Luso-Brazilian Language and Literature (Portuguese) (Minor)

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Program Description

With over 250 million speakers worldwide, making it the world's sixth most-spoken language, Portuguese has a trans-hemispheric presence from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. Through a minor in Portuguese, students achieve advanced proficiency and are introduced to key aspects of the Luso-Afro-Brazilian world. Portugal’s early modern maritime expansion and colonial exploits indelibly shaped Lusophone Africa, Brazil, and even former colonies in Goa, East Timor, and Macao. Through selected coursework students learn about the ways in which Portuguese colonial power was enacted and resisted; are introduced to the unique forms of intercultural expression created across the Lusophone world, including the powerful presence of West African culture in present-day Brazil; and study contemporary debates about culture, power, and politics across this field. Students are encouraged to study away with our summer program in Recife, Brazil, as part of the minor. The Department of Spanish and Portuguese is an interdisciplinary department focused on the languages, cultural formations, and critical thought emerging from the Luso-Afro-Brazilian world as well as from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Spain. Students interested in the major track in Portuguese should consult the Spanish and Portuguese (BA) page in this Bulletin.

Minor Declaration

To request declaration of a minor, CAS students should visit the host department. To request declaration of a cross-school minor, CAS students should complete the online Minor Application available in their Albert Student Center. Students may also use the Minor Application in Albert to request cancellation of a CAS or cross-school minor.