FSI Portuguese Programmatic Course

What are FSI Programmatic courses?

The Foreign Service Institute is a branch of the US government responsible for providing diplomatic staff with the necessary training required to prepare them for postings abroad. The intensive Basic courses are the core component of FSI’s language training and are designed to allow diplomats to reach the relatively high degree of proficiency necessary to function effectively in their positions.

However, since these courses usually last around six months and are extremely comprehensive, the shorter and lighter Programmatic courses were created to offer an introduction to several key languages. Completing a Programmatic course gives a student a good foundation in the language, leaving them better prepared to begin a more demanding Basic course as well as allowing them to achieve a higher level of success.

What is the structure of the FSI Portuguese Programmatic course?

The FSI Portuguese Programmatic course is divided into two volumes, the first of which contains 25 units and the second, 23. The first six units introduce aspects of the Portuguese language, especially the pronunciation. After that, from Unit 7 on, there are also short dialogs containing new language as well as drills and exercises to allow you to practice what you have learned.

The course is accompanied by a set of audio recordings that guide you through your learning, giving you all the instructions you need and presenting the sounds of the Portuguese language for you to copy.

How can you use the FSI Portuguese Programmatic course?

The Portuguese version is one of the most user-friendly of the Programmatic courses. It is designed to be suitable for individual study, and all you need to do is work through the units in order, following the instructions on the recordings.

If you just study this course, it will provide you with a good introduction to the language, allowing you to communicate confidently in a range of situations in Portuguese-speaking countries.

Alternatively, it could also serve as a preparatory course before immersing yourself more fully in the language, either using other FSI materials or using materials from another coursebook.

Taking it further

Of course, you can’t learn Portuguese from books alone, and if you want to progress in the language, you need to take your new language skills out into the real world and try them out. Look for Portuguese speakers to practice with and make speaking Portuguese a part of your daily life. Then, once you do this, you will see how much Portuguese you have already learned.