This 10-week course is pitched at level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), and completion of the course will help you meet some of the level requirements. To help develop your fluency in the language, the course will focus primarily on speaking and listening skills, but will also include practice in reading and writing. You will have plenty of opportunities to practise the target language through hands-on class activities such as discussions and role-plays.
Portuguese: Lower Intermediate - Part 1
This is an In-person course which requires your attendance to the weekly meetings which take place in Oxford.
Overview
Programme details
Course starts: 28 Sept 2023
The weekly course schedule below is intended to give an overview of the main topic(s) likely to be covered in each session. Please note that these may sometimes change at the tutor’s discretion to reflect the interests of course participants.
Week 1: Onde fica a tua casa, Ana?
(Re-)introducing each other, and giving directions.
- Portuguese varieties on the map
- Asking for and giving directions
Week 2: Gostas de ver filmes de terror? O que vais fazer no próximo fim de semana?
Discussing hobbies and sports, and making plans.
- Likes and dislikes
- The weather
- Simple Present or ‘Ir’ + Infinitive? (To express future)
Week 3: Está sol, vamos passear. Queres vir connosco?
Describing the weather. Making and accepting invitations.
- The weather
- Social pleasantries regarding invitations
- Preposition ‘Com’ + Personal Pronouns
Week 4: Queria ir convosco, mas não posso!
Refusing invitations politely.
- ‘Queria’ (Imperfect to express wishes) + Infinitive
- ‘Poder’ + Infinitivo ; ‘Saber’ + Infinitivo ; ‘Conseguir’ + Infinitivo
Week 5: O Tomás vai ao médico.
Going to the doctor’s surgery; describing physical states and needs.
- ‘Estar’ + Adjective ; ‘Estar com’ + Noun phrase ; ‘Ter’ + Noun phrase
- Verb ‘doer’
- Vocabulary on the body; physiological states and needs
Week 6: Podia dar-me uma informação, por favor?
Going to the bank (and other services) – requesting information.
- Podia (Imperfect of courtesy for requests) + Infinitive
- ‘Ser preciso’ / ‘Ser necessário’ + Infinitivo
- Verb ‘dar’
- Personal Pronouns - Indirect object
Week 7: Agora, preenche este impresso, por favor.
At the post-office (and other services) – filling in simple forms; understanding simple instructions and notices.
- Vocabulary related to services; simple forms and notices
- Some more modal verbs in context
- Infinitive for instructions
Week 8: Revisões.
Consolidation.
Week 9: Como foi a manhã da Renata?
Narrating single events in the past.
- Pretérito Perfeito Simples of regular verbs ending in ‘-ar’, ‘-er’ and ‘-ir’
- Pretérito Perfeito Simples of some irregular verbs: ‘ser’, ‘ir’, ‘estar’ and ‘ter’
Week 10: Feliz Natal! Boas férias!
Christmas and other festive celebrations and traditions.
- A festive message
- Language and culture games
Key grammar points:
* Tenses for expressing the future: Simple Present / ‘Ir’ + Infinitive
* Some modal verbs
* Imperfect of courtesy for requests
* Personal Pronouns – Indirect Object
* Pretérito Perfeito Simples – to narrate single, ’one-off’ events and actions in the past
Key functions:
* Making plans
* Inviting, accepting and refusing
* Requesting information, instructions and help in the context of services
* Narrating single events and actions in the past
* Filling in simple forms
Recommended reading
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Continuing Education Library for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are welcome to use the Library for reference. More information can be found on the Library website.
There is a Guide for Weekly Class students which will give you further information.
Availability of titles on the reading list (below) can be checked on SOLO, the library catalogue.
Preparatory reading
- Aprender Português 1 - Português Para Estrangeiros: Níveis A1, A2. / Oliveira, Carla, et al.
- Gramática Aplicada - Português Língua Estrangeira: Níveis A1, A2, B1. / Oliveira, Carla, et al.
Certification
Students who attend a minimum of 70% of classes will receive a Certificate of Attendance.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course Fee | £251.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Tutor
Ângela Sarmento-Dingsdale
Ângela Sarmento-D. is an experienced teacher of Portuguese language and culture. She holds a degree in Modern Languages and Literatures (Portuguese and English Studies) and a Masters in Portuguese and Brazilian Studies from the University of Porto. During the curricular stage of her PhD, she attended courses at Sorbonne Nouvelle (Paris), where she developed work in the field of Comparative Literature and Inter-artistic Studies. Ângela is a research member of ILC-ML [Margarida Losa’s Institute for Comparative Literature].
Course aims
To help students to practise their interactive skills in the target language in a range of simple and routine everyday situations requiring straightforward descriptions and direct exchange of information on family and other people, living conditions, educational background and work.
Course objectives:
- To develop the language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing at level A2 of the CEFR.
- to consolidate listening and speaking skills to enable students to communicate in a range of simple everyday work and leisure settings and matters in areas of most immediate relevance.
- To equip students with the vocabulary items and grammatical structures required to read and write short, simple texts on familiar topics.
- To develop an insight into the cultural practices relating to simple everyday work, study and leisure settings.
Teaching methods
You will learn through a communicative teaching approach with the emphasis on actively engaging in classroom activities in the target language. These are likely to include role-plays, pair- and small group-work, and conversational practice conducted in a supportive, friendly and informal learning environment.
The course has been structured to help you primarily to improve your speaking and listening skills and to deepen your awareness of cultural nuances and customs in your target language. You will also learn and practise new grammatical structures in a communicative context and will be encouraged to develop your reading and writing skills in your own time.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- communicate in a range of simple everyday situations requiring direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters;
- understand and respond appropriately to a range of simple spoken language in everyday situations provided speech is slowly and clearly articulated;
- read and demonstrate comprehension of a range of short simple texts on familiar matters of concrete type and consisting of everyday language;
- write short, simple notes, messages, descriptions and/or personal letters;
- demonstrate intercultural awareness in everyday social situations and language use generally.
Assessment methods
You will be set short, optional assignments to consolidate your learning and to allow you to progress at your own pace.
Application
Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form (Word) or enrolment form (Pdf).