BA Linguistics and Portuguese

The course unit consists of advanced study of translation from and into Portuguese, conversation in Portuguese, and the writing of essays in Portuguese. Building on the students’ experiences in their year abroad, the course will improve their ability to communicate with a high level of fluency, accuracy and confidence in Portuguese, and to recognise and reproduce different registers of language accurately when speaking, listening, reading, writing, and translating to and from Portuguese. Methodologically, the course is organised around contemporary topics, and combines oral and listening exercises, conversation, reading, translation (from Portuguese to English and from English to Portuguese), and essay writing. On successful completion of this course, students should be able to perform at Level C1/C2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). 

SPLA52040 or equivalent (for visiting students only). 

• A broad, active knowledge, both practical and theoretical, of advanced Portuguese grammar and syntax, including different registers of language and their contexts of use  

• An understanding of the language in its broader cultural context 

• A broad knowledge and a critical understanding of the cultures and societies of the Lusophone world 

• An ability to translate to and from Portuguese in a variety of different literary, journalistic, and semi-specialist genres 

• The ability to understand and produce advanced/sophisticated texts of different genres 

• Further intercultural awareness, understanding and competence  

This course develops abilities to: 

• Use language creatively and precisely for a range of purposes and audiences 

• Engage with and interpret layers of meaning within texts, whether they are verbal only or multimodal 

• Organise and present ideas within the framework of a structured and reasoned argument 

• Engage in further critical and analytical thinking 

• Develop critical, research and problem-solving skills 

These include:  

• Advanced skills to enhance their language learning through independent study 

• Use and present material in the target language in written and oral forms accurately and in a clear and effective manner 

• Ability to manage own learning 

• Use target language source materials (written and oral) appropriately and confidently 

• Write and think under pressure and meet deadlines 

• Access electronic resources and use information and communication technologies (ICT) appropriately 

 These include: 

• Communication and presentation skills: oral, written and IT 

• The ability to work creatively and flexibly with others as part of a team 

• Mediating skills and qualities of empathy 

• Self-reliance and adaptability 

• Further intercultural skills and cultural awareness 

Resit Assessment

• Amélia Hutchinson and Janet Lloyd, Portuguese. An Essential Grammar (Routledge). 
• Mário A. Perini, Modern Portuguese: A Reference Grammar (Yale) 
• Evanildo Bechara, Moderna Gramática Portuguesa. 
• Celso Cunha and Lindley Cintra, Nova Gramática do Português Contemporâneo. 
•  It is advisable to acquire a monolingual Portuguese Dictionary such as Dicionário Aurélio or Dicionário Houaiss.