Portuguese
The Portuguese Minor
Many of our students opt to complement their undergraduate major in Spanish with a minor in Portuguese.
Students must complete Elementary Portuguese 1 or take a placement test to enroll in the Portuguese minor. Academic advisors can provide more detailed information about this process.
Fun Facts About Brazil
- Brazil shares a common border with all South American countries, except Ecuador and Chile.
- Brazil covers nearly half of South America and is the continent's largest nation
- Brazil is the 5th largest country in the world
- Portuguese is ranked fifth among the world's languages in number of native speakers (over 200 million).
- Over 51% of South America’s population speaks Portuguese
Portuguese Minor Requirements
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| PORT 0002 | Elementary Portuguese 2 |
| PORT 0003 | Intermediate Portuguese 3 |
| PORT 0004 | Intermediate Portuguese 4 |
| PORT 0020 | Conversation |
| PORT 0025 | Grammar & Composition |
| Total Required Credits | 17 |
For information contact:
Ana Paula Carvalho
E-mail: apc_pitt@yahoo.com
Portuguese Language Coordinator
Spanish Majors
- PORT 0001 is a requirement for all those who major in Spanish
- PORT 0002 can replace any upper level Spanish course (1300, 1400, 1600, 1700 and 1800) for the Spanish major requirement. It also counts towards the major and minor.
Portuguese Course Offerings
PORT 0001 Elementary Portuguese 1 (Fall and Spring)
Basic elements of Brazilian Portuguese emphasizing a development of speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Grammatical structures, vocabulary and readings are presented as tools for developing good communication skills. Students will also be exposed to Brazilian culture. Audiovisual materials such as slides, music, and film, when possible, will be utilized in this course.
*Sometimes offered in the evening
PORT 0002 Elementary Portuguese 2 (Fall and Spring)
The second half of this introductory course continues to develop skills in the speaking, listening, reading, and writing of Portuguese 0001, and pertinent aspects of Brazilian culture will also be presented. Audiovisual materials such as slides, music, and film, when possible, will also be utilized in this course.
PORT 0003 Intermediate Portuguese 3 (Fall)
A continuation of the development of conversational as well as reading and writing skills. There will be an emphasis on vocabulary expansion, correction of problematic structures, and introduction to some texts of Brazilian literature.
PORT 0020 Conversation (Fall)
A course designed to enhance fluency and the development of oral proficiency in Portuguese. Although the emphasis is on speaking and listening skills, reading and writing assignments are an important part of this class. Audiovisual materials such as newspaper articles, music, film, and other authentic materials will be utilized in this course in order to promote ample opportunities for conversation.
PORT 0025 Grammar and Composition (Spring)
(Graduate students should register for Port 1004 if they want to take this course.) This course is a continuation of Portuguese 0003, a consolidation of speaking, reading and writing skills. There will be a review of troublesome or difficult structures and an emphasis on the reading of short stories and articles. Audiovisual materials such as slides, music, and film, when possible, will also be utilized in this course. Students are required to write short compositions.
PORT1010 Portuguese for Spanish Speakers (Spring)
Portuguese for Spanish Speakers is designed as an accelerated introductory course for native speakers of Spanish or English speakers with fluency in Spanish. It will be the equivalent of Port 0001/1001 and Port 0002/1002. This course concentrates on aspects of the Portuguese language that are most difficult for Spanish speakers, such as pronunciation, vocabulary, idioms, and grammatical structures particular to Portuguese.
*Please, check with the department for requirements, and on how often this course is offered.