Although it may come as surprise, studying abroad does not only consist of traveling and gaining weight. Technically, I am here to study, so here is a description of the classes I am taking:
1) Gramática Portuguesa
This course focuses on identifying the different components of Portuguese grammar and the different characteristics of sounds, words, and phrases. The class is split up into six different parts: grammar, phonetics, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. So far I've gotten halfway through the unit of morphology and I've come to the conclusion that this class is the hardest of all the classes I'm taking. Since it's about all new concepts regarding the Portuguese language (that haven't even studied in the english language), it can be a bit frustrating to understand. I find myself rereading my notes constantly, in class and out of class, to make sure I am following along with all the new material. Regardless, I'm loving the experience of doing group work with my Portuguese classmates and hearing the lecture in Portuguese.
2) Culturas dos Países da Língua Portuguesa (Culture of Portuguese-speaking Countries)
The main objective of this course is to analyze each of the Portuguese-speaking countries with a focus on modern-day issues and advances. In addition, we have been talking a lot about the history of each of the countries, especially the former colonies. This class had been very interesting because the professor has invited a guest-speaker (one for each of the countries we talk about) to talk about something they have studied while having been in each respective country. The guest-speakers are very knowledgeable in their topics and often present very interesting ideas. For example, the guest speaker for Angola spoke about her fieldwork studying these cultural dolls specific to that area. This is something that might have been overlooked by any tourists, but in reality, these little things embody the individuality of each culture.
3) Fado: Social and Historical Perspectives in Sound
This course is the only one that I'm taking that is taught in English and I always find it a bit strange to walk into the classroom after all my other classes and hear people speaking in English. Regardless, this class is still challenging since we are learning about the specifics behind the creation and production of fado; something of which I've never put a lot of thought into. Growing up, I only ever heard fado occasionally at my Avó's house, so I just figured it was type of Portuguese music. Now I'm learning that there is so much more behind it. Fado is not only a type of music but also something that represents the essence of what Portuguese culture is. It has a transformative power that can change not only people, but also communites (as seen in Mouraria)
4) Português para Estrangeiros, Nível B1 (Portuguese for Foreigners, B1 Level)
The last course that I'm taking mirrors an advanced Portuguese back in the states, the only difference is that is taught in Portuguese. Personally, this is my favorite course. There is nothing more exciting for me than learning more about different verb tenses and sentence structures. Also, I greatly enjoy learning the reasons behind why I learnt to speak in Portuguese the way I did. Since the class is for foreigners, I've had the opportunity to meet so many new people from all over the world. Essentially, I'm not just learning Portuguese, but also practicing my Spanish, and dabbling in other languages like Italian/Chinese.
Overall, this semester is full of sowing in a lot of effort and hard work, but reaping in so much in personal development and growth. Also, since each of the classes are worth 3 credits and my internship is worth 3 credits (I'll explain the internship in a later post), I'll be taking a full course load of 15 credits that will all count towards my degree. There are just so many positives and not many negatives!
1) Gramática Portuguesa
2) Culturas dos Países da Língua Portuguesa (Culture of Portuguese-speaking Countries)
This course is the only one that I'm taking that is taught in English and I always find it a bit strange to walk into the classroom after all my other classes and hear people speaking in English. Regardless, this class is still challenging since we are learning about the specifics behind the creation and production of fado; something of which I've never put a lot of thought into. Growing up, I only ever heard fado occasionally at my Avó's house, so I just figured it was type of Portuguese music. Now I'm learning that there is so much more behind it. Fado is not only a type of music but also something that represents the essence of what Portuguese culture is. It has a transformative power that can change not only people, but also communites (as seen in Mouraria)
4) Português para Estrangeiros, Nível B1 (Portuguese for Foreigners, B1 Level)
The last course that I'm taking mirrors an advanced Portuguese back in the states, the only difference is that is taught in Portuguese. Personally, this is my favorite course. There is nothing more exciting for me than learning more about different verb tenses and sentence structures. Also, I greatly enjoy learning the reasons behind why I learnt to speak in Portuguese the way I did. Since the class is for foreigners, I've had the opportunity to meet so many new people from all over the world. Essentially, I'm not just learning Portuguese, but also practicing my Spanish, and dabbling in other languages like Italian/Chinese.
Overall, this semester is full of sowing in a lot of effort and hard work, but reaping in so much in personal development and growth. Also, since each of the classes are worth 3 credits and my internship is worth 3 credits (I'll explain the internship in a later post), I'll be taking a full course load of 15 credits that will all count towards my degree. There are just so many positives and not many negatives!
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