Portuguese
The聽Department of Romance Language and Literatures offers a year-long introductory sequence in Elementary Portuguese. The two-semester sequence offers students from all disciplines an opportunity to learn the basis of the Portuguese language and get in touch with the rich and vibrant cultures of the Portuguese-speaking world. Students are immersed in the language and its cultural traditions from the first day of class, learning essential reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills in context.
Thanks to an agreement between Boston College and the聽Cam玫es Institute聽of Cooperation and Language, a lectureship in Portuguese Language was established at the university in 2011. Additionally, the聽Office of International Programs聽offers semester- and year-long study abroad programs at the聽Pontif铆cia Universidade Cat贸lica do Rio de Jainerio聽(PUC-Rio).
Please note: Currently the RLL department only offers elementary Portuguese (1, Fall; 2, Spring).聽Elementary Portuguese is not sufficient for satisfying the language proficiency requirement for graduation.
Why Study Portuguese?
Today, Portuguese is spoken by an estimated 250 million people in four continents (America, Africa, Asia, and Europe), and it is the official language of eight nations. With around 200 million speakers in Brazil鈥攖he world鈥檚 fifth largest country and one of its fastest growing economies鈥擯ortuguese is the sixth most widely-spoken language of the world, and the fastest growing European language after English, according to UNESCO. There are large Portuguese-speaking communities in Andorra, Go, Luxembourg, Macau, Namibia, Paraguay, and South Africa. An estimated 1.3 native Portuguese speakers live in the United States, and Portuguese speakers comprise the聽third largest linguistic minority group here in Massachusetts.
Portuguese plays an ever more important role in the global economy and international politics. It is a working language and/or official language of several international organizations, including the African Union, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, the European Union, Mercosul, and the Organization of the American States, among others. Interest in Portuguese is increasing worldwide鈥攊t is a more and more popular choice for foreign language study, even among native Spanish speakers. It is also desired in a number of professional sectors, such as politics, diplomacy, and international trade. In addition to enriching your intellectual life at Boston College and your employment opportunities afterwards, proficiency in Portuguese and knowledge of its cultures opens the door to a rich variety of artistic, literary, and cultural traditions.