Short course
Portuguese: Beginners Conversation
Course status:
Applications being accepted
Dates and time:
15/04/2027 - 17/06/202719:00 - 21:00
Study format:
In-person weekly
Fees:
£315.00
Enhance your Portuguese conversational skills in a range of simple everyday situations with our elementary-level conversation class, designed for learners with a basic foundation in the language.
The course focuses on developing listening and speaking skills, expanding vocabulary, and improving grammar accuracy in basic everyday situations.
Through interactive activities and tasks, multimedia resources, and constructive feedback, you'll refine your language and improve your speaking skills.
Is this the right level course for you?
To benefit from the course learners will have done one of the following:
- Completed our 'Portuguese: Beginners' level courses (Part 1 and Part 2); or
- Studied Portuguese for two terms or 1 year; or
- Achieved or are near Level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages in Portuguese.
New students, who have not completed 'Part 1' and 'Part 2', whose proficiency in the language is appropriate for the course level are very welcome.
Book this course
Book your place online using the button below.
Course starts Thursday 15 April 2027
This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Thursdays, 7.00-9.00pm.
The weekly schedule below is intended to give an indication of the main topic(s) likely to be covered in each session. Please note that these may sometimes change according to the tutor’s discretion to reflect the interests of course participants.
Week 1: Vou viajar! Preparing a trip: booking hotels and services.
Making phone-calls; providing information for form filling; dates
and timetables.
Week 2: Estou a chegar! On the plane; at the airport; in the taxi; on the underground.
Checking timetables, destinations, and seats. Claiming for a lost bag. Asking for tickets.
Week 3: Desculpe…? At the hotel, tourist information office, and the underground station.
Asking for and giving information; checking in; and buying tickets.
Week 4: Olá! Boa tarde, muito prazer! Meeting family, friends and/or work colleagues.
Formal and informal greetings; introductions. Scheduling meetings.
Talking about routines, hobbies and future plans.
Week 5: Silêncio, que se vai… apresentar! Students’ (voluntary) presentations. (1)
Discussing cultural topics relevant to the Portuguese-speaking countries and communities, based on students’ choices.
Week 6: Silêncio que se vai… apresentar! Students’ (voluntary) presentations. (2)
Discussing cultural topics relevant to the Portuguese speaking countries and communities, based on students’ choices.
Week 7: Almoçamos? Lunch at work. Dinner with family and friends.
Inviting colleagues, family and friends. Ordering meals at the restaurant. Discussing and following recipes.
Week 8: Revisões. Revision.
Week 9: Vamos às compras? Shopping.
Asking for help in shops and services. Making requests.
Expressing preferences, likes and dislikes.
Week 10: Um picnic de despedida. A farewell picnic. Linguistic and cultural games.
Key grammar points
– Ser vs. Estar
– Present vs. Preterite as Conditional (for polite requests)
– Present vs ‘Estar a’ + Infinitive; Ir + Infinitive; Modal/ising verbs + Infinitive
– Adjectives: comparatives and superlatives
Key functions
– Giving and asking for personal information
– Making requests and asking for assistance
– Checking information
– Expressing preferences, likes and dislikes
Course aims
To assist learners with basic proficiency in Portuguese in consolidating their conversational skills across a variety of practical everyday situations, thereby laying the groundwork for further study.
Course objectives:
1. Improve Pronunciation and intonation to ensure clear communication.
2. Enhance learners’ ability to understand spoken language through various activities, such as listening activities, simple dialogues, guided role-plays and tasks.
3. Encourage learners to participate in simple conversations on everyday topics and gain confidence in speaking.
4. Expand vocabulary pertinent to practical everyday contexts and consolidate the application of fundamental grammar structures in spoken language.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be better prepared to:
1. engage in basic conversations and ask and answer simple questions.
2. recognise and use key phrases for daily routines.
3. construct grammatically correct sentences to provide basic information and express needs.
4. demonstrate some basic knowledge of the cultural nuances and etiquette of the language.
Level and demands
This course is pitched at A1 Level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Find out more about our language levels.
Teaching methods
Our language courses promote collaborative learning, encouraging peer interaction and real-life activities. You will learn through participating in engaging activities and tasks in the target language. These are likely to include listening activities, guided role-plays, pair- and small-group work conducted in a supportive, friendly and informal learning environment. The course has been structured to help you primarily to develop your speaking and listening skills.
Assessment methods
Formative assessment will be integrated into a range of classroom activities, including guided role‑plays, scenario-based pair and group work, and progressively less structured conversations and tasks. Learners will be encouraged to participate in these activities, using the target language to respond to realistic situations, and will benefit from ongoing tutor feedback to support development.
Ângela Sarmento-Dingsdale
Ângela Sarmento-D. is an experienced teacher of Portuguese language and culture and English as a foreign language. She holds a degree in Modern Languages and Literatures (Portuguese and English Studies) and a Masters in Portuguese and Brazilian Studies, from the University of Porto. During the curricular stage of her PhD, she attended courses at Sorbonne Nouvelle (Paris), where she developed work in the field of Comparative Literature and Interartistic Studies. She is currently teaching Portuguese Language and Culture at the University of Oxford, and is a research member of ILC-ML [Margarida Losa’s Institute for Comparative Literature]. She has translated subtitles the film Pina Bausch: Lissabon Wuppertal Lisboa (2010, Midas Filmes) by Fernando Lopes and for Unreported World, by Channel 4.
Digital badge
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be issued with an official digital badge from the Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford. In order to be issued with your badge, you will need to have attended at least 80% of the course.
After the course, you will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to download your digital badge. You will be able to add this badge to your email signature and share it on social media if you choose to do so.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course fee | £315.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses
Textbooks
No textbook required. All course materials will be provided by the course tutor.
Recommended reading
Recommended reading is optional and you are not required to purchase these books to study this course.
Library facilities
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Library, part of the Bodleian Libraries, for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are also welcome to use the Library for reference.
- More information about the Library can be found on the Bodleian Libraries website.
- This guide for Weekly Class students also provides further information
Preparatory reading
- Aprender Português 1 – Português Para Estrangeiros: Níveis A1, A2. / Oliveira, Carla, et al.
Module code: O26P591XPW
How to enrol
Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page.