Advanced Portuguese Language Skills

Module title	Advanced Portuguese Language Skills
Module code	MLP3111
Academic year	2019/0
Credits	30
Module staff	Professor Susana Afonso Pinto Cavadas Afonso (Convenor)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks	11	11

Module description

The module is designed for students who have completed the year 2 “Intermediate Portuguese” module (MLP2052), and who wish to achieve proficiency in the written, aural and oral use of the Portuguese language. You will advance your Portuguese language skills through translation from and into the target language, as well as through working with different genres and styles of writing. Oral classes will improve your language skills as well as expand the range of your cultural knowledge of the Portuguese speaking world. Topics for future career development will be given particular focus.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to:

Consolidate and develop language skills acquired in MLP2052
Improve students’ skills as high-level bilinguals
Build on linguistic competence developed during the Year Abroad
Enable you to communicate confidently in Portuguese through a range of written, oral, comprehension and translation exercises, covering different registers and areas of vocabulary
Apply a broad range of grammatical features of the target language to a variety of linguistic tasks
Enhance and develop skills in the translation of a variety of texts from and into the target language
Revise grammatical structures and expand the range of expression, including idiomatic usage in the target language
Develop oral and aural skills to an advanced level
Boost grammatical accuracy and individual expression and confidence
Achieve levels C1/C2 (Proficient User) within the Common European Framework of References for Languages

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. Tackle complex translation passages into and out of the target language, based on a wide range of topics and written in a variety of styles
2. Discuss complex topics and issues in an appropriate register of oral Portuguese, using a broad range of vocabulary and idiom
3. Give a structured oral presentation in the target language on an independently researched topic addressed to a small group of peer listeners, and engage in debate on the issues raised in the presentation
4. Apply a broad range of basic and complex grammatical features in the target language to a range of linguistic exercises
5. Develop the necessary skills to write texts in different styles: journalistic, academic, argumentative, literary and speech making
6. Conduct an interview in the target language
7. Develop an extensive knowledge and understanding of the cultures of the language of study

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

8. Engage critically with Portugese linguistic media, both printed and electronic (including television and radio) as a resource for independent learning
9. Use bilingual and monolingual dictionaries to research conventions of usage, find synonyms and antonyms, and explore nuances of meaning
10. Understand and use in class discussion a broad range of linguistic terminology, using it to conceptualise mistakes in the target language and identify strategies for improving linguistic accuracy

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

11. Communicate information and arguments of significant complexity in the target language
12. Advance linguistic competence individually and independently, with limited guidance

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

Translation skills from Portuguese into English in term 1 and from English into Portuguese in term 2
Exploring and developing different styles of writing in Portuguese including: journalistic, academic, argumentative, literary and speech making
Weekly small discussion groups based on specific topics (chosen by students and staff)

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
66	234	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled learning and teaching	11	Translation from Portuguese in English
Scheduled learning and teaching	11	Translation from English into Portuguese
Scheduled learning and teaching	22	Writing skills
Scheduled learning and teaching	22	Oral skills
Guided independent study	234	Private study

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
10 formative tasks per year (translation, prose writing, oral tasks)	Variable	1-8, 11	Written and oral

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
0	75	25

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Written examination (translation) (Winter)	25	1 hour	1, 4, 5, 7, 11	Generic written feedback, via ELE
Written examination	50	2 hours	1, 4, 5, 7, 11	Generic written feedback, via ELE
Oral examination	25	15 minutes	2, 3, 6, 7, 11	Individual written feedback

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Written examination	Written examination	1, 4, 5, 7, 11	Referral/Deferral period
Oral examination	Oral examination	2, 3, 6, 7, 11	Referral/Deferral period

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Module booklets available at the beginning of the year for: translation from and into Portuguese, oral and written work.

Also recommended:

Collins, 2006. Portuguese-English/ Inglês-Português Dictionary. Harper Collins
Ganho, A. and McGovern, T. 2004. Using Portuguese. A Guide to Contemporary Usage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Henriques, T. S. and Frederico de Freitas. 2013. Qual é a Dúvida? Lisboa: Edições Lidel.
Hutchinson, A. and Lloyd. J.1996. Portuguese: An Essential Grammar . London: Routledge
Nitti, J.J. & Ferreira, M.J. 1995. 501 Portuguese Verbs: Fully Conjugated in all the Tenses . New
York: Barron's Educational Series
Prontuário da Língua Portuguesa. 2011. Porto: Porto Editor
Whitlam, J. 2011. Modern Brazilian Portuguese Grammar. A Practical Guide. Oxford: Routledge

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=7059
Monolingual dictionary: http://www.priberam.pt/DLPO/default.aspx
Major newspapers from Portuguese-speaking countries (i.e., Público , Diário de Notícias , Folha de São Paulo)
Active ELE page, including independent learning activities

Key words search

Portuguese language, advanced level, translation (bi-directional), written, oral, communication skills

Credit value	30
Module ECTS	15
Module pre-requisites	MLP2052 or equivalent
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	6
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	01/11/2016
Last revision date	05/02/2019