Former student Helaman Montes-Lucas says,
“The class was well structured with many opportunities to practice speaking, writing and reading, and Professora Knudson-Vilaseca incorporated the culture of the four continents that speak Portuguese which made the class extremely interesting. You will discover so much and learn something new every class period. Portuguese opened many doors to me and gave me the ability to communicate with my Brazilian friends abroad and at NIU. Here are a few facts I learned in class:
-Learning Portuguese not only teaches you the language, but you will also learn the culture of four continents! (Portuguese is spoken in Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America)
-Portuguese is the official language of Brazil, which is an economic powerhouse, and can bring up many opportunities to those who would like to visit and/or work overseas.
-It’s a fun experience. There are many interactive games that are part of the class which make the experience of learning Portuguese very enjoyable.”
Former student Eloisa Gutiérrez says,
“Portuguese 103/104 was a class that I decided to take for fun, and I am very glad I made that decision. At first, a two-semester foreign language class seemed daunting, but I quickly realized that the class really maximized my learning experience. This was the third foreign language that I had taken, and I really preferred the more intensive Portuguese schedule. Meeting four days a week made studying so much easier because we had so much exposure to the language through lectures, presentations, movies, songs and homework assignments. We learned a lot about the language and the culture as well, and I really enjoyed that aspect. The class was incredibly interactive and the classes were never really the same which kept everything interesting and fun. Professor Knudson-Vilaseca was very helpful and provided a lot of extra material to ensure that we could succeed in the class. I can’t recommend this class enough. Learning a new language is incredibly rewarding and it’s a skill you have for the rest of your life. If you’re considering taking a foreign language class, I promise that you cannot go wrong with FLPO 103/104.”
Portuguese at NIU 