Portuguese

The Portuguese Program at the UW strives to promote excellence in the teaching and learning of Portuguese in an inclusive environment, promoting compassion, justice, and dignity.

Program Overview

Degree availability: Minor

Years offered: 2 years

Contact: Eduardo Viana da Silva(evsilva@uw.edu)

Course Information

Course Catalog

Modern Language Courses

  • PORT 103: Elementary Portuguese
  • PORT 105: Intensive Portuguese for Spanish and Other Romance Language Speakers
  • PORT 110: Accelerated Elementary Portuguese
  • PORT 201/202/203: Intermediate Portuguese
  • PORT 301: Advanced Portuguese

Literature, Culture, and Linguistics Courses

  • PORT 310: Introduction to Lusophone Literature
  • PORT 335: Twentieth Century Brazilian Fiction in English
  • PORT 365: Brazilian, Portuguese and African Cultures
  • PORT 366: Port-Language Track for Mapping Luso-Brazilian Cultures
  • PORT 370: Art, Activism, and the Environment in Brazil

Foreign Study

  • PORT 199: Foreign Study: Elementary
  • PORT 299: Foreign Study: Intermediate

🌍Global

  • Spoken by over 260 million people worldwide.
  • Official language in 9 countries across Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia.
  • One of the fastest-growing global languages, especially due to Brazil’s population and economy.

📚Learning

  • Known for its clear vowel system and predictable spelling, making it approachable for learners.
  • Widely taught in schools and universities, especially in regions with business or cultural ties to Brazil, Portugal, and Africa.

🏛️Culture & Diplomacy

  • Portuguese is a key language in literature, music, and cultural heritage, from Portuguese fado to Brazilian samba, bossa nova, and modern Lusophone cinema.
  • Essential for engaging with influential writers such as Fernando Pessoa, José Saramago, and Machado de Assis.

✈️Travel & Career

  • Extremely useful for travel in Brazil, Portugal, and several African nations, as well as communities worldwide with Portuguese speakers.
  • Opens doors to opportunities in international business, diplomacy, education, tourism, translation, and fields connected to Brazil’s growing global influence.

Discover More with the Portuguese Department

Open doors to new cultures, careers, and global opportunities.

Visit the Portuguese Department

  • lisbon streetview,

    lisbon streetview

  • Iguazu Waterfall,

    Iguazu Waterfall

  • Lisbon Monastery,

    Lisbon Monastery

  • Lisbon downtown,

    Lisbon downtown