portuguese

Learn Portuguese

Learn Portuguese at SFU and connect with 9 Portuguese-speaking countries across Europe, America and Africa, including regions in Asia. Discover Brazil, Canada’s 3rd largest trading partner in the Americas and the world’s 8th largest nominal GDP. If you speak Spanish, Portuguese is the key to open doors in the entire continent. Embrace the language of a vibrant and creative culture.

Check out how charming we sound in Brazilian Portuguese:

why study portuguese 

• Portuguese is a less commonly taught language in different regions, as it is in Canada. Add extra-value to your CV and make it stand out by learning Portuguese.

• If you studied or speak Spanish, Italian, French or other Romance languages, benefit from the similarities between these languages. Chances are high for a faster learning of Portuguese. You are on the path to multilingualism!

• Almost 264 million people speak Portuguese. By the end of the century, there will be 490 million speakers.

• Spoken in all continents, Portuguese is one of the most widespread languages in the world and the most widely spoken language in the Southern Hemisphere.

• Portuguese is an official language in Europe, America, Africa and Asia, in 9 countries which are organized in the Community of Portuguese Language Countries: Brazil, Portugal, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, East Timor, and São Tomé e Príncipe.

• It is the 8th most spoken language and in the 3rd position among European languages.

• It is the 6th most spoken language on the Web, but only 3,5% of its content is in Portuguese, with evident room for growth of the language online.

• Brazil alone, the 5th biggest country, has the world’s 8th largest economy by nominal GDP, as well as the largest national economy and territory in Latin America.

GRADUATE PROGRAMS SCHOLARSHIPS IN BRAZIL FOR INTERTIONAL STUDENTS

In 2024 more than 850 MA and PhD scholarships were offered to international students through International Cooperation Group of Brazilian Universities’ (GCUB) International Mobility Program (GCUB-Mob). Start planning your Ma and PhD in Brazil by learning Portuguese. Language requisites are set by each Brazilian university individually, but not all require Portuguese from the start – Before the defense of the PhD thesis or MA dissertation all selected candidates must prove an intermediate level of Portuguese, at least.

https://www.gcub.org.br/

potential career paths

• By Speaking Portuguese, increase employment prospects in diplomatic, governmental, and foreign service employment sectors. Also, in fields that involve international cooperation like: trade, international business and studies, climate change, sustainability, and biodiversity conservation.

• Or explore a myriad of career pathways in priority sectors that the Canadian government has identified as offering significant commercial opportunities:
Information and communications technology
Digital technologies
Clean technology
Education
Life sciences
Power and renewable energy
Aerospace
Agriculture and agri-food

• In addition to these key sectors, important opportunities for Canadian companies exist in:
Oil and gas
Mining
Defence and security
Infrastructure
Ocean technologies
Automotive
Forestry
Machinery and industrial equipment
Services and tourism

• Finally, learning Portuguese can also lead you to pursue Higher Education in Brazil. There, public universities don’t charge tuition fees, and in MA and PhD programs you can earn a scholarship, going through the same entrance process as Brazilian candidates. Private universities do charge tuitions, but their MA and PhD programs also offer scholarships.

Program Goals, Parameters, and Outcomes

Gear up for an awesome experience! Our classes keep it intimate with a max of 25 students, packed with interactive activities. Get ready to mingle with students from various fields, adding a splash of excitement to your learning journey.

Click below to find out what you will learn in each level of Portuguese courses we offer:

Already know some Portuguese, complete an assessment to find your appropriate level courses:

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Fall Courses 2024

Course Title Instructor Day/Time Location
PORT 100 D100 STT-Introductory Brazilian Portuguese I Camila Dilli Nunes
Sep 4 – Oct 11, 2024: Tue, Thu, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
Oct 16 – Dec 3, 2024: Tue, Thu, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
Burnaby
Burnaby

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Let's Hear Some More

Listen to accents from all over the world in this celebratory video of Portuguese language diversity:

 

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