Students at York University who are fluent in Portuguese are invited to apply for a volunteer position assisting in Portuguese language courses.
The Portuguese & Luso-Brazilian (PLB) Studies program seeks volunteers for the following courses:
- POR 1000 – Elementary Portuguese: Mondays and Wednesdays, 10:30am to 12:30pm;
- POR 2000 – Intermediate Portuguese: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30 to 2:30pm; and
- POR 3000 – Advanced Portuguese: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:30 to 4:30pm.
The goal of this project is to enhance students’ exposure to the language.
Volunteers will be required to attend classes whenever possible, and during class will be expected to speak only in Portuguese, collaborate in class discussions and participate in pair and group activities.
Volunteers may be asked to assist by providing additional vocabulary, and offering motivation and language clues to enhance classroom discussions. Class preparation, however, is the full responsibility of the professor (Inês Cardoso). Student volunteers will not be required to do homework and/or research; the role of the volunteer is to provide support to the instructor.
Any student attending York University is eligible to apply for a volunteer position. Those interested should have oral and written fluency in Portuguese, and preference will be given to those able to speak a variant of Portuguese different from the instructor’s (students from Portuguese-speaking countries other than Portugal are encouraged to apply).
Volunteers must also be able to identify with any Lusophone culture, such as Brazilian, Portuguese, Angolan, Mozambican etc. Students with study abroad experience are welcome to apply.
Applicants should demonstrate strong communication, interpersonal and motivational skills; a strong sense of responsibility and reliability; and an interest in teaching.
This opportunity runs for the entire academic year (September 2015 to April 2016), and individual arrangements and attendance will be set in consultation with the professor.
While this is a volunteer position (there is no paid remuneration), this opportunity is eligible for the student co-curricular record.
It is expected that all Portuguese-speaking volunteers will set a positive example by conducting themselves in a manner that aligns with the academic policies for courses in the program (class behaviour – participation; use of laptops, cell phones and audio/visual recording; academic honesty) and adhering to the Student Code of Conduct.
Those interested can email Professor Inês Cardoso at icardoso@yorku.ca. Emails should be written in Portuguese and include the following:
- subject: “Voluntariado”; and
- text: explain (in Portuguese) why you are the ideal candidate for this position, and clearly outline your availability. Provide a phone number or Skype contact information.
This volunteer position will remain open until all volunteer positions are filled. The number of volunteers per class is to be determined by the professor.
For more about the Portuguese & Luso-Brazilian Studies program, including news, videos, and interesting and relevant information, visit yorku.ca/laps/dlll/portuguese.