Q&A with Short Courses Portuguese Teaching Fellow
Thinking of picking up a language this autumn? Helena MacDonald tells us about her Portuguese courses.
Portuguese Teaching Fellow Helena MacDonald tells us about her 10-week Portuguese courses beginning in October.
Hi Helena! Which course are you teaching in Term 1?
Portuguese Beginners 1 and Portuguese Elementary 3.
What do students tend to enjoy most about your language courses?
Working together with people from different backgrounds with the same interests in learning and developing new capabilities.
How will the courses be of a similar standard remotely to the on-campus version?
The dialogue and personal interaction will continue to be at the heart of the class.
In terms of opportunities for interaction with fellow students, how will the course be similar to the classroom experience?
The course will be held live on Zoom and we will still be working face-to-face and in small groups. Digital communication will be facilitated outside the classroom, on a voluntary basis, allowing for team building. Students will be working from the comfort of their homes - and there will be no need to face bad weather or running to catch public transport!
What transferrable skills might students acquire by taking your language course?
Learning a language develops your communication and social skills. It also enlarges your perspective of the world and in the present situation will also develop your digital capabilities.
What have some of your former students gone onto achieve after taking your course?
It gave them confidence to explore Portugal and Brazil on their own, not just geographically but also in terms of culture by reading Portuguese literature, watching films and theatre and participating in local culture.
In terms of workload, about how many hours a week will students be expected to put in?
2 hours a week in class and 2 to 4 hours per week in homework.
What sort of resources and support will be available to students?
Resources and support available include a course book, extra materials (video, audio, text, exercises) which are available on Learn for reference and entertainment. Weekly homework will be individually corrected with feedback provided and e-mails from students will be answered once a week before class.
The new challenges we are going through will also teach us new skills
Ready to pick up Portuguese? Bookings are now open for Portuguese Beginners 1 (absolutely beginners) and Portuguese Elementary 3.