Didactics of Portuguese as Heritage Language

This course aims to contribute to the development of pedagogical-didactic competences that enable the learner: to understand the concept of Heritage Language (HL); to understand the psycholinguistic and didactic implications that arise from the recognition of the specificity of the learner and speaker of a Heritage Language; to intervene appropriately in his/her action context.

Aims of the course

This action aims to contribute to the development of pedagogical, didactic and investigative skills that enable the trainee:

  • To understand the concept of Language of Heritage (LH), in its differentiation and articulation with adjacent concepts (Mother Tongue - MT, Foreign Language - FL and Second Language - L2);
  • To understand the psycholinguistic and didactic implications that arise from the recognition of the specificity of the heritage language learner;
  • To identify the images of languages, peoples, and their teaching and learning ways, reflecting on its educational implications;
  • To intervene in their acting context, based on the development of a Research-Action project (R&A), starting by questioning the practices and values locally identified.

Course structure and teaching methods

The structure of the course is based on the sequencing of modules, alternating between reflection and practice activities, divided into different modalities of participation (mainly asynchronous), through autonomous work and collaborative work.

The course aims to articulate autonomous and collaborative training, according to the following structure:

  • Individualized theoretical training work, autonomously (completion of the recommended readings);
  • Collaborative theoretical training work: computer mediated discussion (synchronous and asynchronous) about the readings carried out;
  • Carrying out a Research-Action project (from the design phase to the analysis phase of the data collected).

The contents of the training are the following:

  • Concept of Heritage Language, Foreign Language, Mother Tongue and Second Language;
  • Assumptions of psychosocial, linguistic and didactic basis of the teaching and transmission of Portuguese as a heritage language;
  • Concept of Plurilingual and Intercultural Competence;
  • Interlinguistic interactions and synergies in the development of Multilingual and Intercultural Competence;
  • Concept of image, social representation, stereotype and other related terms (belief, opinion, ...);
  • Speech as a vehicle of images and representations of Heritage Language and cultures: focus on teaching and learning discourses and regulatory discourses;
  • Productivity of the concepts listed above in research in Language Education, in general, and in the teaching of Portuguese as heritage language, in particular;
  • The classroom as a heterogeneous space of profitability and transformation of images and representations, of previous linguistic-communicative and cultural knowledge, of personal learning paths and of political discourses.

Schedule of the collaborative work meetings:

  • Start-up: 2h
  • Theoretical reflection: 2h
  • How to do an I&E project: 4h
  • I&E project implementation: 16h
  • Assessment and briefing: 4h

Course duration

The course has a duration of 40 hours.

Tuition fee

200 €. In the case of teachers from the network of Portuguese teaching abroad and agents from Camões, I.P. the cost of the course is 150 €.

Assessment

The assessment will be in continuous regime and the approval will depend on obtaining a grade of 5 values or more, and attending at least 2/3 of the total number of hours of the course. The terms of the assessment will be as follows:

  • 25%: Final theoretical reflection (written document prepared according to the guidelines provided);
  • 25%: Relevant and regular participation in online discussions (synchronous and asynchronous);
  • 50%: Research-Action Project, according to the following distribution:
    • 40%: Final report of the Research-Action project (with timely delivery, formal correction, description and critical analysis of the implemented project, with reference to the impact on the pedagogical practice - written document prepared according to the guidelines provided);
    • 10%: Individual oral presentation and discussion of each Research-Action project, in a synchronous joint session (videoconference).

Course certificates

Training accredited by the Scientific and Pedagogical Council for Continuous Training, as a training course, with registration no. CCPFC/ACC-113924/22, relevant for the career progression of Portuguese teachers from groups 300, 220, 210, 200, 110.