Faculty of Arts & Science 2016-2017 Calendar

Portuguese

• Portuguese Specialist | Portuguese Major | Portuguese Minor
• Portuguese Courses

Faculty

Overview:

Portuguese is the sixth most widely used language in the world. It is spoken by more than two hundred and sixty million people on four continents inhabited by the Lusophone population: Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Twenty percent of all residents of the Western Hemisphere are Brazilians, a fact attesting to the truth that one out of every five Americans - North, Central, South - speaks Portuguese as his or her native language. The literature of Portugal has a tradition that goes back as far as the twelfth century, and the discoveries of its Renaissance seafarers led the language and the culture to all corners of the globe. 

The Department offers an integrated curriculum, combining courses in language, linguistics, literature and culture. Courses in the studies of the Lusophone world provide a diverse, flexible and detailed examination of the Portuguese language and its cultures. The skills and knowledge developed in these courses lay the groundwork for careers in teaching, journalism, translation, publishing, and foreign services, as well as for research in a variety of fields. In the Canadian job market, command of Portuguese language is a definite advantage. Toronto has one of the largest Portuguese speaking diasporas, and Canada has been establishing strong cultural, political and business ties with Brazil.

Why should I learn Portuguese?

• Portuguese gives you access to a rich and fascinating culture.
• Portuguese is the world’s sixth most widely spoken language.
• Portuguese is a mother tongue in the 5 continents, parallel only to English and Spanish.
• Portuguese is the most widely spoken language in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Portuguese unites Portuguese-speaking diasporas all over the world in countries such as Canada, the United States, South-Africa, France or Switzerland.
• Portuguese has one of the highest growth rates as a second language in the Internet, in social networks and in learning as a foreign language.
• Portuguese is a Romance language, so if you already know another Romance language (Spanish, Italian, etc.), you will find it easier to learn it.
• Portuguese is now the first foreign language in the educational system of many countries.
• Portuguese is the official language of some of the fastest growing economies in the world, namely Brazil and Angola.

What can I do with a degree in Portuguese?

• Education
• Marketing, Editing, Copywriting
• Journalism, Media
• Library and Information Sciences
• Public Relations
• Research
• Foreign Services/Foreign Affairs Specialist
• International development
• Political Aid
• National and international law

How is the program structured?

For many students, our program begins with the language sequence.

Language sequence:

1. The Department reserves the right to place students in the language course best suited to their linguistic preparation. Please contact Prof. Manuela Marujo (manuela.marujo@utoronto.ca) if you would like to take a Placement test to help you determine your level of linguistic competence in Portuguese.

2. Students who, in the department's assessment, have an adequate knowledge of Portuguese may be required to take a Portuguese literature or culture course instead of a language course at any level.

The progression of courses in the language sequence is designed to accommodate a wide range of previous language experience. Students are placed in the appropriate language course based on their proficiency as determined by departmental assessment. 

Students who have had little to no previous experience in studying Portuguese may enrol in an intensive course, PRT100Y1. 

Students who have a strong background in Spanish language (native fluency or minimum SPA320Y), should enrol in PRT120Y1.

Students who have had previous experience in studying Portuguese may enrol in several intermediate and advanced courses, depending on their background and their level of preparation. Speakers with an intermediate level of Portuguese, including those who successfully completed PRT100Y1 or PRT120Y1, should enrol in PRT220Y1. 

Those students who have had exposure to spoken Portuguese in an informal context (i.e., those who live in a Portuguese-speaking environment; for instance, those who have grown up in a Portuguese-speaking country, or who live in Portuguese speaking families), but who have had little to no exposure to written Portuguese, should enrol in PRT219Y1. Students who qualify for this course are able to understand and speak Portuguese. They speak Portuguese  relatively fluently, but they usually do not write or read Portuguese. 

Students who have completed PRT219Y1 or PRT220Y1, should proceed to PRT320Y1.  Those students who come to the program with an advanced level of Portuguese as assessed by the department, should also proceed to take PRT320Y1. 

Following PRT320Y1,  students are qualified to enrol in PRT420H1. This course is appropriate for students with a relatively high vocabulary base and good command of grammar who need to increase their lexicon, and who need further formal instruction in grammar and writing.

PRT423H1, a course for advanced speakers of Portuguese, trains students to develop their skills in a range of professional language fields, such as finances, law, medicine and education. 

Students who are unsure of what is the most appropriate placement for them in the language sequence should contact the Associate Chair of the department, Prof. Manuela Marujo (manuela.marujo@utoronto.ca) to receive personal assessment and recommendation for proper placement. 

Fluent speakers of Portuguese who have received a high school or a higher level of education in Portuguese language, and who in the department's assessment do not need further training in language, may enrol immediately in any linguistics, literature or culture course.

Portuguese opens the door to a rich range of cultural expressions in literature, film, and art, from the world-changing contribution of Renaissance Portugal to the contemporary Brazilian and Luso-African diaspora. Whether it is Nobel-prize winning Portuguese literature or the excitement of the Brazilian cinema novo, Lusophone writers, filmmakers, and artists continue to shape and change contemporary global culture. 

Portuguese also opens the door to the study of the Romance language family. The Department offers students the opportunity to advance their language skills through the systematic reflection on the language structure. Through a variety of courses with a theoretical and experimental focus in linguistics, students acquire basic skills that can be transferred to teaching or research programs. Through collaboration with other language and linguistics programs, students are provided with opportunities and training to conduct research in linguistics with a focus on Portuguese language.

The Department encourages students to consider completing part of their course work at a university in Portugal or Brazil.

Students should contact the Undergraduate Coordinator early on in the course of their university career to receive advice on how to proceed with their studies, and to thus assure that they can receive their degree by the time of planned graduation. For further information, please visit us in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese,

Victoria College, Room 208

or contact us at: (416) 813-4080. Email: spanport@chass.utoronto.ca

Undergraduate Coordinator: Professor Sanda Munjic (416) 813-4082.

E-mail: spanport.undergraduate@utoronto.ca

Web site: www.spanport.utoronto.ca

Portuguese Programs

Enrolment in the Portuguese programs requires the completion of 4.0 courses.

Consult Professor Sanda Munjic, Department of Spanish and Portuguese.

(10 full courses or their equivalent, including at least one 400-series course)

First Year:
PRT100Y1/PRT120Y1/PRT219Y1/PRT220Y1

Second Year:
1. PRT220Y1/PRT320Y1
2. PRT258H1

Third and Fourth Years:
1. PRT320Y1
2. PRT420H1 / PRT423H1
3. Plus additional PRT courses to make ten courses. Up to two full-course equivalents may be taken from cognate departmental or college offerings: GGR, HIS, LAS, POL, SPA. A complete list of eligible courses is available from the Undergraduate Coordinator.

Consult Professor Sanda Munjic, Department of Spanish and Portuguese. 

(7 full courses or their equivalent)

First Year:
PRT100Y1/PRT120Y1/PRT219Y1/PRT220Y1

Second Year:
1. PRT220Y1/PRT320Y1
2. PRT258H1

Third and Fourth Years:
1. PRT320Y1
2. PRT420H1 is recommended for students who start in PRT100Y1, and is required for students who start in PRT220Y1 or higher language course.
3. Plus additional PRT courses to make seven courses. Up to one full-course equivalent may be taken from cognate departmental or college offerings: GGR, HIS, LAS, POL, SPA. A complete list of eligible courses is available form the Undergraduate Coordinator.

Consult Professor Sanda Munjic, Department of Spanish and Portuguese.

4 full courses or their equivalent, including at least one course at the 300+ level.

First Year:

PRT100Y1/ PRT120Y1 /PRT219Y1 (for native / bilingual speakers of Spanish)

Second Year:

PRT220Y1 / PRT320Y1;

Third Year:

PRT320Y1

Additional PRT courses to make four (4.0 FCE) courses. Up to one full-course (1.0 FCE) equivalent of cognate credit may be taken in Spanish.

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese participates in the Faculty of Arts and Science’s Language Citation initiative for Portuguese. For a full description of the Language Citation requirements, see the Calendar in the “Degree Requirements” section.

To complete the language citation in Portuguese students will normally complete the two language-sequence courses that follow the introductory level:

PRT219Y1 or PRT220Y1
PRT320Y1

Native and bilingual speakers should complete PRT219Y1 and two additional half-courses in Portuguese in the 300- or 400-series.

Students should note that, as explained in this Calendar, the Language Citation is not equivalent to an academic program and that enrolment in a program is not necessary in order to earn the recognition bestowed by the Citation.

To request the citation, e-mail your request with your student ID number to the Undergraduate Coordinator (spanport.undergraduate@utoronto.ca).

 Portuguese: see also European Studies; Latin American Studies

Portuguese Courses

The 199Y1 and 199H1 seminars are designed to provide the opportunity to work closely with an instructor in a class of no more than twenty-four students. These interactive seminars are intended to stimulate the students’ curiosity and provide an opportunity to get to know a member of the professorial staff in a seminar environment during the first year of study. Details can be found at www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/course/fyh-1/.

1. The Department reserves the right to place students in the language course best suited to their linguistic preparation.

2. Students who, in the department's assessment, have an adequate knowledge of Portuguese may be required to take a Portuguese linguistics, literature or culture course instead of a language course at any level.

An introduction to the main elements of the language with emphasis on oral and written practice. The course is designed for students with no previous knowledge in Portuguese.

Introduction to the Portuguese language for speakers of Spanish. Overview of basic grammatical structures, development of vocabulary and oral and written expression.

Meets the needs of students who have had exposure to spoken Portuguese in an informal context (living in a Portuguese speaking country, or in a Portuguese speaking family) but little to no exposure to written Portuguese. The course reviews English/ Portuguese spelling differences; written and spoken registers of Portuguese, and basic aspects of the grammatical system. The course  (1) provides students with the essential understanding of Portuguese grammatical system; (2) builds their vocabulary; and (3) trains them to express themselves formally in both spoken and written Portuguese.

Intermediate Portuguese for non-natives. Intensive grammar review of the structures of Portuguese integrated with an introduction to reading authentic Portuguese material, with practice designed to build vocabulary and to improve oral and written expression.

This course examines Portuguese immigration in North America. It highlights selected themes and topics, focused on Portuguese settlements in USA and Canada. Through readings, films and other art forms students will analyze concepts of cultural history, self and identity, community building and related issues.

A survey of historical and cultural trends in Portugal from the birth of the nation to the present. Art and music are studied in addition to historical/cultural movements to gain a perspective of the uniqueness of Portugal both within Iberia and in Europe in general. (Offered in alternate years; taught in English)

Portuguese literature, art, and culture in the context of colonization and immigration, with a specific emphasis on the Portuguese Azorean Islands. Readings in the cultural heritage of island settlements, and in diasporic movements to other countries. (Offered in alternate years; taught in English.)

This course examines the historical and cultural contexts of Brazilian identity. The impact of colonial history on issues such as race, religion and regionalism is explored. The course focuses on the 19th and 20th centuries: Positivism, Modernism, the Anthropophagous Movement, music and Cinema Novo are discussed. (Offered in alternate years; taught in English)

The introductory study of literary texts and consideration of the various ways authors express and situate themselves in culture. Semiotics, gender, the literary canon, advertising, the nature of literary language, and cinema.

Credit course for supervised participation in faculty research project. Details at http://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/course/rop. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Intensive practice in written and oral Portuguese for the advanced student. Selective review of grammar with emphasis on the complex sentences.

The experience of displacement, accounts of exile and of the diaspora, has given rise to a renewal of narrative. The course examines the parameters of this new narrative with special focus on the Luso-Brazilian literature and the themes of saudade, desterro, and dystopia.

The evolution of narrative practices from orality to text based literature and the advent of the digital revolution as story telling moves from literacy to so-called post-literacy. The course examines, with examples drawn from Luso-Brazilian literature, how storytelling and reading change in non-linear narratives.

A course on a specific topic in Brazilian culture, designed for advanced students. Course content and instructor are established on a yearly basis.

A course on a specific topic in Portuguese linguistics, designed for advanced students. Course content and instructor are established on a yearly basis.

In years when this course is offered, topics are described in detail  on the departmental webpage. Students can enrol in this course multiple times, as long as the topic of the course is different. For any questions, please check with the department.

An examination of Portuguese literature as it confronts the changing social, political, and aesthetic currents of the twentieth century. The Orpheu movement of Pessoa and Sa-Carneiro, Presenca and Neo-Realism as well as contemporary authors such as Lydia Jorge and Jose Saramago are studied. (Offered in alternate years)

An overview of the varieties of Portuguese spoken in four continents (Europe, South America, Africa, Asia) and a discussion of the structural similarities and differences between the two most extensively studied varieties: European and Brazilian Portuguese. Analysis of linguistic variation in contemporary Portuguese in terms of phonetics, syntax and lexicon.

Overview of linguistic diversity of Brazil, current practices in the maintenance and revitalization of languages and strategies for empowering indigenous peoples. Linguistic properties of Brazilian languages; introduction to language description by working on small data sets; discussion of the influence of Brazilian indigenous languages on Brazilian Portuguese. Taught in English.

An instructor-supervised group project in an off-campus setting. Details at http://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/course/399. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

An instructor-supervised group project in an off-campus setting. Details at http://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/course/399. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

A study of the more advanced areas of Portuguese grammar and language use. Discussion of issues relating to syntax, vocabulary and style as they arise in essays and readings of literary texts.  Intensive written and oral practice.

The course will help students to develop language on a range of topics from financial, legal, medical to educational. It will also provide students with the awareness of Lusopone cultures and improve cross-cultural competence.

The development of the Luso-Brazilian short story. Examination of theories of the genre as they relate to short stories of Machado de Assis, Eça de Queiroz, Graciliano Ramos, João Guimaraes Rosa, Clarice Lispector and others. (Offered in alternate years)

Individual study with a member of staff on a topic of common interest including readings, discussion and written assignments. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.