Portuguese as a Minority Language: Attitudes of Undergraduate Students Studying Portuguese Literature

Caddo Gap Press. 3145 Geary Boulevard PMB 275, San Francisco, CA 94118. Tel: 415-666-3012; Fax: 415-666-3552; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.caddogap.com

Y

4

Undergraduate Students; Curriculum Design; Language Variation; Student Attitudes; Spanish; Portuguese; Language Minorities; Literature; Language Attitudes; Foreign Countries; Enrollment; Second Language Learning; English; Native Speakers; Standard Spoken Usage

Brazil; Portugal

1068-3844

The differences between European Portuguese (EP) and Brazilian Portuguese (BP) raise some interesting issues that are well worth considering through undergraduate university students' perceptions and attitudes. Instructors of undergraduate courses in Portuguese literature suggest that in terms of curriculum design, curriculum delivery, and attitudes of students these differences can be quite extreme, especially when one compares EP and BP with the Spanish language. Students enrolled in undergraduate Portuguese courses are often taking or have taken Spanish language courses, making possible a comparison between both programs and languages. The purpose of this study is to understand the existing discrepancies in the Portuguese language and the resulting attitudes of students when faced with these differences. Using data collected with L1 English/L2 Portuguese students at a Canadian university, this article shows how a strong preference for one variety of the Portuguese language exists when studying the arts but how a different preference emerges when analyzing which language variety is considered more standard by the L2 Portuguese learners. (Contains 2 figures.)

ERIC

19

2012

EJ951849