Department of Portuguese

Faculty and Fields of Interest

Dário Borim Portuguese language and Brazilian cultural discourse

Anna Klobucka Portuguese and Lusophone African literatures

Christopher Larkosh Lusophone cultures, comparative literature, theories of translation

Victor Mendes Portuguese literature, critical theory

Gláucia Silva (Chairperson) Portuguese linguistics, Portuguese language pedagogy

Frank Sousa nineteenth and twentieth-century Portuguese and Brazilian fiction

Carlos Almeida (Lecturer) Cape Verdean Creole and Culture, Portuguese language

The department offers a solid foundation in the study of Portuguese, the sixth most spoken language in the world. A three-tier program introduces students to the rich cultural diversity of the Portuguese-speaking world, composed of 250 million people in eight countries on four continents. In addition to the regular academic year program, the Department of Portuguese offers a comprehensive Summer Program in Portuguese that attracts students from throughout the United States with intensive courses in the Portuguese language and Lusophone Literatures and Cultures.

There are a number of resources available to students of Portuguese. The university’s language laboratory houses multimedia educational resources, allowing for learning beyond regular class hours. Located in the heart of the region that boasts the largest concentration of Portuguese, Cape Verdeans, Brazilians and their descendants in North America, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth provides a unique environment for the learning of Portuguese in a thorough immersion setting.

The Department of Portuguese’s offerings are supplemented by the activities of the Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture. The Center organizes a variety of cultural events throughout the year, including lectures, exhibitions, concerts and colloquia. The Center also publishes three book series and a semiannual academic journal entitled Portuguese Literary & Cultural Studies.

Learning Outcomes

Students will acquire listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in Portuguese at the advanced level and consistent with national standards for foreign language education.
Students will develop an in-depth awareness of historical and contemporary cultural realities of the Portuguese-speaking world.
Students will become familiar with a representative selection of major texts, authors and literary periods of Portugal, Brazil and Lusophone Africa.
Students will acquire critical reading and analytical skills applicable to a wide variety of literary and non-literary discourses.
Students will learn to convey, develop, and document ideas in writing in a clear and effective manner.

Other Program Information

Study Abroad Program

The Department of Portuguese strongly encourages students to study at a Portuguese or Brazilian university for at least one semester.

Phi Lambda Beta (National Portuguese Honor Society)

Students who have earned at least 18 credits in college-level Portuguese (including at least one course in literature or culture), a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA and a 3.5 GPA in Portuguese courses are eligible for membership. For further information please contact the Department.

Student Placement Exams

Students who have formally studied Portuguese at the high school or college level or are heritage speakers are encouraged to take a placement exam to determine the appropriate level at which to begin studying Portuguese at UMass Dartmouth. Students should contact the department for information about examination schedules.

Scholarships

Thanks to a generous endowment from the Luso-American Foundation, the Department is able to award partial tuition scholarships to declared Portuguese majors and minors. Contact the Department for additional information.

Tuition Reduction

The Portuguese program qualifies under the New England Regional Student Program to allow non-Massachusetts resident students from the other new England states to pay a substantially reduced non-resident tuition. See the chapters on Expenses and Admissions for details.