Globally, Portuguese is the eighth most widely spoken language with over 250 million speakers across eight countries and five continents. Portugal is a member of the European Union and maintains strong ties with its former colonies in Africa, Asia and South America. Brazil houses the majority of speakers whose language is shaped by ancient heritage, colonial history and global migration.
Portuguese is a language of commerce, science, technology, international partnership and rich in linguistic, literary and artistic heritage. Like English, Portuguese has an Indo-European origin, so is relatively accessible to English speakers, and in particular to speakers of other Romance languages.
Studying Portuguese at ANU will equip you with the necessary skills to communicate and function effectively in Portuguese-speaking environments, and with a knowledge and understanding of culture and traditions in Portuguese-speaking countries around the world, which will greatly enhance your global cultural insight.
Portuguese language courses can be taken without prior knowledge, however if you have previous knowledge of the language, you can take a placement test so you start Portuguese at the most appropriate level.
Career Options
Studying Portuguese will suit you if you are interested in working for organisations, businesses or government agencies dealing with, or based in, Portuguese-speaking countries. Industries such as mining, oil & gas, tropical agriculture, aeronautics and wine making, among others, and all realms of science related to these areas, have an important footprint in the Portuguese-speaking countries.
Graduates of Portuguese may find work in international organisations, diplomatic representations, trading companies, national security and strategic advising agencies, translation, language teaching, tourism, aid and development projects, and many other fields.
Programs and courses
- Electives (not yet available as major or minor)
- Can be also be studied as part of: