able to follow discussions and debates on current issues (world wide) as well as communicate in all situations using complex and linguistically more accurate structures (different types of discourses, registers etc.) Cultural awareness will be further developed. Various transferable skills will be covered.

Functions

  • Ability to interact in any kind of debate
  • Presenting one’s ideas clearly and efficiently
  • Recognising and using various registers
  • Improving reading skills of complex analytical and critical discourse
  • Improving listening skills of abstract and speculative forms of discourse

Course content

Main topics/themes to be covered: 

  • As in level 4, the content of this course will be based around a reflection on the nature of contemporary society and current affairs. The topic may include the following (as appropriate, depending on students’ interests):
  • Página errada; Cena Brasiliense:Brazilian daily life; coloquial language: Inferno nacional; A coisa aqui está preta; point of view: Engenheiro de telecomunicações abandona tudo; formal language: Dois sonetos de antigamente...
  • Anjo brasileiro; Cena do Pantanal Mato-Grossense: Brazilian daily life; coloquial language: Otilio – um magro abusado; Comportamento brasileiro: o diálogo oculto; point of view: Caixa de idiotices; formal language: O Sertanejo
  • A resposta; Cena amazonense: Brazilian daily life; coloquial language: familiar expressions; Miami, Caribe, Nordeste; point of view: A revolução que liquidou o emprego; formal language: O cortiço

Phonetics

Introduction to the various registers/accents

Grammar and linguistic structures

  • Gramática em revisão: Pretérito composto do indicativo; pretérito mais-que-perfeito do indicativo; verbos: vir, vir/ver, pôr, pôr/poder; pronomes indefinidos; repetição enfática; adjetivos eruditos (1); verbs and its prepositions (4)
  • Conjunções condicionais; levar/trazer, ir/vir, relative pronouns: invariáveis e variáveis, palavras indefinidas + pronome relativo; verbos compostos de vir; verbos compostos de pôr, adjetivos eruditos (2), verbo fazer, ações contínuas, verbs and its prepositions (5)
  • Gramática em revisão: tempos compostos do subjuntivo: perfeito do subjuntivo/mais-que-perfeito do subjuntivo/futuro composto do subjuntivo; verbos irregulares de 3ª conjugação: dormir/subir/preferir; expressões de tempo, advérbios e locuções adverbiais de tempo; verbos irregulares de 3ª conjugação: progredir; advérbios e locuções adverbiais de modo, lugar, afirmação, negação; verbs and its prepositions (6)

Learning resources

Books

  • Main textbook: Português Via Brasil, um curso avançado para estrangeiros
  • The tutor will be using different books and handouts for extra exercises.