Apaixonado mas pressionado: Passionate but Pressured
Photo Story by: Alyssa Alves
At the end of the last semester, Cecília Rodrigues, an assistant professor of Portuguese at the University of Georgia, urged her upper-level students to enroll in the next class, “PORT 3030: Intro to Lang, Lit and Culture,” promptly. She told students that if they do not register soon, the university may cancel the class due to low enrollment numbers. Rodrigues, along with many teaching assistants in the Portuguese department at UGA, immigrated from Brazil in pursuit of higher education. Introductory Portuguese classes often have ample amounts of students, but as the classes become more advanced, they often face the fear of being canceled due to low enrollment.
Portuguese is the sixth most spoken language in the world with over 260 million speakers worldwide. Many consider Brazil an emerging economic superpower. Companies and employers, especially those who work internationally, are seeking more proficient and fluent Portuguese speakers. Many Portuguese speakers in the United States have learned Portuguese as a native language and not through their public education systems or university programs.
PORT 3030 is a class focused on advanced grammar along with art, music and dance of Portuguese-speaking countries. This course if only offered at one time, with one teacher, and in one location as there are barely students to fill one class. Due to scheduling issues, many students may not be able to take the course. PORT 3030 is required for students pursuing a minor in Portuguese or emphasizing in Portuguese as part of a Romance languages major, and the class only has seven students enrolled. This photo essay explores the struggles Portuguese department at UGA faces through PORT 3030, its instructors, its students and the opportunities provided through learning Portuguese.
Located on the University of Georgia’s historic north campus, Gilbert Hall is the home of the Department of Romance Languages. UGA offers French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese classes for students to take. The Romance languages major offered at UGA requires students to study two languages within the department; there is no way to major only in Portuguese.
Located on the third floor of Gilbert Hall, Room 309 holds the “PORT 3030 Intro to Lang, Lit and Culture” class. Susan Quinlan, the professor for the course, and student Adam Diaz sit in the small classroom awaiting other students to arrive on March 6, 2018. Upper-level Portuguese classes are often held in small classrooms in Gilbert Hall due to low enrollment numbers.
In the Gilbert Hall lobby, small cards sit on a table. The cards explain why students should study Portuguese. The card briefly details opportunities the Portuguese department provides including interactive classrooms, study abroad opportunities and a community-like appeal. The Portuguese department tries to keep a large presence on the UGA campus. The program consistently advertises the program and why Portuguese is important to learn.
Located on the University of Georgia’s historic north campus, Gilbert Hall is the home of the Department of Romance Languages. UGA offers French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese classes for students to take. The Romance languages major offered at UGA requires students to study two languages within the department; there is no way to major only in Portuguese.
Even with many learning opportunities inside and outside of the classroom and dedicated faculty, the Portuguese department is constantly pressured by enrollment standards and focuses much of its energy on encouraging new students to study Portuguese.