Portuguese as a Foreign Language free course joins language, culture and integration activities
International students at CriaLab/Photo: Mariana Haupenthal
From February 7 to 20, international students arriving for academic mobility participated in the special course Portuguese for International Students. The two-week program preceding the official start of the semester features Portuguese lessons, cultural information about Brazil and Rio Grande do Sul, as well as integration activities in different PUCRS facilities. In this edition, foreign students represent eight countries: Canada, Chile, Spain, France, Mexico, Portugal, United Kingdom and Sweden. Besides, a Brazilian student from Universidade Católica de Pernambuco, in mobility in the Law program, also participated in the activities.
Experiences on Campus
The schedule of the course reserved mornings for Portuguese classes, while in the afternoon practical activities were carried out in several University spaces. At Tecnopuc’s Creativity Lab (CriaLab) the students participated in a brainstorming to create prototypes with solutions for challenges faced by those who are living away from home.
They also played volleyball at Sports Park/Photo: Mariana Haupenthal
The students also enjoyed a sports afternoon at the Sports Park and participated in a workshop in the flight simulators of the Aeronautical Sciences Program of School of Technology. Next week, a visit is scheduled to the Audiovisual Technology Center of Rio Grande do Sul (Tecna).
Support and Welcome
The course aims to help students adapt upon arrival at PUCRS, allowing them to get to know the Campus and meet other newly arrived peers. For teacher Lucia Maia, the exchanges among students of different nationalities is enriching. She emphasizes that the course is the first contact with the Portuguese language for most of the enrolled. “Despite an initial difficulty, I realized with great joy that everyone is enthusiastic, committed and open to all opportunities to deepen knowledge,” says the teacher.
The course is offered by the Office for International Cooperation and is an important opportunity to interact and create bonds of friendship for the period in which these students will be in Porto Alegre. “This new format, which is offered free of charge, is fundamental to guarantee the linguistic, cultural and social integration of students in mobility, much like the ones offered by major international universities”, says the Dean Heloísa Delgado.
