Unit PORTUGUESE-BRAZILIAN I
- Course
- Lingue e culture straniere
- Study-unit Code
- GP004911
- Curriculum
- In all curricula
- Teacher
- Paula Cristina De Paiva Limao
- Teachers
-
- Paula Cristina De Paiva Limao
- Hours
- 54 ore - Paula Cristina De Paiva Limao
- CFU
- 9
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2025
- Offered
- 2025/26
- Learning activities
- Caratterizzante
- Area
- Lingue e traduzioni
- Sector
- L-LIN/09
- Type of study-unit
- Opzionale (Optional)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa monodisciplinare
- Language of instruction
- Italian
- Contents
- The course aims to provide students with a solid introduction to Portuguese as a foreign language, with a particular focus on basic phonetic, morphological and syntactic structures, as well as essential lexical and semantic elements needed to understand and produce simple, coherent messages. The course will systematically cover: the distinctive sounds of Portuguese, with pronunciation and phonetic discrimination exercises; the main morphosyntactic categories (articles, pronouns, regular and irregular verbs in basic tenses, agreement rules, construction of simple sentences); frequently used vocabulary for everyday and basic academic contexts; fundamental syntactic structures needed to understand and produce sentences of medium complexity. In addition, the course will provide critical and methodological tools for independent study and reflective language analysis, with particular attention to the two main contemporary varieties of Portuguese: European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese. Key phonetic, lexical and morphosyntactic differences between these varieties will be highlighted to foster a pluricentric understanding of the language. Where relevant, lessons will be enriched with historical and cultural insights, aimed at contextualising language use in real-life situations and developing culturally informed communicative competence“Students with disabilities and/or specific learning disorders (SLD) who, having completed the official accreditation process through the SOL platform, have gained access to University support services, may request the compensatory tools provided for by current regulations (e.g. digital textbooks; teaching materials in accessible formats such as presentations, handouts, and exercise books, which may be provided in advance if necessary). For more information, please refer to the webpage https://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa. To submit a request, students are invited to contact the course instructor, who will put them in touch with the Department’s Disability and/or SLD Coordinator (Prof. Alessandra Di Pilla: alessandra.dipilla@unipg.it)
- Reference texts
- All teaching materials required for attending classes and preparing for exams will be made available through the Unistudium platformStudents with disabilities and/or specific learning disorders (SLD) who, having completed the official accreditation process through the SOL platform, have gained access to University support services, may request the compensatory tools provided for by current regulations (e.g. digital textbooks; teaching materials in accessible formats such as presentations, handouts, and exercise books, which may be provided in advance if necessary). For more information, please refer to the webpage https://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa. To submit a request, students are invited to contact the course instructor, who will put them in touch with the Department’s Disability and/or SLD Coordinator (Prof. Alessandra Di Pilla: alessandra.dipilla@unipg.it).”
- Educational objectives
- The course has a dual objective: on the one hand, to provide students with the fundamental knowledge needed for metalinguistic reflection on the phonetic, morphological and syntactic system of the Portuguese language; on the other hand, to guide students from absolute beginner level to achieving language proficiency equivalent to A2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). To achieve this aim, the course will cover the essential morphological and syntactic structures as well as the most relevant lexical and semantic aspects of everyday language use. Students will also be provided with key critical and methodological tools for the study and analysis of the language, with attention given to both the European and Brazilian varieties of Portuguese. By the end of the course, students are expected to: have a solid knowledge of linguistic metalanguage and the main aspects of a descriptive-analytical model of European and Brazilian Portuguese; have developed communicative skills in all language competences (reading, listening, writing, speaking, and interaction) at an A2 level according to the CEFR; be able to communicate effectively in everyday situations of immediate relevance; demonstrate autonomy in the comprehension and production of short texts with elementary linguistic content.
- Prerequisites
- No prerequisiti are necessary
- Teaching methods
- Lectures will be held during the first semester. The official course delivered by the lecturer is structured into three modules, totalling 9 ECTS credits, and is complemented by eighty hours of practice sessions and laboratory activities organised at the CLA (University Language Centre). These supplementary activities provide practical tools and essential learning materials aimed at helping students achieve an A2 language proficiency level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), which corresponds to the CIPLE (Certificado Inicial de Português Língua Estrangeira). Students are strongly encouraged to register on the Unistudium platform, as all information related both to the courses held in the Department and to the practice sessions at the Language Centre will be made available in their respective sections. Through these platforms, students will have access to core learning materials, course updates, and proposals for additional activities designed to enrich their linguistic and cultural training, offering as comprehensive a perspective as possible on Portuguese and Brazilian language, literature, and culture.
- Other information
- Whenever possible, the courses will be enriched with extracurricular activities, including interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary seminars conducted by the course instructor or invited lecturers, screenings of films and documentaries, as well as the organisation of translation workshops. These initiatives aim to enhance and consolidate students’ language skills in a dynamic and engaging way. In addition, the use of IT tools and multimedia resources is foreseen whenever possible to support learning. In May, remedial courses for first-year students are regularly organised. These are intended for students who are behind with module exams, have not attended classes, or need to fill specific language gaps.
- Learning verification modality
- Assessment Methods The final exam consists of a written test with a single overall grade, which will be officially recorded during the exam sessions scheduled in the academic calendar. At the end of the initial modules, a mid-term exemption test is available exclusively to students who have attended at least 70% of the classes. Non-attending students must contact the instructor to agree on appropriate supplementary materials. At the CLA (University Language Centre), upon completion of the cycle of practice sessions, students must take a level test (A2), which is required to obtain the qualification needed to access the final exam in the Faculty. The assessment is therefore structured in several stages: For the Portuguese and Brazilian Language I course, overseen by the course instructor, the tests (exam or exemption) will last two hours and will include: Module I: open-ended questions on the history of the Portuguese language; Module II: dictation and exercises in phonetics and spelling; Module III: three sets of multiple-choice or closed-ended exercises on Portuguese morphosyntax, a short written piece in Portuguese, and a brief translation from Italian into Portuguese.
- Extended program
- Course Programme The Portuguese and Brazilian Language I course provides students with a theoretical and practical foundation for studying Portuguese as a foreign language. It covers the historical development of the language, its essential grammatical structures, and key cultural aspects of both European and Brazilian varieties. Course Content 1) History of the Portuguese Language: Romance origins: from Vulgar Latin to Medieval and Modern Portuguese. Main stages of evolution and geographic expansion. Language contact phenomena, creolisation, and diatopic and diastratic variation within the Portuguese-speaking world. 2) Basic Phonetics and Spelling: Introduction to the phonetic system of European and Brazilian Portuguese. Spelling rules, use of accents and diacritics. Pronunciation, reading aloud, and dictation exercises. 3) Basic Morphology: Definite and indefinite articles. Personal, possessive, demonstrative and interrogative pronouns. Indicative verbs: Simple tenses: present, pretérito perfeito (simple past), pretérito imperfeito (imperfect), pretérito mais-que-perfeito (pluperfect). Compound tenses: pretérito perfeito composto (present perfect), pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto (past perfect), futuro do presente (future simple), futuro composto do presente (future perfect), futuro do pretérito (conditional), futuro composto do pretérito (conditional perfect). Use of the most common regular and irregular verbs, with conjugation practice. 4) Prepositions: Introduction to simple and contracted prepositions. Use of prepositions of place, time, movement and cause. Frequent combinations (prepositions + articles, pronouns, verbs). Practical exercises for correct usage in context. 5) Basic Syntax: Structure and word order in simple sentences. Negation, question formation and sentence constituents. Main connectors and basic subordinate clauses. 6) Basic Vocabulary and Semantics: High-frequency vocabulary for everyday communication. Common idiomatic expressions. Strategies for expanding vocabulary and understanding context. 7) Critical and Methodological Tools: Acquisition of basic linguistic metalanguage. Introductory contrastive approach between Italian and Portuguese. Key synchronic and diachronic differences between European and Brazilian Portuguese. 8) Supplementary Activities: Dictation, expressive reading and pronunciation practice. Elementary translation workshops from Italian into Portuguese. Guided analysis of short texts, with historical and cultural context. Expected Learning Outcomes By the end of the course, students will be able to: Summarise the key historical stages of the Portuguese language and its diffusion across the Lusophone world. Correctly apply basic phonetic, spelling, morphological and syntactic rules. Conjugate the most common regular and irregular verbs in all simple and compound indicative tenses. Use prepositions accurately in short sentences and texts. Understand and produce simple messages in everyday communicative contexts. Achieve A2 level of the CEFR for written and spoken comprehension and production.
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