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December 15, 1997
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(l to r) José Augusto Lindgren Alves, Lourdes Martinez-Echazabal, and Martin Chemers celebrate the Brazilian government's support
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Through a unique funding arrangement made possible by the Brazilian government, UCSC will begin offering Portuguese language classes beginning this winter.
The Brazilian government has provided a $20,000 grant to fund the first two quarters of instruction and may be willing to provide additional funding for classes in the 1998-99 academic year.
The funding is the result of efforts by members of the Brazil Research Cluster of the Latin American and Latino studies (LALS) program, particularly Lourdes Martinez-Echazabal, an associate professor of literature who coordinates the cluster.
The language classes will enhance trade, political, and cultural relations between Brazil and the United States, said José Augusto Lindgren Alves, consul general of Brazil in San Francisco. Alves came to UCSC on Dec. 5 to deliver a talk on the subject of human rights in the global context and to present the final installment of funding for the current academic year.
Students will benefit from the addition of Portuguese classes, said Manuel Pastor, chair of the LALS program. Although LALS is receiving the support, Pastor will transfer the funds to the Humanities Division for administration of the courses through the language program.
"Our program in Latin American and Latino studies has not done as much as we have wanted on Brazil, in part because our students have not had the opportunity to learn Portuguese and have not had access to research materials," he said. "This is a very important first step and one that will allow students to make even better use of the faculty expertise on Brazil that we have here at UCSC."
The addition of Portuguese language instruction was applauded by members of the Brazilian Research Cluster, including Martinez-Echazabal, associate professor of politics Sonia Alvarez, associate professor of anthropology Daniel Linger, professor of history David Sweet, and Helen Shapiro, an associate professor in the Social Sciences Division.
An intensive two-quarter course that begins in January will provide a full year's worth of beginning Portuguese; a more advanced two-quarter sequence for students who already have substantial preparation in another Romance language will also be offered, said social sciences dean Martin Chemers. "If you want to be a scholar of Brazil, you need to speak Portuguese," said Chemers. "This supports that research and teaching effort."