School of Modern Languages

Newcastle University

Spring 2013

PORTUGUESE@NEWCASTLE

Edited by Ana assunção and loiana pavlichenko

Our first year studying Portuguese at Newcastle

Before coming to Newcastle we

had never studied Portuguese.

We think our experience with

Portuguese has been really

positive and with regular work

and diligence we have progressed a lot and unbelieva-

bly quickly. Despite our initial worries about finding

Portuguese difficult, we quickly got used to the lan-

guage with our class practice and very soon we were

taking part in Portuguese social events, in which stu-

dents, teachers and native speakers of Portuguese liv-

ing in Newcastle get together to have fun. The events

are really relaxed and informal and a great opportunity

to improve our speaking and listening skills. Although

there are similarities between Spanish and Portuguese,

which helps with the grammar, they are worlds apart,

especially the rhythm and intonation of the languages.

We are extremely happy to have chosen Portuguese as

part of our degree, as it is a very important language.

Portuguese is the fifth most spoken language in the

world, and thanks to a population of almost 200 million

in Brazil, it is the most spoken language in South

America and in the Southern hemisphere. After a bril-

liant first year in Newcastle, we are looking forwarding

to improving our skills for our third year, which will be

spent abroad, in Portugal or in Brazil!

By Timothy Anstey and Edward Taylor

*The text was written in Portuguese and translated into English by Loiana Pavlichenko.

A warm welcome from our staff

We are very pleased to present to you the first edition of the Portuguese Newsletter. We intend to offer you

an insight into the Portuguese learning experience at Newcastle University through our students’ testimo-

nies. You will also find a word from our Deputy Head of School and SPLAS Degree Programme Direc-

tor. We hope the newsletter shows you how involved our staff and students are in promoting Portuguese

language and Lusophone culture inside and outside the classroom.

On 7 March, Newcastle University had the honour of welcoming the

Portuguese ambassador to the United Kingdom, His Excellency João de Vallera. Our

guest had accepted an invitation to give a Public Lecture in the University’s ‘Insights’

Programme and to visit the Instituto Camões - Centre for Portuguese Language. He

was accompanied by the Attaché for Education Affairs, Dr Regina Duarte. How often

have we passed Blake’s Coffee House on Grey Street, without noticing a small

plaque outside reminding us that, from 1874 to 1879, this building housed the office of

consul Eça de Queirós, one of Portugal’s leading writers. The Newcastle years were

among his most productive and saw the publication of his celebrated novel Cousin Basílio.

More than a century later, Portuguese language and culture are still alive on the Tyne. The Instituto Camões in

Lisbon, the cultural arm of the Portuguese Foreign Office, has supported the teaching of Portuguese at our alma mater for

almost 50 years. During this time, we have had outstanding leitores (teachers sent out from Lisbon to deliver the Portuguese

language programme), such as our current colleague Dr Ana Assunção. In 2001, the first Centre of Portuguese Language in the

UK was opened at Newcastle.

The Centre organises a seminar series with high-calibre speakers,

from academics and human rights activists to writers and Oscar-nominated

filmmakers. Guests have come from Portugal, Brazil, Angola, and Timor-

Loroeste. The seminar reaches out to staff and students of all Faculties and the

Portuguese community in Newcastle. In 2010, Professor António Costa Pinto,

Portugal's leading historian of the twentieth century, gave a Public Lecture on

the centenary of the Portuguese republic.

Portuguese at Newcastle is currently healthier than ever. In

fact, student numbers are rising more dynamically than in any other foreign language. During his visit His Excellency and Dr

Duarte had the opportunity to speak in their native tongue to undergraduate and postgraduate students from Modern

Languages, Politics, History, and Sociology. Some had studied Portuguese for

only six months, but were already able to communicate. Others had just returned

from their Year Abroad (third year of studies) in Portugal or Brazil and

demonstrated a near-native proficiency in the language, as the ambassador

noted. One of our graduates who stayed on to study for a PhD on a lusophone

topic and had received a generous grant from the Instituto Camões, Steven

Robinson, presented our guest with his thesis on the Europeanisation of

Portuguese foreign policy over the past four decades. His Excellency realised

that he was actually not the only ‘ambassador’ in the room. Many students are actively engaged in the ‘Routes into Languages’

programme which sees them work as ambassadors in schools to foster and stimulate interest in the learning of foreign

languages. Project director Nick Johnston and final-year student Alexandra Stamper showed that Portuguese plays a significant

role in these outreach activities. In consonance with its mission as a world-class civic university, Newcastle also opens its state-

of-the-art facilities for language learning to members of the public. Andrew Grenfell and his team guided our guests through the

impressive Language Resource Centre. Instituto Camões and Newcastle University are determined to continue their long-

standing and fruitful collaboration. We are immensely grateful to the Portuguese government and embassy for its investment and

trust in the future of the leitorado and Centre for Portuguese at Newcastle.

Professor Jens R. Hentschke

Deputy Head of School - Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies

Celebrating Portuguese at Newcastle:

João de Vallera, Portuguese Ambassador to the United Kingdom, visits the University

My year abroad in Coimbra — Portugal Nestled between the

large cities of Lisbon

and Porto, Coimbra

mixes both tradition

and modernity with the

monumental Univer-

sidade de Coimbra fea-

turing at the heart of

the town. This majestic

centre point perched high on a hill above Coimbra gives you

a sense of grandeur and legacy, as well as providing a sub-

lime view of the Mondego River and surrounding country-

side. Coimbra’s soul is the University and its centuries-old

traditions, and any student who studies there will become a

member of its close-knit university community, providing

warm memories that will last long beyond their university

years.

I spent the first semester of my year abroad in Coim-

bra, and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. The Univer-

sity, although very different to British universities, was a

great place to learn and an ideal place to meet other ex-

change students as well as the friendly Portuguese students.

Being able to combine studying with a warm climate, beauti-

ful town and wonderful people was the perfect way to spend

my first semester abroad.

The University of Coimbra’s “freshers’ week” was

different to how we do it here in the UK, but it was an in-

credible experience nonetheless as I was able to have first-

hand experience of Portuguese university traditions, wheth-

er it be the black Harry Potter-esque capes or the baptising

of freshers in the Mondego River during the Latada festival

in October! The “Queima das Fitas” festival in May is na-

tionally renowned for its incredible parades, performances

and concerts, and I definitely plan on returning to Coimbra

for this in the future!

As many people know, an important musical genre in

Portugal is Fado, and Coimbra offers a form of Fado differ-

ent to other styles around the country. They sing of nostal-

gia, “saudade” and longing through haunting but beautiful

songs that every visitor to Coimbra must hear.

The position of

Coimbra in the centre of

the country allows for ex-

tensive travelling around

the country. Cheap train

fares and trips organised

by the ERASMUS group

meant that I was lucky

enough to visit the Algarve,

the coastal town of Figueira da Foz with its incredible

beaches, Aveiro which is better known as the Venice of Por-

tugal, and the stunning Serra da Estrela mountains. It is

very easy to visit everywhere in the country from Coimbra

and it is worthwhile venturing out of the town to see what

else Portugal has to offer.

Coimbra is the ideal place for any student of Portu-

guese to spend their year abroad. Not only do you have the

opportunity to greatly improve your Portuguese, but you are

also able to soak up its rich traditional university atmos-

phere and explore the rest of Portugal whilst calling such a

beautiful town as Coimbra home.

By Madeleine Robinson

My year abroad in Lençois — Brazil

I spent 5 months of my year abroad living in the

North East of Brazil, in the state of Bahia, in a small town

called Lençóis nestled in the middle of the Chapada

Diamantina National Park. There, I volunteered, running a

childrens project that provided support to the local kids in

the form of an academic and social education.

It was without a doubt, the best experience of my

life! It was extremely challenging and very tiring being

responsible for so many children who had differing needs

and behavioural issues but it was also extremely rewarding

and I enjoyed every second. I loved living in Brazil and the

Brazilians are a huge part of what makes the place so great!

The region that I worked in is a poor area and the

population are affected by many social problems but they

still enjoy life. It was a relaxed way of living for me;

weekends would consist of spending the entire day trekking

through the national park enjoying the beautiful landscapes

and taking some time to relax in the many waterfalls and

swimming holes in the

area, all of course

bathed in the glorious

Bahian sun, and a tasty

caipirinha (the local

drink of sugar cane

spirit, lime and sugar)

to finish off the day.

(continued on next page)

Portuguese language: the year abroad

Contact us If you would like to report on or advertise a Portuguese language-related event, please contact Ana Assunção: ana.assuncao@ncl.ac.uk For information about admissions, please contact Lesley Sherrin (sml@ncl.ac.uk) or visit the site of Centro de Língua Portuguesa em Newcastle @ http://research.ncl.ac.uk/clpic/

Facts:

The year abroad (Continued from previous page)

Music and dance are extremely important to

Brazilians. In the area that I was living, a type of dance

called forró is very popular, whereas the more well known

types of Brazilian music like samba and bossa nova weren’t

quite as popular as in areas like Rio de Janeiro. Every

Friday and Saturday, practically the entire town

congregated at the one club to dance the entire night away

till dawn. Yet, my British rhythm

meant that despite my friends

spending months trying to teach

me to dance ‘like a Brazilian’, I

still have two left feet!

My Year Abroad was,

from start to finish, an incredible

opportunity and I loved every second of it! It gave me

experiences, friends and memories that I will cherish for the

rest of my life. If I hadn’t studied languages I would not

have been able to have and truly enjoy such an experience,

and an experience like mine in Brazil comes in very handy

when it comes to interview time and you are asked the

dreaded question: “Tell me about a time that you handled a

challenge well…”

By Eleanor Johansen

Portuguese Language events

2012/13

Professor Marco António da Silva Ramos from São Paulo University talked about the opportunities and advantages of spending your Year Abroad or continuing your post-graduate studies in Brazil.

Professor Susana Cecília Igayara from São Paulo University

explored the dialogue between classical music, Brazilian popular music, word, sound and rhythm.

Tabu, film directed by Miguel Gomes, at Tyneside Cinema.

Tuga Tribe at Bar Loco, revisiting Brazilian and Portuguese music.

The visit of the Portuguese Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Florbela, film directed by Vicente Alves do Ó, to celebrate the Day of Portuguese Language.

The Portuguese Café at The Goose takes place once a month.

Portuguese@Newcastle supports 4 events at ¡Vamos! Festival 2013.

Portuguese language worldwide

population in 2000

Portuguese is the national and official language of 8 countries: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe and, finally, East Timor.

Portuguese is spoken by about 240 million people.

Portuguese is the fifth most spoken language in the world and the third most spoken European language, after English and Spanish.

Portuguese is the third most used language on Facebook and the most spoken in South America, given Brazil’s continental dimensions (Brazil is considered to be one of the emerging countries. It is part of the BRICS, together with Russia, India, China and South Africa).

Portuguese is also the most spoken language in the Southern hemisphere, because of the five African countries which speak the language.

Portuguese was spread all over the world by adventurous Portuguese sailors from the 15th century onwards.

Fado, the national Portuguese music, is the only rhythm to be declared a Heritage of Humanity.

The landscape of Rio, in Brazil, has also been awarded Heritage of Humanity status.

There are around 100 non-native speakers of Portuguese studying the language at Newcastle University.