Portuguese for Social and Development Studies III PORT 2006 (6 credits / 90 class hours)

Transcription

1 Portuguese for Social and Development Studies III PORT 2006 (6 credits / 90 class hours) SIT Study Abroad Program: Brazil: Social Innovation and Community Development PLEASE NOTE: This syllabus represents a recent semester. Because courses develop and change over time to take advantage of unique learning opportunities, actual course content varies from semester to semester. Course Description This 90-hour immersion Portuguese course is designed specifically to meet the needs of SIT students. The course encompasses oral production, cultural awareness, and language use. Materials and course are designed by university professors and are used to introduce, expand, and reinforce knowledge of more complex linguistic structures at progressive levels of difficulty. The professors efforts are enhanced and reinforced through the utilization of media such as newspapers, academic articles, readers, and magazines. Students are encouraged to research relevant topics concerning social related issues. Field based classes are planned to foster students engagement with native Brazilian university students, so that they are immersed in an authentic discussion environment. Those field trips result in personal, academic and professional information exchanges. By the end of the course, students are able to demonstrate their ability to interact to native speakers on pertinent social issues. In addition, teachers and students participate in frequent outings during which they explore the community using a set of specific language tasks to foster interaction. The professors design their lesson plans to include relevant information about the economy and politics of Brazil and Latin America, myths, societal roles, religion, and literature. Finally, personal tutorials take place once a week. The intermediate course content includes further development mainly towards the understanding of time through the three Modes of Verbs, which are Indicative, Imperative and Subjunctive. It also emphasis on vocabulary expansion to serve as an aid for the trip classes we develop throughout the course. The intermediate level also seeks on pronunciation; the use of prepositions; possessive pronouns and adjectives; relative pronouns; personal pronouns; comparative and superlative adjectives; adverbs; reading; and listening exercises. Copyright SIT, a program of World Learning 1

2 Language of Instruction Portuguese Course Objectives The objectives of this course are to: develop and foster Portuguese language skills through intensive instruction and cultural immersion; bring all students to a level of proficiency permitting full involvement in Brazilian culture, including acquisition of information from primary sources in Brazil, and ample understanding of lectures, meetings, and seminars given in the host language; provide students with linguistic tools that facilitate the use of appropriate vocabulary related to social justice, social innovation and community development, and acquire reasonable fluency to be able to interact successfully with host families, NGO s, Social Movements and Community Leaders be it through interviews, informal conversations, visits, presentations, or informal discussions; promote students vocabulary growth, with a special emphasis on the vocabulary and other specialized terms directly related to social movements and current issues. Course Requirements Students are required to complete approximately one hour of homework assignments daily. The bulk of these assignments consist of written and oral exercises from textbooks supplemented with short papers, interviews, and additional reading. Class attendance, participation, and preparedness are also required. Students are required to read article related to the main theme of this program. They are exposed daily to activities, which involve Social Development, thus asked to produce written material related to their field studies. Course Requirements Students are required to complete approximately one hour of homework assignments daily. The bulk of these assignments consist of written and oral exercises from textbooks supplemented with short papers, interviews, and additional reading. Class attendance, participation, and preparedness are also required. Course Texts Compilation of materials specifically designed to meet students needs. Course Schedule *Please be aware that topics and excursions may vary to take advantage of any emerging events, to accommodate changes in our lecturers availability, and to respect any changes that would affect student safety. Students will be notified if this occurs. The course will be divided into two phases. Module 1 & 2 will be taught in an intensive format for the first two weeks of the program. After the initial two weeks, students will continue with Copyright SIT, a program of World Learning 2

3 Modules 3-6 throughout the rest of the semester along with their other courses. The total of 90 class hours will be achieved by: Module 1 & 2 will offer four hours a day of intensive Portuguese instruction for a total of 40 class hours. Additional time will be spent in field exercises that will enrich the classroom learning and the ability to function in real life language situations, assimilate everyday life issues, and immerse in the local culture. Field assignments are done both individually and in groups and may include visits to markets and stores, cafes and restaurants and museums. These will add approximately 10 credit hours (20 hours in the field). Modules 3-6 (weeks 3-10) will offer one hour of Portuguese per day for 30 days for a total of 30 class hours. Field assignments will continue and add approximately 10 credit hours (20 in the field). In addition, students are expected to spend one hour a night on homework and will have a one hour tutorial each week. Module 1: Week 1 Presentation of the course and Professor Survival and family vocabulary Language of contrast, comparison, superlative Review of Indicative Mood: present, present continuous, past, and future Field Trip Activities I & II* Interviewing Activity I Video Assignment I & Feedback Module 2: Week 2 Indicative Mood: utilization of present tenses field trips interviews Pronouns: recognition of the area/surroundings near the college using the grammar points learned in class. Conjunctions of places, time, space. Vocabulary concerning city, places in a city, streets, blocks Passive Voice: field trip to Central Market to reinforce use of passive voice Field Trip Activities III & IV Interviewing Activity II* Video Assignment II (Verb Tenses) and Feedback Module 3: Weeks 3-4 Review of the vocabulary, present and past tenses: students present activities related to the subject matter learned in class Indicative Mood: current newspapers - recognition of textual grammar by reading authentic materials. Verbal and nominal regency: field trip to Sebastião Market Vocabulary Expansion: field trip (downtown) Indicative Mood: future Journal Part 1 (Volunteer Community Service)* Copyright SIT, a program of World Learning 3

4 Module 4: Weeks 5-6 Subjunctive Mood - present Subjunctive Mood - Past 1 Subjunctive: Compound Tenses: Present (have + past participle) Subjunctive Mood - Past 2 Subjunctive Mood: current newspapers - recognition of textual grammar by reading authentic materials. Journal Part II (Volunteer Community Service)* Module 5: Weeks 7-8 Review of Subjunctive Mood: present and past (students present activities related to the subject learned in class) Subjunctive Mood: Future Vocabulary Expansion: field trip (visit to a local college) Infinitive (personal) Infinitive (impersonal) Module 6: Weeks 9-10 Vocabulary expansion: Presentations of articles Coordinate clauses: cohesion of written texts field trip (Umbanda) Subordinate clauses: coherence of written and oral productions field trip (College) Vocabulary in use: Class presentations Verb tenses and vocabulary in use: Class presentations * Field Trip Activities encompass hours spent outside the classroom with specific tasks to foster Portuguese use/practice in a less structured environment, providing students with real-life every-day experiences with locals. This is a self-conducted activity, taking into consideration the individual level of proficiency of each participant. Interviewing Activities involve direct contact with locals in informal exchanges outside the classroom, according to specific tasks on current issues, family life, routines, social and cultural life, among others. Again, this is a self-conducted activity, taking into consideration the individual level of proficiency of each participant. Journals are written reports that include participants opinions and perspectives about their involvement as volunteers in local community projects. Evaluation and Grading Criteria Students evaluation relies on Communicative principles. Students are assessed daily in accordance with their production in both settings; in and outside classes. The written productions are those in which students demonstrate their ability to convey information through essays, notes, reports, s, descriptions, summaries, i.e., samples of different types of written communication. The Oral production assessment are those in which students demonstrate their ability to interact with native speakers in different forms of speech such as interviews, discussions, presentations, visits, negotiations, lectures and in any other oral forms. Copyright SIT, a program of World Learning 4

5 Quizzes These kinds of assessment are written assignments. They may be in form of paragraphs and compositions in which verb agreement, use of language, vocabulary expansion, and use of noun group are assessed. Compositions Students are assessed on their use of vocabulary, organization of coordinate and subordinate clauses, verb agreement, and textual coherence and cohesion. Homework Homework assessment usually encompasses not only language content taught but also interactivity with host family members on topics of the program, culture, and day-to-day issues. Participation Students are expected to contribute actively to a lively atmosphere in class. They are expected to respond to Professors questions promptly. They must talk about pertinent issue and class related subjects. Mid/Final Oral Evaluation Student are asked to present a talk based on topic of their choice. Students are asked to present an article about a specific academic topic. Student are encouraged to carry out an open discussion with local college students Mid Term/Final Written Evaluation Students are assessed on use of language, adequate use of the grammar points such as verbs, adverbs, conjunctions, subordinate and coordinate clauses. Written evaluations are administered weekly during the semester and during the midterm and final week of instruction. The grade, based on performance on written exams, also includes the following components: * A final oral and written evaluation by the instructor, in which accuracy, appropriateness of response, degree of communication, and fluency are assessed. * Evaluation of achievement and language proficiency by the homestay family. * Consistency of effort to use the host language both inside and outside the classroom. Assessment Class work and participation on field trips and tasks 10 % Quizzes 08 % Mid term oral exam 20 % Mid term written exam 10 % Final Oral Test 30 % Composition, Homework and Journal 10% Final Written Test 12 % 100 % Copyright SIT, a program of World Learning 5

6 Grading Scale % A 90-93% A % B % B 80-83% B % C % C 70-73% C % D % D below 64 F Expectations and Policies For the successful completion of the course, participants will be requested to: Attend classes regularly and avoid leaving the room frequently. Full attendance is expected. Be punctual both at the start of the class and when returning from short coffee-breaks. Hand in homework assignments in a timely fashion. Late papers will not be graded in full. Engage actively in classroom and out-of-the-classroom activities. Individual effort in oral production is key to effective learning and an integral part of the evaluation by the instructor. Display a respectful and respectable posture both in terms of dressing code and personal appearance, and attitude while listening to peers and/or interacting with native speakers of any social or ethnic nomination, at all times. Prejudice and demeaning comments of any nature will not be tolerated. Please refer to the SIT Study Abroad Student Handbook for policies on academic integrity, ethics, warning and probation, diversity and disability, sexual harassment and the academic appeals process. Copyright SIT, a program of World Learning 6