Level 1 Classes: this course is suitable for people with no prior knowledge of the language, who would like to begin to communicate in Portuguese, about themselves and their daily lives, particularly in a holiday context. By the end of the course, you will be able to formulate simple statements and questions in the present, in an everyday setting and understand the most basic written and spoken language.
Term duration: 9x weekly, Monday evenings, 6:15pm to 8:30pm
No class on Mon 4 May and Mon 25 May. Your final class will finish at 8:15pm
Communicative themes may include: • Providing and understanding basic personal information: greeting people, introducing yourself and others • Talking about your nationality, occupation, immediate family , and asking others about the same. • Using numbers, to talk about date and time • Giving basic descriptions of objects and people • Ordering food and drinks • Talking about travelling and modes of transportation • Understanding the key features of Portuguese pronunciation to understand and produce speech
Key grammatical points covered may include: • Gender and number of nouns: O caderno e as canetas • Formal and informal treatment: Tu tens fome? Você tem fome? • Contractions of prepositions with articles: O John é do Reino Unido mas agora está nas Filipinas. • First person possessive pronouns: O meu braço, a minha cara, os meus dentes, as minhas pernas. • Usage of verbs ser, ter and estar: Eu sou professora, tenho quarenta anos e hoje estou feliz. • Negative sentences: Eu não sou casado. • Conjugation of regular verbs in the present tense: Eu compro uma maça, bebo um café e conduzo um carro. • Irregular verb to go (ir): Eu vou para casa. Nós vamos a Lisboa. • Present continuous and informal future: Agora estou trabalhando, mas à noite vou visitar os meus amigos.
Please note that we adapt the pace of the class to the needs and interests of the group, so the listed themes and grammar may be subject to change and are not meant to be exhaustive. Homework may be set between classes, though we do understand that the constraints of everyday life may make it difficult to complete at times. You are under no obligation to complete the homework, but revision of the weekly lessons is strongly encouraged to allow you to make excellent progress and benefit fully from the course.
Each week you will practise most if not all four communicative skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). You will be encouraged to take an active part in all activities which can include games, pair and group work as well as individual tasks. We aim to establish a friendly, inclusive atmosphere in the classroom so that all students can express themselves freely and increase their confidence.
*CEFR levels indicated on our level descriptors are not a guarantee that you can take the associated Portuguese exam for this level. If you would like to take an external Portuguese exam, please speak to your tutor to discuss what they think would be most appropriate.
