The Department of Portuguese of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Macau (UM) held a closing ceremony for the 38th Portuguese Language Summer Programme. During the event, participants demonstrated their learning outcomes over the past three weeks through dance performances and poetry recitations. Certificates were also presented to those who passed the course requirements.

During the three-week programme, a total of 343 participants from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, South Korea and Vietnam took part in language courses and cultural experiences at UM. Wang Jinfang, a participant from mainland China, said that the Portuguese Language Summer Programme was a fresh experience as she was able to meet teachers and students from different places. She believes that learning a new language opens a new window on the world. It allows her to observe the lifestyles of people with different cultural concepts and to seek common ground despite differences, thus realising the need of mutual respect, inclusion and care among people from different cultural backgrounds.

Zhang Jianbo, coordinator of the programme, said that the number of participants in this year’s summer programme had reached a record high in the last three years. He expressed hope that more students from different countries and regions will come to study Portuguese at UM in the future, and that UM will be an important gateway for them to broaden their horizons and knowledge.

In addition to language courses, this year’s Portuguese Language Summer Programme included seminars on translation and interpreting, as well as topics related to Macao and contemporary Portugal. Participants also took part in a range of workshops on Portuguese folk dance, capoeira, poetry and music, oenology and more. Moreover, the course materials were made available on an online platform to facilitate participants’ independent learning and the completion of assignments after class. Participants also engaged in a series of activities such as tasting local specialities, attending concerts, watching dance performances, and visiting famous landmarks in Macao.

This year’s Portuguese Language Summer Programme was supported by the Macao Foundation, the Macao Government Tourism Office, and the Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau.