MODERN LANGUAGE CENTRE
MODULE SYLLABUS
Title and code number:
Brazilian Portuguese Stage 1 for
Business (4AALPNB1)
Credit/Value:
Credit Levels 4 = 15 credits
Prerequisite for entry:
none
Course delivery
4-hour face-to-face tuition x 20 weeks in
two semesters.
Students are expected to spend approx.
3-5 hours per week in self-study,
including homework, speaking practice,
and interactive exercises.
See website for semester dates,
timetable and teachers’ surgery hours:
www.kcl.ac.uk/mlc
EDUCATIONAL AIMS OF THE MODULE
At Credit Level 4 this module aims to enable the students to:
 develop the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing in Brazilian
Portuguese in a range of predictable business-orientated situations and
more general contexts.
 interact in a simple way orally and in writing in Brazilian Portuguese in a
general and business context.
 develop strategies for coping with unfamiliar language or unexpected
responses, such as asking for repetition or clarification.
 use Brazilian Portuguese to reinforce/further their knowledge of other
disciplines.
 acquire linguistics skills, tools and knowledge to become independent lifelong learners by using Brazilian Portuguese for academic activities,
business situations and personal enrichment.
 develop an insight into the nature of language, culture and society and a
greater degree of intercultural competence.
 work towards the acquisition of a “fifth language skill”, which will enable
students to reflect on different cultural values to help them develop
intercultural sensitivity.
 take responsibility for the nature and quality of their learning.
 act with limited autonomy, under direction or supervision, within defined
guidelines.
LEARNING OUTCOMES OF THE MODULE
This course is broadly equivalent to A1 Basic User, Breakthrough level of the
Common European Framework. The students will be able to demonstrate
intellectual, transferable and practical skills appropriate to a Credit Level 4
module and in particular will demonstrate the ability to:
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communicate in everyday and business situations using the four language
skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing at a basic level.
have a basic grammatical knowledge and range of vocabulary (including
basic business terminology).
understand and use familiar everyday expressions and high-frequency
vocabulary in predictable business-orientated situations.
be able to read, assess and analyze short, simple texts.
produce short, simple texts, e.g. writing a business email.
have basic intercultural awareness to understand simple references to
common aspects of the culture, everyday life and current issues in the
country/countries where Brazilian Portuguese is spoken.
objectively compare aspects of the new culture to their own using the tools
of intercultural learning.
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reflect on their own capabilities in key areas and engage in development
activities through guided self-study.
use TEL as a means of communication and as an aid to collaborative and
individual learning.
be self-critical as a learner by using, for example, the MLC Language
Learning Tips document on KEATS.
CLASS DELIVERY AND TEACHING METHODS
Although every class is designed taking into consideration the above objectives,
the structure of particular sessions may vary. The general approach to all Modern
Language Centre classes is communicative - the language is dealt with in social
situations and students are encouraged to participate as much as possible.
Brazilian Portuguese will be used for communication in class and students
will be asked to participate in classroom activities and to contribute to
short role-plays, games and other language-centred activities.
TOPICS – LEXICAL CONTENT
 Personal and social life (family, friends and colleagues)
 Nationalities, countries, and languages
 Work and professional life
 Accommodation
 Daily routine
 Numbers, calendar, time, dates
 Telephone calls
 Newspaper advertisements
 Travel (hotels), transport and directions
 General business and finance terminology
 Telephone conversations (in a general and business context)
 Leisure time and activities
 Eating and drinking, restaurants
LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS - PRAGMATICS
 General and Business greetings and introductions
 Formal and informal functions
 Using numbers (birth date, telephone numbers, etc.)
 Exchanging personal and business information
 Expressing agreement/disagreement
 Expressing likes and dislikes
 Asking for and giving directions
 Arranging business trips and booking hotels
 Exchanging information on time and dates
 Talking about work related issues and professions
 Making, accepting and refusing invitations
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Organizing meetings and appointments
Communicating by phone (for general and business purposes)
Describing people and places
Describing and comparing roles and work places
Ordering in a bar/restaurant
Talking about one’s daily routine/leisure time
Talking about one’s daily work routine
Talking about events in the past
GRAMMAR AND USE OF LANGUAGE
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Gender and number of nouns and adjectives
Definite and indefinite articles
Verbs “to be” and “to have”
Negatives
Subject pronouns
Present tense of regular and some irregular verbs
Present tense of reflexive verbs
Prepositions of time and place
Interrogative, demonstrative and indefinite pronouns
Contracting prepositions
Possessive adjectives and pronouns
Adverbs of time and frequency
Demonstrative adjectives
Future tense (Futuro Imediato)
Gerund
Imperative of regular and some irregular verbs
Comparatives and superlatives
Past tense of regular and some irregular verbs
COURSE BOOK:
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Novo Avenida Brasil 1 – Curso Básico de Português para Estrangeiros
(Emma Eberlein O.F.Lima/ Lutz Rohrmann – ISBN 978-85-12-54520-2
The course book includes an exercise book.
RECOMMENDED MATERIAL FOR SELF-STUDY
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Coimbra, I., 2012. Gramatica Ativa - Versao Brasileira: Book 1 (Brazilian
Version) + CD (3). Edicoes Tecnicas Lidel. ISBN: 9727579310
Whitlam, J., 2010. Modern Brazilian Portuguese Grammar: A Practical Guide
(Modern Grammars). Routledge. ISBN: 0415566444
Portuguese verb Tenses. Irineu de Oliveira Jr.
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IT resources for independent learning:
KEATS material + MLC resources on-line
Useful websites:
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www.bbc.co.uk/portuguese
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http://livemocha.com/
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http://www.conjuga-me.net/
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http://www.infopedia.pt/
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http://www.sonia-portuguese.com/index.php
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http://www.learn-portuguese-now.com/portuguese-articles.html
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www.oglobo.com.br
LANGUAGE RESOURCES CENTRE
In order to support independent learning and the contact with the culture of the
language(s) they are learning, students are encouraged to use the resources in
the Language Resources Centre – LRC (K-1.072, first basement), which
provides a friendly learning environment with state of the art facilities.
During the first weeks of the course, the module teacher will arrange an induction
session for the class in the LRC so that students can familiarize themselves with
the facilities. During term time the LRC will facilitate free speaking practice
sessions as well as a range of workshops on language learning. For a list of
topics and all dates and times, including the opening hours of the LRC, please go
to the website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/mlc/olc/index.aspx
ATTENDANCE
Attendance is compulsory for all language modules. If a student’s attendance
falls to unsatisfactory levels s/he may be removed from the module or prevented
from taking the assessment.
For further information on the attendance requirements of the module please see
the website:
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/mlc/study/modules/compuls.aspx
If students miss a class because of illness or urgent personal matters, it is their
responsibility to catch up on the contents of the missed class by checking the
KEATS module and/or contacting the teacher.
ASSESSMENT
For all details regarding deadlines and dates for assessment see the website
www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/mlc/study/modules/assess/bymod/index.aspx
Formative Assessment
Formative assessment takes place during the Reading Week in Term 2. It does
not count towards the final mark, but failure to submit the work may result in the
student being withdrawn from the module or prevented from sitting the
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examinations. It is strongly recommended to complete the formative assessment
as it will provide viable feedback on the student’s progress.
Test: 2 hours
0%
Feedback
All pieces of formative assessment are normally returned to students within 2
weeks, and the teacher will provide feedback in groups and/or individually. In
addition students can book themselves for individual feedback during surgery
hours. Contact details and applicable surgery hours can be found here:
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/mlc/people/index.aspx
Final (Summative) Assessments
Oral exam: 15-20 min
Exam period: During Revision week, immediately
before the start of Exam Period 2 (May)
40%
Written exam 1: 2 hours
Exam period: Period 1
Written exam 2: 2 hours
Exam period: Period 2
30%
30%
Dictionaries or notes are not allowed during the final examination. Past papers
are available on KEATS.
For more details on the final examinations for this module, including dates,
please see:
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/mlc/study/modules/assess/bymod/index.aspx
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WEEK BY WEEK SYLLABUS
Semester 1
WEEK
LEARNING RESOURCES
CONTENT/TOPICS
1st week
Book Novo Avenida
Brasil 1 pages: 1 and
2.
 Greetings and
introductions
 Nationalities
 Professions/jobs
2nd week
Book Novo Avenida
Brasil 1 pages: 3 and
4.
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Countries
Cities
Give and ask
personal information
3rd week
Book Novo Avenida
Brasil 1 pages: 5 and
6.
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On the phone
Numbers up to 100
4th week
Book Novo Avenida
Brasil 1 pages: 7 and
8.
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Meeting people and
introducing others
Making invitations,
suggestions and
appointments
Periods of the day
Activities
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Telling the time
5th week
Book Novo Avenida
Brasil 1 pages: 9, 10
and 11.
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6th week
7th week
8th week
9th week
GRAMMAR
 Definite articles:o, a, os,
as
 Masculine and feminine
nouns
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Irregular verb: ser
Regular verbs ending in –ar
Contracting preposition em
+ definite articles
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Personal and possessive
pronouns: seu, sua
Irregular verb: ir
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Immediate future tense
Demonstrative and
possessive pronouns
READING WEEK
Book Novo Avenida
Brasil 1 pages: 11
and 12.
Book Novo Avenida
Brasil 1 pages: 13, 14
and 15.
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Plans for the
weekend
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Irregular verbs: poder, ter
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Interrogative pronouns
Verbs: estar, querer
Book Novo Avenida
Brasil 1 pages: 16, 17
and 18.
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Adverts
Voice message
Eating and drinking
at a restaurant
Inviting to eat
Ordering
Menu
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Possessive Pronouns:
seu, sua, seus, suas
Verb: gostar de
Contracting preposition
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de + definite articles
Book Novo Avenida
Brasil 1 pages: 19,
20, 21 and 22.
10th week
Book Novo Avenida
Brasil 1 pages: 56
(first game) and 100
(numbers 1 to 20).
th
11 week
12th week
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Traditional dish
Delivery
At the table
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Revision
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Verbs: estar, ir, querer
Verbs ending in -er
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Revision
Revision/catch-up classes or one-to-one tutorial support
as agreed with your teacher
Semester 2
WEEK
LEARNING
RESOURCES
Book Novo Avenida
1st week Brasil 1 pages: 23,
24 and 25.
CONTENT/TOPICS
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2nd
week
3rd week
4th
week
Hotels and hotel
reservations
Describing hotel services
Identifying things
Expressing satisfaction
and dissatisfaction
Means of transport
Travelling
GRAMMAR
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Imperative
Present Continuous
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Possessive pronouns:
dele, dela, deles, delas
Verb ficar (location)
Verbs ending in –ir
Irregular verbs fazer,
preferir
Book Novo Avenida
Brasil 1 pages: 26,
27 and 28.
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Directions and locations
Comparisons with regular
and irregular adjectives
Talk about preferences
Book Novo Avenida
Brasil 1 pages: 29,
30 and 31.
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Newspaper articles
Making complaints
Traffic signs
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Irregular Imperative
Formal and Informal
Imperative
Book Novo Avenida
Brasil 1 pages: 32,
33 and 34.
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Numbers up to one
billion
Comparative of equality
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House furniture and
decorations
The language of property
advertisements
Renting
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Problems when renting
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Past simple tense of
Book Novo Avenida
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5th
week
Brasil 1 pages: 35,
36 and 37.
Location of objects and
furniture
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verbs ending in -ar, er and -ir
Prepositions of place
Opposites
READING WEEK: Formative Assessment
6th
week
7th
week
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Book Novo Avenida
Brasil 1 pages: 38,
39 and 40.
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Comparisons
Describing your
house
Decorating your
house
Putting an advert on
the newspaper
Daily activities and
routines
Leisure activities
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Comparative of
Superiority, Equality
and Inferiority
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Adverbial phrases of
time and frequency
Past simple tense of
irregular verbs ser,
ir, fazer, ter, estar
Direct object
pronouns: o, a, os,
as/-lo, -la, -los, -las
Past simple tense of
irregular verbs
querer, poder, dar
Book Novo Avenida
Brasil 1 pages: 41,
42 and 43.
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The daily routine of
Brazilians
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Brazlian Festivals
Brazilian Holidays
Brazilian Arts
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10th
week
Book Novo Avenida
Brasil 1 pages: 44,
45 and 46.
Book Novo Avenida
Brasil 1 pages: 47,
48 and 49.
11th
week
Book Novo Avenida
Brasil 1 pages: 50,
51 and 53.
8th
week
9th
week
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Revision
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Revision
The syllabus may vary according to students’ needs. Term times and teaching dates
can be found here: (http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/mlc/study/modules/dates.aspx)
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