PORTUGUESE STAGE 1 COURSE DESCRIPTION
The following is a broad outline of what will be covered in Portuguese Stage 1. The
course detail is explained in terms of: language topics and grammar, i.e. what you
can do with the language plus the main tenses and structures covered. Please note
that exact detail and order may vary depending on choice of class, coursebook and
particular needs of the group. At beginner level the tutor will assume no prior
knowledge of the language
Topic areas:
1. Introduce yourself to someone and give some basic information about
yourself such as where you live/what you do/your age/what you
drink/what you want to eat.
2. Talk about other people and give the same kind of information about them
as in (1) above.
3. Ask someone else about their habits, what they do, where they live,
where they work etc.
4. Tell the time in Portuguese.
5. Talk about what you are going to do in the near future.
6. Ask for what you want in a shop.
7. Describe people’s appearance, clothing etc.
8. Express your likes/dislikes.
9. Give basic directions in Portuguese.
Main Grammar Points:
• present simple of regular ar/er/ir verbs e.g. falar, comer + decidir and
most common irregular verbs: ser, ter estar, ir, fazer, haver, dizer, saber
etc..
• subject pronouns: eu, tu, ele, etc..
• simple prepositions: em, de, com, para, por etc..
• question words: que, quem, quanto, quando, como, onde, porquê etc
• masculine + feminine articles: um, uma, o, a etc.
• adjective noun agreements, e.g. uma cerveja / duas cervejas
• possibly a brief introduction into the use of the Portuguese Preterite Tense
to talk about past actions and things we’ve done e.g. No sábado fui ao
cinema / Fizemos muitas compras
By the end of the course you should be able to communicate with a native
Portuguese speaker who asked you the following questions:
Há quanto tempo é que está em Lisboa?
É a primeira vez que vem ao Algarve?
Como é que se chama o seu amigo?
Do que é que gosta mais na Escócia?
A que horas parte o comboio para Coimbra ?
Pode-me dizer se há uma farmácia aqui perto?
Gosta da comida portuguesa?
In trying to choose the correct level, you may have to balance what you know of the
language (grammar, vocabulary etc) with your ability to speak it, since, depending on your
personal history of learning the language, you may be stronger in one area than the other.