Study and Teaching
The Portuguese language is spoken by over 270 million people worldwide and is an official language in nine countries: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, and East Timor.
Portuguese ranks 5th among world languages in terms of native speakers, and is the 6th most used language on the Internet and the 6th most spoken as a foreign language. Based on this linguistic potential, the Leitorado Brasileiro Guimarães Rosa aims to make the Portuguese language and the cultural diversity of its speakers visible, with a particular focus on topics related to Brazil.
With over 213 million inhabitants, Brazil is the 5th most populous country in the world and the largest and most populous country in Latin America. The mixture of its native population with people who have migrated from all over the world has resulted in Brazil’s extraordinary cultural and linguistic diversity. The Leitorado Brasileiro Guimarães Rosa intends to make this diversity accessible to students at Heidelberg University by offering them the opportunity to engage intensively with the language and culture of Brazil.
In addition, Heidelberg University students are welcome to contact lecturer Marília Pinheiro Pereira for further information on the Portuguese language or Brazilian literature and culture. Marília is also available to advise on subjects related to teacher training, Portuguese as a heritage language, and the creation of didactic materials.
The Leitorado Brasileiro Guimarães Rosa Heidelberg is also happy to advise on stays abroad in Brazil. Do not hesitate to contact us!
Current Courses
In the winter semester 2024/25, the activities of the Leitorado Brasileiro Guimarães Rosa are focused on the peculiarities of Brazilian Portuguese and cultural phenomena, with special attention to intercultural aspects between Brazil, Portuguese-speaking countries around the world, and German-speaking countries. In addition, we offer various events that are also open to external participants, including an event for film series in Portuguese: Milestones in History 2, lecture on brazilian Literature and an international series of events to celebrate the bicentenary of German immigration to Brazil. Watch out for announcements on our homepage and on our social networks. The Leitorado Brasileiro Guimarães Rosa is offering one course in the winter semester (WS2024/25).
– Portuguese as a Foreign Language – level A1 – https://lsf.uni-heidelberg.de/qisserver/rds?state=verpublish&status=init&vmfile=no&publishid=403715&moduleCall=webInfo&publishConfFile=webInfo&publishSubDir=veranstaltung
Students can contact Marília Pinheiro Pereira for more information about these courses and credits, as well as to discuss research and exchange knowledge related to the Portuguese language and Brazilian culture.
Celpe-Bras (Certificate of Proficiency)
Since 2024, the University of Heidelberg has been authorized to administer the Celpe-Bras exam (Certificado de Proficiência em Língua Portuguesa para Estrangeiros), the only official Brazilian exam that certifies proficiency in Portuguese as a foreign language. For more information, click here.
Goals of the Leitorado Guimarães Rosa in Heidelberg
- The dissemination of Brazilian Portuguese and the Brazilian culture through special courses and extracurricular activities;
- The continuation of ongoing projects related to the Portuguese language and Brazilian culture;
- To broaden the footprint of the Portuguese language at Heidelberg University through joint activities with the HCIAS;
- To strengthen partnerships with Brazilian universities through contact between German and Portuguese students at these universities;
- To promote further education for teachers of Portuguese as a foreign language and as a heritage language in Germany;
- The development of didactic material for teaching Portuguese as a foreign language according to the profile of Portuguese students at Heidelberg University.