Classes for English Speakers

Click here to download the 2012 Winter Syllabus for the most up-to-date information and class schedules.

Português Básico 1

This course will introduce students to the rhythms and sounds of Brazilian Portuguese. Students will learn to greet each other, talk about themselves within a group, and describe everyday objects using simple adjectives. Teachers will present some of the central (and perhaps unfamiliar) grammatical concepts that underlie written Portuguese. As with later courses, this introductory course will encourage students to participate in class discussion by exploring material in both pair and group exercises so that students grow comfortable with the pronunciation and cadence of the Portuguese language early on in their career.

* INTENSIVO classes meet twice a week, shortening the learning time by half.

Português Básico 2

Students will learn to express their actions and attitudes by conjugating verbs in the present tense, and begin to grapple with the various ways that Brazilians translate the verb “to be.” In doing so, students will engage in group activities and practice how to tell time, how to count and perform simple number operations, and how to identify where people and places are located. In addition to describing their surroundings, students will be able to express that they need things, like a hotel for the night or a good restaurant for lunch. Teachers will continue to focus on different prepositional contractions and introduce new concepts like indirect object pronouns.

Português Básico 3

In this course, students will continue to express actions to learn the colloquial way to express what will happen in the future. Additionally, students will learn new ways to describe “when” and “how” this action takes place through the use of simple adverbs. Through exercises the students will practice shopping for groceries at the supermarket, trying on clothes at the mall, and ordering food at a restaurant. The class will continue to practice familiar grammatical structures, and also be introduced to new patterns to master.

Português Básico 4

In this course, students will begin to talk about their past actions. They will also learn to ask for and give basic directions, and be able to describe how they travel to work or get to class. Students will master the irregular verbs in the present tense while simultaneously learning an alternative present tense, the ongoing or progressive tense (the English “-ing”). Teachers will also explain the different ways that Brazilians use the word “for,” and help students deal with the nuances of pluralizing different words.

Português Intermediário 1

Here students will learn about verbs that are commonly used to describe one’s morning routine and also express mutual actions between two people, such as “we help each other” (nos ajudamos). They will also learn new adjectives to describe personality traits and new nouns to talk about food, order at a restaurant, and follow a recipe. In class and at home, students will continue to talk about actions that happened in the past while incorporating new verbs into this tense. Teachers will continue to help students pluralize difficult words, and will also introduce the use of direct object pronouns.

Português Intermediário 2

Students will learn to make comparisons and express their preference for certain foods, places, and people. In conversations with each other, students will talk about their childhood and their past experiences using the imperfect tense. This course will also engage students’ conceptions about the typical Brazilian, and challenge the way Brazil is portrayed in news, art, and popular culture.

Português Intermediário 3

In this course, students will learn the basics of talking on the phone, sending email, and writing a letter (or maybe just a text!) in Brazil. In addition, “para aula” exercises will help students practice opening a bank account, looking for an apartment, and finding one’s way through the airport. Teachers will continue to discuss the various variations of Portuguese spoken around the world, and focus on specific regions of Brazil that are of interest to students. Finally, students will be able to talk about their plans for the future, from dream jobs to plans for the night.

Português Intermediário 4

This course will explore some of the history of Brazil, both as a young colony with a tumultuous, debated past and a burgeoning nation making powerful changes to the international landscape. While students continue to master grammatical concepts related to the past tense, they will also learn about important cultural events and past-times in Brazil, such as Carnaval, capoeira, futevolei, samba, and bossa nova. Teachers will choose short pieces of fiction for students to read at home and discuss in class.

Português Avançado 1

Students in this course will continue to learn about the different idioms and variations found throughout Brazil. In order to make each student’s language fit the situation, teachers will discuss the differences between written and spoken Portuguese, as well as introduce various slang terms and abbreviations that are commonly used in informal speech among friends. Putting these skills to practice, students will talk through scenarios like ordering a drink at a bar, making plans with friends, and making small-talk with neighbors.

Português Avançado 2

Many sessions in this course are devoted to learning to express emotion, doubt, desire, and other uncertain or subjective states of being. In addition, students will continue to learn new ways to use familiar verbs, and incorporate more colloquial language into their vocabularies. Teachers will bring in more fiction and Brazilian folklore for the class to discuss.

Português Avançado 3

This course will include news articles about recent events in Brazil as well as popular fiction. Students will be introduced to the “cronica,” a unique and varied type of newspaper column. In order to reinforce learned verb tenses, students will casually discuss their own thoughts about the future and learn more about the history of Brazil. This course will serve as a model and a preparation for later conversation-based “Bate-Papo” courses.

Bate-Papo (Conversation class)

This is an advanced conversation course designed for students nearly fluent in Brazilian Portuguese, or have completed the equivalent of the Advanced Portuguese II course.

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