Portuguese II

Modules

On completion of the module, students will be able to:

• apply correct language structure and adequate language use (vocabulary and idiomatic expressions) in their own texts in different genres
• discuss the specific features that characterise different written genres
• using adequate grammatical terminology, analyse and comment on how their own texts and those of others align with the conventions of varieties of Portuguese
• search for and use relevant sources, and refer to them in a way that is correct according to the genre
• translate simple texts from and into Portuguese.

On completion of the module, students will be able to:

• demonstrate insight into Portuguese phonetics and phonology by pronouncing Portuguese correctly with regard to speech sound and prosody, and show awareness of its different varieties
• analyse and explain the content of spoken Portuguese in various genres and from different languagevarieties
• apply a varied and adequate language adapted to the genre such as vocabulary, and informal or formal speech.

On completion of the module, students will be able to:

• describe the decisive historical events (political and socioeconomic) that have shaped the development of Portuguese society from the 1900s until the present day
• reflect upon the development of society in Portugal in relation to the world at large and include gender and postcolonial aspects in the analysis
• conduct literary text analyses that problematise the content of the literary works and that relate to their historical and socio-cultural context.

On completion of the module, students will be able to:

• discuss the literary structure and content of a selection of contemporary literary works in Portuguese from different continents
• analyse literary works by relating their content to their aesthetic, socio-cultural and political contexts
• describe a number of literary perspectives, concepts and methodologies for literary analysis
• present literary analyses in Portuguese.

The course consists of four modules.

Modules

This module involves an in-depth study of the structure and usage of the Portuguese language. The focus is on exercises in the production of texts in various genres. In addition, the module includes the translation of simple texts to and from Portuguese. Differences and similarities between varieties of Portuguese are addressed and problematised based on concepts such as language perspective, conventions and linguistic variation.

This module involves an in-depth study of pronunciation and oral language proficiency. The focus is on exercises in listening comprehension and oral presentations in interactive formats.

This module is about the study of fictional texts, film adaptations, non-fiction and other contemporary material that sheds light on developments in Portuguese society from the beginning of the 1900s to the present day. Focus is on the close study of a selection of representative fictional texts, whose content relates to historical and sociopolitical phenomena, such as monarchy, republic, colonial power, dictatorship, democracy and membership in the EU. Developments in society are also discussed, based on a number of issues from postcolonial and gender theory.

This module involves the study of contemporary literary texts in Portuguese from different continents. The literary structure and content of the texts are studied and discussed both orally and in writing in relation to the aesthetic, historical and socio-cultural contexts in which the texts were produced. The module introduces a number of theoretical perspectives in the field of literary studies, as well as basic terminology and methodology for literary analysis.

• Active participation in seminars
• Written assignments
• Oral presentations
• Review of the written assignments of other students

The grading scale used for the final course grade is U–VG.

For a final course grade of VG, students must achieve a VG for at least 24 credits.

Grades are reported as follows:

• Written translation - 3 Credits | U–VG
• Written assignments with a focus on grammar - 4.5 Credits | U–VG
• Pronunciation and pronunciation test - 3 Credits | U–VG
• Oral presentations - 4.5 Credits | U–VG
• Contemporary Portugal: Literature and Society - 7.5 Credits | U–VG
• Written assignments with a focus on text analysis - 3 Credits | U–VG
• Discussions and oral presentations - 4.5 Credits | U–VG

The language of instruction is Portuguese, and English serves as a support language.

This course overlaps the courses Contemporary Portugal: Literature and Society, 7.5 credits, Portuguese: Introduction to the Study of Contemporary Literature in Portuguese, 7.5 credits, Portuguese: Oral Proficiency II, 7.5 credits and Portuguese: Grammar and Written Proficiency II, 7.5 credits.