CIEE Language and Culture Program in Lisbon, Portugal
Location
Portugal: Lisbon
Description
The Language and Culture study abroad program in Lisbon, Portugal is designed for students of all levels of Portuguese, beginner to advanced. Beginning and intermediate students can start their Portuguese training or strengthen their existing skills while taking content courses in English. Advanced Portuguese students are able to directly enroll in university courses in Portuguese alongside local and other international students. The range of courses available appeals to students with a strong interest in the social sciences and humanities and include anthropology, literature, music, politics, and sociology.
Academic Program
All CIEE students enroll in an intensive language program prior to the start of the semester. Students continue their language study during the semester and choose three to four additional courses from a CIEE core curriculum taught in English and shared with other international and Portuguese students. Students with advanced Portuguese language skills may also choose from a large offering of courses in the humanities and social sciences taught in Portuguese. Undergraduate programs at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa (UNL) are academically rigorous and students should expect challenging coursework. The CIEE program is based at the School of Social Sciences and Humanities (FCSH).
Academic Culture
The academic culture at UNL is one of active intellectual inquiry and exploration that especially values interdisciplinary study and creativity of thought. Students are encouraged to think critically and work independently and to contribute to class discussions and participate fully in University life. Those who are interested may be able to participate in projects developed at the many FCSH research units.
All classes are taught by professors at UNL. Professors encourage participation and active student engagement in the course material. Both the Portuguese language and English language content courses are small in size, while direct enrollment courses are medium in size.
The academic calendar has recently changed and is now closer to the North American calendar. Fall classes begin in September and end in December. Spring classes begin in February and end in May.
Highlights
Culture
Lisbon is a culturally rich city with a vibrant theater life, an historic opera house, many museums, concert venues, galleries, a dynamic cinemathique, and more. Students are expected to take advantage of the city's cultural offerings and the program includes cultural events as well as visits to sites of historic and cultural importance in Lisbon and its environs, including the medieval walled-town of Obidos and Sintra. These activities vary each semester to take advantage of seasonal and current attractions.
In addition, there are two weekend trips each semester to locations of cultural and/or ecological interest. Orientation includes a cultural visit within Lisbon and an overnight field trip. In the past the group has traveled to Evora where Portuguese culture's old Roman, Muslim, and Mozarabic legacy can be fully appreciated; Porto, the second city in the country; and Coimbra, home to one of Europe's oldest universities.
Institution Affiliates:
