Post A-Level Course in the first year (Part IA, Option B)
The Post-A-Level course is an intensive course: it develops students' language skills in the use of Portuguese, translation and oral practice through a series of classes and supervisions. It also offers students a challenging Introduction to the Language, Literatures and Cultures of Portuguese-speaking Countries.
Language work
This paper aims to help you consolidate and develop your command of Portuguese in all four skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening), with a particular focus on advanced grammar and writing skills.
Aims and objectives:
If you attend all classes and complete all the set work, by the end of the course you will be able to:
- Write in Portuguese with a very high level of accuracy, both in simple and more complex structures.
- Have the vocabulary to discuss topics of general (non-specialised) nature with a good level of precision.
- Have an awareness of register, even though you may not always reflect this aspect adequately in your linguistic choices.
- Understand intermediate and advanced level texts of a general (non-specialised) nature.
- Translate authentic non-specialist texts from English into Portuguese showing some sensitivity to the natural flow of the language, even though certain difficult words may need to be paraphrased.
- Have familiarity with some aspects of the culture of the Portuguese-speaking world.
- Meet the standards of Level B2 (and some of Level C1) of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
You will be attending three two weekly classes organized by the Spanish and Portuguese Section:
PGB1: Use of Portuguese PGB2: Translation from Portuguese
In addition, you will attend a weekly language supervision.
Literature, History, Culture
In addition to your language classes, you will also take paper PG1: Introduction to the Language, Literatures and Cultures of Portuguese-speaking Countries.
Teaching for this paper will be through:
- 16 lectures organized by the Department
- fortnightly supervisions arranged by the Department on behalf of the Colleges.