Our Department offers Portuguese Language classes at the beginning, intermediate and advanced levels. We use a communicative language teaching approach, promoting students’ use of language in meaningful contexts.

Language instructors use Portuguese almost exclusively during class, as we believe that this immersion-style approach is optimal for most students.

Even before the upper-level course, “Lusophone Culture” (PORT 3230), the language classes expose the students to a variety of cultural manifestations of the Portuguese-speaking world. Short-length films, poetry, paintings, music, interviews, and other media are incorporated into the course material on a daily basis. The students become familiarized to both language and culture since the very beginning. Once they reach PORT 3230 level, they are prepared to explore more in depth the concept of nation and cultural identity of the Portuguese-speaking world.

To ascertain which level of Portuguese is most appropriate for you, you must take a placement exam. Another option, if you have studied Portuguese at another institution, is to look at the course syllabi and consult the copies of the textbooks at the university bookstore or on reserve at Norlin Library, to determine how familiar you are with course content. Feel free to contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to either schedule a placement exam or to go through the topics that the course will cover.

PhotoNameContact Information
tm Tania Martuscelli
Associate Professor
Spanish and Portuguese
303.492.5260
ms Marcelo Schincariol
Teaching Associate Professor
Spanish and Portuguese
303.492.5350