Warm-Up Activity: (5 minutes)

• Review of previous class material and new vocabulary
• A simple guessing game where students describe something in Portuguese, and the class tries to guess what it is.

Introduction: (10 minutes)

• Introduce the topic for the day, describing oneself and others in Portuguese, and explain the importance of this topic in conversation and building relationships.

Vocabulary Development: (15 minutes)

• Provide a list of vocabulary words related to physical characteristics, personality traits, interests, hobbies, classes and personal interests, objects in the classroom, colors numbers.
• Encourage students to work in pairs to create simple sentences using the vocabulary words.

Grammar Development: (20 minutes)

• Explain the basic grammar rules for constructing sentences related to the vocabulary words covered in the previous activity.
• Provide examples of sentences to illustrate the concepts.
• Have students work in groups to produce their own sentences.

Practice Activity: (20 minutes)

• Students will work in pairs to describe each other and their classroom using the vocabulary words and grammar rules covered in the previous activities.
• The teacher will circulate and offer help and guidance as needed.

Closure: (10 minutes)

• The teacher will lead a discussion on the importance of knowing how to describe oneself and others in Portuguese, and how it can help build relationships and understanding.
• Announcing HW and future activities.
• Students will be encouraged to share what they learned during the class.

Assessment:

• Students’ participation in class activities and their ability to use the vocabulary words and grammar rules to construct simple sentences decribing themselves, others and their school.
• Homework assignment can consist of reading comprehension, listening, grammar drills and writing short sentences or small paragraph.

 

Required book:

Textbook: Vem Falar Português: Portuguese for All

This is an OER textbook available through Pressbooks.  Students may choose between the html, epub or pdf version of the book. Vem Falar Português: Portuguese for All is designed to cover three semesters of Portuguese language instruction.                                   

Course Description:

This course is an introduction to the Portuguese language which emphasizes the development of the basic modalities of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. It is also an introduction to Lusophone[1] culture. It is designed for students with NO prior study of the Portuguese language.

Course Learning Outcomes:

After completing this course, students should be able to:

1. Recognize the target language sound system.
2. Have simple conversations with others in the target language using basic target language grammar and common expressions in the present tense.
3. Respond appropriately to simple questions in the target language. Understand and follow basic oral and written directions.
4. Produce original short dialogues during pair/group activities and role-playing. Ask simple questions with proper intonation and provide general information about familiar topics in the present tense.
5. Develop an understanding of the cultures and customs of different Lusophone countries.

Course Requirements:

• Chapters: Capítulo 1 to Capítulo 4 of Vem Falar Português will be covered.  You should bring the textbook to class every day.
• Quizzes: There will be three quizzes on the grammar and vocabulary covered in class and homework assignments.  Quizzes should take approximately 20 minutes.  No make-up quizzes will be offered.
• Exams: There will be 2 oral exams/presentations, a midterm exam, and a final exam.
  • The orals exams will be a five minute interview between the teacher and the student or a group presentation
  • The midterm and final exams will be similar in format to workbook exercises.
  • The day, time, and place of the final exam will be determined by the Registrar.
  • No make-up exams will be offered.

• Homework: Students complete the exercises listed on the textbook. There is a period of 1 week after we finish a chapter for students to bring in the completed exercises for that chapter.

• Written Assignments: Written assignments are mandatory.  There is a composition (redação) at the end of every chapter in the Textbook. These compositions must be done at home ON THE DATE that it appears in this syllabus and must be ready to be discussed and shown to the instructor on the following class period. For example, the composition assigned on Day 1 must be completed and prepared before Day 2. No late or hand-written compositions will be accepted.

• Absence from class is NOT an excuse for being unprepared for the next class. Loss of the syllabus is NOT an excuse for being unprepared for the next class. Students are responsible for informing themselves about missed material and any assignments due for the next class ahead of time.  Contact your instructor or another student in the class for the assignment.

• No late homework will be accepted.
• Class Participation and Attendance: Class participation in Portuguese, attendance, and punctuality are mandatory and count as part of your course grade.  Students are expected to participate actively and purposefully in class.  Class participation will be evaluated based on:
• Preparation and Participation: Students should complete the reading and homework for every class and be ready to review and discuss them.  The textbook must be brought to every class.
• Attendance and Punctuality: Attendance will be taken at the beginning of every class.  Six unexcused absences will automatically result in a course grade of F.  This is the official attendance policy of the Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures and applies to all language courses.
• Tardies: Arriving late (for whatever reason) is distracting and disrespectful to me and to your fellow students. If you can be here five minutes late, you can be here on time.  A student who arrives more than 5 minutes late to class will be given an unexcused absence for that day.
• Electronic Devices: Computers and tablets and cel phones are allowed ONLY if the student has an e-text version of Ponto de Encontro. Students who use electronic devices during class or otherwise disrupt class with them will have points deducted from their class participation grade.
• v Language lab: Starting on the second week of classes, and for every week thereafter, class will be held in the Media Center Language Lab.  The Media Center Language Lab is located in the NAC Building, room 6/205.  The class will be accompanied by the instructor.  Missing a lab session equals missing a class.  The instructor will inform you of the scheduled lab time once the Media Center Language Lab opens for the semester.

Additional Information:

Suggestions for successful language study: 

A language is a comprehensive subject. Each unit of information builds on the previous one.  It is very difficult to try to “cram” at the last minute.  Begin to learn vocabulary and verb forms as soon as they are introduced.  Success in this class requires adequate daily preparation, and it is reasonable to expect to spend at least one hour of preparation at home per course hour (i.e., at least 6 hours of preparation at home per class week without holidays).

In addition, please:

• Attend class regularly.
• Read over the material to be covered in class the night before. Practice the exercises you will cover in class.

• Do all assignments.
• Participate in Portuguese and pay attention in class.
• If you do not fully understand something, ask questions.
• Memorize vocabulary, verbs, and set expressions.
• Remember that you will get out of this experience what you put into it.

 

CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity:

Plagiarism:

As stated in the CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity: “Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s ideas, research or writings as your own.” The following are some examples of plagiarism:

“Copying another person’s actual words without the use of quotation marks and footnotes attributing the words to their source.”

“Using information that is not common knowledge without acknowledging the source.”

“Failing to acknowledge collaborators on homework and laboratory assignments.”

“Internet plagiarism includes submitting downloaded term papers or parts of term papers, paraphrasing or copying information from the internet without citing the source, and ‘cutting & pasting’ from various sources without proper attribution.”

“A student who plagiarizes may incur academic and disciplinary penalties, including failing grades, suspensions, and expulsion.”

Source: E-mail message sent by The Faculty Senate of The City College of New York on April 21, 2005. A complete copy of CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity can be downloaded from the College’s home page. Also see the Handbook of Academic Policies and Procedures.

Disability policy:

In compliance with CCNY policy and equal access laws, appropriate accommodations are administered by the AccessAbility Center. Students who register with AccessAbility, and are entitled to specific accommodations, must request a letter from AccessAbility to present to the instructor that states what their accommodations are. If specific accommodations are required for a test, students must present an “Exam Administration Request Form” from AccessAbility, at least one week prior to the test date in order to receive their accommodations.

Student conduct:

Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. All work must be your own. Students caught cheating on exams or quizzes will receive an F in the course.

Schedule:

Day	Chapter	Class objective
Day 1	1	Syllabus overview. Introduce yourself, greet others, and say good-bye, Share information about the Portuguese language and where it is spoken
Day 2	1	Introduce yourself, greet others, and say goodbye. Spell names and addresses

 

Day 3	Chapter 1	Identify and describe people, Cognates Identify classroom objects Tell where people and things are in the classroom, Use numbers
Day 4	Chapter 1	Express dates (week, months).  Listen to and respond to classroom expressions and requests.
Day 5	Chapter 1	Express time and schedule Useful expressions
Day 6	Chapter2	Talk about studies, campus, and academic life	Chapter Preliminar Test

 

Day 7	Chapter 2	Talk about studies, campus, and academic life Talk about academic life and daily occurrences
Day 8	Chapter 2	Talk about academic life and daily occurrences

 

Day 9	Chapter 2	Specify gender and number.  Combining words: contractions Express location and states of being
Day 10	Chapter 2	Ask and answer questions Listening and speaking Some regular -er and -ir verbs
Day 11	Chapter 2	Reading and writing		Redação: Escreva Brainstorm key ideas before writing 1-41 (next class: 1-42)
Day 12			Oral exam/group presentation
Day 13	Chapter 3	Describe people, places, and things. Identifying colors

 

Day 14	Chapter 3	Describe people, places, and things, Express origin and possession Describe what someone or something is like
Day 15	Chapter 3	Talk about where and when events take place Describe what someone or something is like, Express emotions or conditions
Day 16	Chapter 3	Identify what belongs to you and others Discuss the people, things, and activities you and others like and dislike
Day 17	Chapter 3	Listening and speaking
Day 18	Chapter 3	Reading and writing		Redação: Escreva Use adjectives to enrich your descriptions 2-36 (next class: 2-37)
Day 19			Revisão dos Capítulos Preliminar, 1 e 2
Day 20			Midterm Exam

 

Day 21	Chapter 4	Describe free-time activities, Talk about places to visit. Describe free-time activities, Describe food
Day 22	Chapter 4	Plan your daily activities
Day 23	Chapter 4	Expressing movement, intention and future actions Expressing age, possession and obligation

 

Day 24	Chapter 4	Identify prices and dates Express intentions Listening and speaking
Day 25	Chapter 4	Reading and Writing		Redação: Escreva Identify your audience 3-40 (next class: 3-41)
Day 26	Extra Chapter	Talk about family members and their daily routines	Chapter 3 Test

 

Day 27	Extra Chapter	Talk about family members and their daily routines
Day 28	Extra Chapter	Express opinions, plans, preferences, and feelings
Day 29	Extra Chapter	Talk about daily activities and routines Expressing when, where or how an action occurs

 

Day 30	Extra Chapter	Expressing how long something has been going on The preterit of some regular verbs and ir
Day 31	Extra Chapter	Listening and Speaking
Day 32	Extra Chapter	Reading and Writing		Redação: Escreva Corresponding with family members 4-42 (next class: 4-43)
Day 33			Oral exam/group presentation
Day 34	Extra Chapter	Talk about housing, household items and domestic chores. Compare cultural and geographic information of different Lusophone countries.	Chapter 4 Test

 

Day 35	Extra Chapter	Talk about housing, the home, and household activities
Day 36	Extra Chapter	Express ongoing actions
Day 37	Extra Chapter	Describe physical and emotional states Point out and identify people and things

 

Day 38	Extra Chapter	Learning useful verbs	TB: Present tense of dar, ler, ver e vir 5-19 to 5-21 Cultura: O interior e o exterior das casas pg. 212 5-22 to 5-23
Day 39	Extra Chapter	Stating what you know Some reflexive verbs and pronouns	Saber and conhecer 5-24 to 5-27 Situações: pg. 217 Reflexive verbs and pronouns 5-28 to 5-29
Day 40	Extra Chapter	Listening and Speaking	TB: Para escutar: pg. 220 B Para conversar 5-30 to 5-32
Day 41	Extra Chapter	Reading and writing	TB: Para ler: pg. 221 5-33 to 5-37 Para escrever: 5-38 to 5-39 Projeto final: 5-42 to 5-43 Horizontes: Brasília e o Centro-Oeste	Redação: Escreva Corresponding with family members 5-40 (next class: 5-41)
Day 42			Revisão dos capítulos 3, 4 e 5
Day 43			Final Exam