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University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Continuing Studies

Summary

Watch this short video about why our online Language program is one of the best in the country!

Summary:

This practical high beginner's course (A1.2), designed by UW–Madison for adult language learners, explores the richness of Lusophone cultures while improving your ability to converse about real-life topics. Focuses on Brazilian Portuguese and introduces the past tense.

Newly revised! Continue exploring the cultural richness of the Portuguese-speaking world in this practical course that will get you talking about food, the weather, shopping, and more. Improve your ability to converse about a wider range of topics in the present tense, take your first steps in using the past tenses, and grow your comprehension, reading, and writing skills, all in the context of real-life situations. Textbook purchase required (used for Portuguese 1, 2 and 3).

Course format:

For the first five weeks of class, you will practice speaking in weekly 30–minute online sessions led by an experienced instructor, with a maximum of 3–6 other participants. To get to know all of your classmates, your conversation time will vary between the first or second 30–minute time slot of the hour you registered for. You should be available for either.

For the second half of the course, weeks six through ten, you will meet with the entire group for the full hour. Your instructor will use breakout rooms to facilitate small group work.

The live online sessions begin one week after the scheduled course start date to allow time to work through the first unit of learning material in preparation for the live conversation practice.

Online course materials introduce new grammar and vocabulary and teach pronunciation, listening, and reading skills through videos, audio and interactive exercises. Budget 3-4 hours a week to work through the online asynchronous content.

 

Course materials become available online on the scheduled course start date and remain accessible for one month after the course ends.

Want to know more about learning a language online? Read Dr. Julie Dahl's blog post about our online course format.

The required textbook is sold by many online vendors. Make sure to look for ISBN number 9897520597.  It is generally available on Amazon and at MEP Education.

Sections anticipated for spring 2025 (See Upcoming Dates for open sections and more detail): 

Wednesdays, Feb.19–May 7, 6:45–7:45 p.m. CT (No virtual conversation on March 26)

Course Outline

Course outline:

Below are the major themes covered in each unit. In Portuguese 2 you will work through chapters 5-9 in the textbook, Nota 10.

Unidade 5:

  • Food and drink vocabulary
  • Order food in a restaurant
  • Read a menu
  • Exchange information about food and restaurants
  • Quantities
  • Formation of plural nouns and adjectives

Unidade 6: 

  • Weather vocabulary
  • Talk about the weather
  • Invite people to an event
  • Accept and decline invitations
  • Difference between saber/conhecer
  • Estar + gerúndio

Unidade 7: 

  • Clothes vocabulary
  • Color vocabulary
  • Exchange money
  • Compare things and prices
  • Demonstrative adjectives

Unidade 8:

  • Transportation vocabulary
  • Ask for and give directions
  • Ask for and give travel information
  • Describe an itinerary
  • Commands
  • Por + articles

Unidade 9:

  • Travel vocabulary
  • Talk about vacations
  • Suggest, agree, and disagree
  • Exchange information about hotels
  • Book a hotel
  • Introduction to the simple past tense
  • Direct objects

Earn Continuing Education Hours

By participating in this class you will earn:

Instructional Hours 35
University of Wisconsin Continuing Education Units 3.5

Explanation of Continuing Education Hours

Upcoming dates

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Program Questions?

Contact Chris Moore at christopher.moore@wisc.edu or 608-262-7389

Registration Questions?

Email registrations@pyle.wisc.edu or call 608-262-2451.

Continuing Studies FAQs

Meet your instructor

Thiago A. Arellano

(MA, San Diego State University) has taught beginning through advanced Portuguese & Spanish language courses at the university level for more than a decade. He creates a welcoming learning environment and believes that education is the best approach to a just world and that languages aid individuals in opening up their minds to better understand the diversity of the human race.