Department of Portuguese

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

Listen, speak, read and write in Portuguese at the advanced level and consistent with national standards for foreign language education.
Identify and explain cultural practices from the Portuguese-speaking world.
Analyze major works of literature in Portuguese.
Develop critical arguments about literary and non-literary expressions

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. You are encouraged to take the online test at https://my.umassd.edu/group/myumassd/placement-testing. There, click on “Take the foreign language placement test.” Portuguese is among the options. Otherwise, contact either Prof. Glaucia Silva at gsilva@umassd.edu (for POR) or Prof. Carlos Almeida (for CVC) at calmeida@umassd.edu. You may also call the Department of Portuguese at (508) 910-6586 or go to the department’s main office, located in LARTS 398G.

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.

Teacher Preparation Program Option

Enrollment in the 4+1 (BA/BS-MAT) Teacher Preparation program allows undergraduate students to explore teaching as a profession through completion of graduate-level education coursework and field experiences within local public school settings. Students pursing teacher preparation at UMass Dartmouth graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in their chosen major, a Master’s degree in Teaching, and a Sheltered English Immersion endorsement. In order to develop a plan towards a license to teach, students should indicate their interest to both their Portuguese major advisor and the Coordinator of Teacher Preparation Programs. Students may enroll in the 4+1 program once they have earned 30 credits with a 3.0 GPA or above.

Faculty and Fields of Interest

Dário Borim (Chairperson) Portuguese language and Brazilian cultural discourse

Anna Klobucka Portuguese and Lusophone African literatures

Victor Mendes Portuguese literature, critical theory

Gláucia Silva Portuguese linguistics, Portuguese language pedagogy

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