Class Preparation, Attendance and Participation
Your presence and active participation are essential in each and every session. This will be the most significant part of your grade since it is through continuous class interaction with other students that your communicative abilities in Portuguese will develop and improve. Your grade will be determined daily by the quality and quantity of your preparation and participation in class discussions, activities, group work, etc. Each assigned reading or movie will be followed by class discussion.
Attendance
Since your progress, and that of the class as a whole, will be impeded by excessive absences, your presence in the classroom is imperative. If you must miss a class, there is NO excuse for not being prepared for the next one. If you have to be absent, please contact the instructor in advance to find out what material you will miss. Each absence without an official excuse will lower your course attendance and participation grade.
Since this course will be conducted as a student-centered seminar, it is your responsibility as a student to prepare the material in advance and participate actively in all classes. Each student’s level of preparation and participation will be evaluated on a daily basis. In-class participation is based on your answers and comments to questions, and interest shown in the subject studied. The key to successful participation is preparation.
Absences without excuse will result in a lower final grade. After three unexcused absences, the participation grade will be lowered half a letter grade each time the student misses class. If you have any questions or if you anticipate any problems attending a class, do not hesitate to consult your instructor.
Exercícios (Homework Sets)
Students are expected to prepare the assigned materials throughout the semester. The exercises are required components of the course and are designed to reinforce the advanced grammar structure and vocabulary introduced in the textbook, as well as to improve reading comprehension.
Remember that all assigned activities must be completed and self-corrected in order to receive full credit. All exercises can be found in the textbook.
Homework Set 1
Entregar os exercícios das páginas:
- 4 (F)
- 6 (exercício 1: 8–12, exercício 2: 12–17)
- 15 (D)
- 17 (B) (213 (A), 215 (E)
Homework Set 2
Entregar os exercícios das páginas:
- 23 (C)
- 25 (singular e plural)
- 33 (formar frases de valor superlativo)
- 43 (F)
- 51 (B)
Homework Set 3
Entregar os exercícios das páginas:
- 55 (F)
- 63 (D)
- 66 (A)
- 90 (C)
- 103 (A)
- 116 (B)
- 121 (B: 7–12)
Homework Set 4
Entregar os exercícios das páginas:
- 161 (A e B)
- 162 (B)
- 163 (B)
- 167 (B)
Homework Set 5
Entregar os exercícios das páginas:
- 173 (B)
- 180 (C)
- 190 (C)
- 192 (Já)
- 209 (B)
Trabalhos Escritos/Ensaios (Short Essays)
A total of three pieces of writing based on different topics discussed in class that appear to be particularly significant or revealing about representation and identity in the Lusophone societies, mostly about social issues in Brazil. Each paper should be 3–4 pages long (+ bibliography), typed using font 12, double-spaced, and written using MLA format. Essays should be turned in on the day assigned.
Note
Students are expected to review their essays after they are corrected by the instructor, and to resubmit them a week later for a final grade. The first draft will count as 70% of the grade and the final version 30%.
Testes (Quizzes)
There will be 3 in-class written quizzes at the beginning of class on the days scheduled on this syllabus. There will be NO final exam during the official exam week.
Apresentações Orais (Oral Presentations)
Students will present 15 minute oral presentations in class on the results of their research for each previously written essays.
Filmes (Movies)
For each of the four movies seen during the semester, students will also be required to bring for class discussion at least two questions about the ideas and themes in the movie. Please, formulate persuasive questions and answers both orally and in writing.
As students master the main structures, the quality of both their written work and their oral presentations is supposed to improve. Consequently, the expectations of quality work will be higher as the semester progresses.
