Advanced Portuguese via the Arts

Catalog description

This course provides a more detailed study of the Portuguese language that builds upon the grammar, vocabulary, and communicative abilities developed in the basic language sequence. Students will review and extend their abilities in all four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) as they learn more about the linguistic and cultural diversity of the Portuguese-speaking world. The course uses a textbook paired with written, audio, and video workbook activities and supplemented by authentic language materials and artistic works that generate communicative exercises that allow students to practice and refine their spoken and written Portuguese. As students improve their understanding of the Portuguese language, they also gain insight into Luso-Afro-Brazilian cultures by analyzing music, films, videos, paintings, photos, essays, chronicles, news articles, short stories, and poems. Students learn about the distinct contexts in which Portuguese is spoken as they examine artistic works and linguistic variations that develop within specific countries and region. This class serves as a transition course between basic and intermediate language classes and more advanced composition, literature, and culture courses taught at the 300 and 400-level. The class is conducted entirely in Portuguese. Students must have taken Portuguese 3 or 123, or received permission of the instructor, in order to enroll in this course.