Courses in Portuguese
Spring 2010
[Please see the Directory of Classes for the timetable of courses with multiple sections. Readings, assignments, and class discussion in Portuguese unless otherwise noted.]
PORT 1102y
Elementary Portuguese II
Ricardo Gualda
TRF 1:10-2:25
4 pts. Prerequisites: PORT 1101. This course is designed to acquaint students with the Portuguese verbal, prepositional, and pronominal systems. As a continuation of Elementary Portuguese I, this course aims at focusing on the uses of characteristic forms and expressions of the language as it is spoken and written in Brazil today.
PORT 1220y
Comprehensive Intermediate Portuguese
4 pts. Prerequisites: PORT 1102 or PORT 1320. This course will foster intensive practice in reading and composition based on short literary and journalistic texts. We will discuss contemporary issues based on articles from Lusophone newspapers and magazines. Students will review grammar, expand their vocabulary and improve oral expression, writing, and reading skills. Students are also exposed to audio-visual material that will deepen their understanding of Lusophone societies and culture.
PORT 1320y
Comprehensive Elementary Portuguese I and II for Spanish Speakers
4 pts. Prerequisites: SPAN 1202 or equivalent, or permission from the department. For students unable to dedicate the time needed cover two semesters in one, the regular paced courses (PORT 1101-1102) are preferable. May be taken in place of PORT 1101-1102.An intensive intermediate language course in Portuguese with emphasis on Brazilian culture through multimedia materials related to culture and society in contemporary Brazil. Recommended for students who have studied Spanish or another Romance language. The equivalent of two full semesters in intermediate Portuguese grammar with stress on reading and conversation.
PORT W3300y
Advanced Portuguese Through Content
José A. Castellanos-Pazos
TR 4:10-5:25
3 pts. An intensive exposure to advanced points of Portuguese grammar and structure through written and oral practice, along with an introduction to the basic principles of academic composition in Portuguese.
Each section is based on the exploration of an ample theme that serves as the organizing principle for the work done in class. This will serve as the topical context to review advanced points of Portuguese grammar and structure through written and oral practice, and to introduce the basic principles of academic composition in Portuguese, particularly those pertaining to narration and description. This course is required for the concentration in Portuguese Studies. "Brasil: Favela e carnaval" intends to offer an exploration of issues related to poverty, race and violence through cultural phenomena manifested in fiction, music, film and media in today’s Brazilian society.This course is required for the concentration in Portuguese Studies.
PORT W3330y
Introduction to Portuguese Studies
Luis Gonçalves
MW 2:40-3:55
3 pts. This course presents the students with the information and basic tools needed to interpret a broad range of topics and cultural production from the Portuguese-Speaking World: literary, filmic, artistic, architectural, urban, etc. We will use a continuing cross-disciplinary dialogue to study everyday acts as a location of culture. The course will center on interpretation as an activity and as the principal operation though which culturally sited meaning is created and analyzed. Among the categories and topics discussed will be history, national and popular cultures, literature (high/low), cultural institutions, migration, and globalization. Students will also acquire the fundamental vocabulary for the analysis of cultural objects. This course is required for the concentration in Portuguese Studies.
SPPO W3410y
Language and Ideology
Ricardo Gualda
TR 11:00-12:15
3 pts. This course focuses on the most influential developments in discourse analysis in the context of language and ideology, applied to relevant discourses in Latin America. The five theoretical modules are: a) basic concepts in linguistics (Saussure and Benveniste), b) dialogue in discourse (Bakthin), c) Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough), d) discourse and ideology (van Dijk), and e) Cognitive Sciences (Lakoff). For each module, there will be a discussion session applying the methodological approaches to actual discourse. Students will write a 5-page essay (module notes) for each module either applying the theoretical framework at hand to a discourse corpus (related to Latin America) or relating the framework studied to another. They will also write a 15-page analysis of a discourse corpus (related to Latin America) as a final essay. In the final 2 sections of the course, they will have the opportunity to present their analysis and receive input from the class. Through the course, students will be required to meet with the instructor several times to tailor their module notes and final essay to their particular interests.
PORT W3490y
Brazilian Society and Civilization
Luis Gonçalves
MW 11:00-12:15
3 pts. Prerequisites: PORT W3320 or permission. Each week, a historical period is studied in connection to a particular theme of ongoing cultural expression. While diverse elements of popular culture are included, fiction is privileged as a source of cultural commentary. Students are expected to assimilate the background information but are also encouraged to develop their own perspective and interest, whether in the social sciences, the humanities (including the fine arts), or other areas.