XPO0001 Portuguese 1 (4 cr)

This course is for beginners in Portuguese, whether Finnish or exchange students. It focuses on Brazilian Portuguese. In this course, learners will develop their language skills while also exploring Brazilian culture.

Each class session is a mixture of lectures, discussions and in-class individual and group participation. Learners are expected to actively participate and engage in coursework. In addition, students are also expected to complete simple homework assignments as part of their coursework. It is important to note that while this course focuses on developing the four language skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing), grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and culture are integrated into the course in a natural and meaningful way.

Learners are expected to complete some simple assignments during the course (skill-areas: listening, reading, speaking and writing). In addition, at the end of the course an exam is held. The approval is based on their performance in the different components of the exam and in the assignments.

By the end of the course, learners are expected to

• be able to introduce themselves, including information about who they are and where they live
• greet, say goodbye, ask for and give personal information
• communicate in Portuguese in the lesson
• be able to talk about dates, ask for the time and basic topics
• understand most common written and spoken texts involved in everyday situations such as buying food and going to a restaurant
• understand and follow simple instructions associated with everyday situations
• communicate in travel situations, with vocabulary related to transportation, airport, hotels and residence
• report activities they have done using some verbs in the past
• understand a little about Brazilian culture
• feel comfortable in an environment where Portuguese is spoken.

Overall, this course aims at reaching A1 level, as outlined by the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).