Brazil

Portuguese Language and Afro-Brazilian Culture

Program

Salvador

Courses

Faculty

Field Trips

Accommodation

Cost

Calendar

Eligibility

Application Deadline

PROGRAM

Temple University in Bahia, Brazil: Portuguese Language and Afro-Brazilian Culture provides exceptional educational opportunities for undergraduate students of Portuguese, Spanish, African-American studies, Latin American studies, music, dance, art, and related disciplines to study Portuguese language and Afro-Brazilian culture in a city rich in history. The program is based at the educational facilities of Diálogo Language School located in Salvador, the capital city of the state of Bahia, in northeastern Brazil. A special feature of the program is a homestay with a Brazilian family for the last two weeks of the program, giving participants a valuable cultural immersion experience. Program activities are held in the historic center of the city.

SALVADOR

Salvador, Bahia is a vigorous city of around 2,250,000 inhabitants, situated between green tropical hills and the broad beaches along the Bay of All Saints (Baía de Todos os Santos). The first capital of Brazil, Salvador was built on two levels, with administration buildings and residences constructed on the hill, and forts, docks and warehouses on the beaches. From 1500 to 1815, a significant number of enslaved Africans, sugar, gold, and diamonds passed through Salvador, which at that time was Brazil’s busiest port. This was a prosperous period for the town; magnificent homes and churches resplendent in gold decoration were built. Many of the city’s baroque churches, private homes, squares and even the hand-chipped paving bricks have been preserved as part of Brazil’s historic patrimony.

In Salvador, more than anywhere else in the country, the African influence
in Brazilian culture is readily visible in the religious festivals and ceremonies of
candomblé that honor African deities, the spicy dishes with African names such as acaraje, and the capoeira schools where a unique African form of ritualistic fighting is taught. Salvador is also the center for traditional and contemporary Afro-Brazilian art and culture, and is famous for its Afro-Brazilian carnival groups — Blocos and Afoxes. Salvador’s artistic and religious groups are the foundation of an important social movement in Brazil, educating Brazilians and visitors about Bahia’s African roots.

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COURSES

Students attend classes at Diálogo Language School in the Barra neighborhood, a vibrant shoreline community that is in walking distance of their apartments. The area is well known for its eating places, shops, and historical landmarks, including its lighthouse and forts. Classes are held Monday through Thursday mornings and early afternoons. On Fridays and mid-afternoons students take part in specialized workshops and class trips, attend sessions featuring guest lecturers, and go on excursions throughout Salvador. Program activities will also be centered in Pelourinho, the historic center of the city. This district is an exciting location that is filled with many cultural institutions and is the site of weekly cultural events.

All students enroll in a total of six credits: three credits of language and three credits of culture. Students enroll in either Portuguese 1021--beginning--or Portuguese 3101--intermediate--depending on their previous knowledge of the language. The language courses are designed to improve linguistic skills in speaking, listening and writing through various types of communicative activities, grammatical drills, and contextualization.

The second class, Portuguese 4000: Special Topics: African Culture in Brazil, taught in English by Dr. Ken Dossar, examines the history of Africans in Brazil. Drawing upon various disciplines (history, art, architecture, anthropology, etc.), students explore Brazil’s rich and diverse heritage: European, African, and Amerindian.

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FACULTY

The program is directed by Dr. Kenneth Dossar, Temple University, an arts consultant and cultural historian who works closely with numerous cultural/arts organizations in creating public programs that explore the common heritage of people of African descent. He has performed field research in the Caribbean and Cuba on the continuance of African traditions in music, dance, belief systems and other cultural practices. Since 1983, he has traveled to Brazil to research Bahia’s African heritage. He has assisted national and local arts institutions in producing cultural and educational exchange projects with Brazil. Dr. Dossar is a founding member of the Brazil/US Center for Culture and Education, and through the Partners of the Americas, he has represented the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on numerous cultural delegations and exchange programs between Brazil and the United States.

FIELD TRIPS

Field trips are an integral part of the students’ learning experience in Bahia.
Short trips are taken every week both in and around the city, exposing students to daily life in Salvador, as well as to the many vibrant cultural sites, including historic locations, which make this region of Brazil special. Short field trips include visits to reconstructed colonial towns such as Cachoeira to meet members of the Irmandade da Boa Morte, a religious confraternity developed in the early 19th century by enslaved African women. Students also visit libraries and research institutes, including the Center for African and Oriental Studies and the Pierre Verger Center.

ACCOMODATION

For the first four weeks of the program, all participants live in shared apartments. Each unit in the Graça Residence Apart-Service, located in the upscale neighborhood of Graça, accommodates two-to-three students. Within a short walk, students can find banks, pharmacies, markets, laundry services, delicatessens and convenience stores. Located near Barra beach, and just a 15-minute bus ride from the historic city center, the building has quick and easy access to bus lines and taxi service. The furnished apartments have a living area, air conditioned sleeping area, bathroom and shower, television, service area, and full kitchen. In addition, the Graça Residence has complete security and a professional team of employees to make visitors feel at home. Students are able to make light meals, and are also given a list of affordable restaurants. Students are responsible for paying for electricity, including air conditioning. For the final two weeks of the program students have a homestay with a Brazilian family.

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2008 COSTS        

*Please note that this fee is based on last year's costs and will be updated

The Brazil fee includes housing and local travel. In addition, students must budget money for round-trip airfare from Philadelphia to Brazil, estimated at about $1400; meals and personal expenses, estimated at about $200 a week; recommended immunizations (can be as much as $450); health insurance; electricity while in apartments; visa-related expenses ($150-200); and the International Student Identity Card (currently $22).

2008 CALENDAR (Summer II)

Dates are tentative and subject to change

ELIGIBILITY

Please see General Summer Information for program eligibility and application requirements that apply to all programs. In addition, for the Brazil program, the following is required:

• Students are required to submit a one-two page typed statement describing your expectations and interests regarding the Brazil program, and specifying what you ultimately hope to gain from the study abroad experience.

• Some experience or working knowledge of Latin American-related subject matters is desirable.

• When possible, candidates are interviewed; telephone interviews are conducted for those who cannot be interviewed personally.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 15

For more information, please contact Dr. Kenneth Dossar, Temple University, Department of Intellectual Heritage, 215-473-6495, kenneth.dossar@temple.edu.

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