Harvard Summer Program in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
A Portuguese language and Brazilian culture experience in the Marvelous City
Faculty: Clémence Jouët-Pastré
(8 credits: UN, GR) Limited enrollment
Dates: June 30–August 1, 2008
Application deadline: March 3
Cost: $5,500
Rio de Janeiro, with its ebullient and diverse cultural life, is an intriguing center for the arts, theater, music, exhibitions, street performances, international conferences, and cultural and social debates. From 1763 to 1960, Rio was consecutively the capital of the colony, the empire, and the republic of Brazil. Nowadays the city’s dwellers treasure their colonial and nineteenth-century architectural heritage as well as their superb museums, impressive libraries, and historical archives.
With its vibrant popular culture, famous beaches, splendid bay, and wonderful climate, Rio de Janeiro provides students with the ideal atmosphere for full immersion into the Portuguese language and Brazilian culture. Students stay in family homes, where they have the best chance to experience the Brazilian way of life and to speak everyday Portuguese. In addition, students in the program benefit from special lectures and workshops by Brazilian artists, activists, and renowned scholars. A large number of instructional excursions in and around Rio allow students to have hands-on experiences with different social strata of the population. The course is hosted at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, one of Brazil’s leading universities.
Course of Study
PORT S-Dx Study Abroad in Brazil: Brazilian Culture and Portuguese Language
Clémence Jouët-Pastré
In this second-year-level course in Brazilian culture and Portuguese language, students participate in language sessions and instructional excursions, and experience Brazilian film and popular music, expanding and strengthening their linguistic skills and learning about the history and people of Rio.
The course provides students with numerous occasions to interact with native Brazilians from diverse backgrounds and to speak Portuguese. In class, students can reflect upon the different uses of the language in which they are immersed. They compare levels of formality in written and spoken language, and develop their written and spoken academic Portuguese. Students attain an advanced linguistic level by the end of the course.
Morning sessions integrate intensive language instruction with readings, films, and popular songs, providing a comprehensive overview of the history and culture of the Marvelous City. Afternoon and evening sessions include visits to Old Rio, samba and capoeira schools, the Maracanã soccer stadium, churches, museums, and nongovernmental organizations, offering students an informal experience of the rich cultural and social life of the city. Excursions to additional sites around Rio—such as Parati and old coffee plantations—enhance students’ understanding and enjoyment of Brazil.
Prerequisites: Harvard students must have completed either Portuguese A, Portuguese Ac and Ad, Portuguese Ba, or the Harvard University placement test. Other students must have completed one year or one accelerated semester of Portuguese.
Course Credit
For Harvard College students, this program counts as two half-year courses (4 credits each) toward the Harvard College foreign language citation. This course also satisfies the Foreign Cultures Core requirement.
Transfer credit. Harvard Summer School courses and credits are accepted toward degrees at most colleges and universities. Since degree requirements vary among schools, students are advised to obtain transfer credit approval from their home institutions before registering for Harvard Summer School courses.
Faculty
Clémence Jouët-Pastré, Senior Preceptor in Romance Languages and Literatures, Harvard University. A native of Brazil, Jouët-Pastré directs the Portuguese Language Program and is currently the undergraduate advisor in Portuguese and the co-chair of the Brazil Studies Committee.
Application
Students must be at least 18 years old to apply. Harvard Foreign Languages and Area Studies (FLAS) students are encouraged to apply. The application materials, outlined below, are due March 3:
- an application form (download* form)
- official transcripts (sent directly from schools to the address below; unofficial copies not accepted)
- a $50 nonrefundable application fee
- a supplementary statement describing coursework in Portuguese, travel experience abroad (not a prerequisite), and interest in the program
Applications should be addressed as follows:
Nicole García
Office of International Programs
University Hall, Ground Floor South
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
Students are notified of admission decisions by mid-March.
Cost
The cost of the program is $5,500, plus a nonrefundable $50 application fee. In addition, students are responsible for a health insurance fee (approximately $150; waived if students have US insurance that provides coverage outside the United States) and for transportation to and from Rio de Janeiro. The program fee covers the following:
- tuition
- room and breakfast
- excursions (including meals when appropriate)
Payment Deadlines
For admitted students, a nonrefundable deposit of $550 must be received by April 15 to secure a place in the program. Payment in full is due by May 15. A $100 late fee will be charged for payments received after this date.
Funding
Harvard College students are eligible for scholarships through the Harvard Office for International Programs (OIP). Students may consult the OIP website’s money page or contact the OIP for details. To apply for a study abroad scholarship through OIP, you will need to provide information about the program’s budget. Download* the program budget.
The Harvard College Financial Aid Office summer study webpage also provides information about assistance.
Other Harvard students may be eligible for financial assistance through their Harvard financial aid offices. Students enrolled at other institutions should consult their respective financial aid offices.
Accommodations
Students are placed in homes with local families where they have the best chance to experience the Brazilian way of life and to speak conversational Portuguese. Each student has a private room in a home chosen by the experienced staff of the university’s international program. Access to a kitchen, a telephone, and laundry facilities is arranged between the student and the family. Families live in safe neighborhoods near the university (about 15 minutes by city bus).
Additional Information
Contact Clémence Jouët-Pastré, cpastre@fas.harvard.edu; (617) 495-1929; fax (617) 496-4682.
Students with disabilities should contact the disability services coordinator as soon as possible: (617) 495-0977, (617) 495-9419 (TTY), or disabilities@dcemail.harvard.edu. Request-for-accommodation forms and supporting diagnostic documentation must be submitted by April 25. More information about disability services, including request forms and guidelines for documentation, will be online by early February 2008.
Students applying for admission to Harvard’s study abroad programs should understand that although the University provides reasonable assistance and support to facilitate the participation of qualified students in its programs (including students with disabilities and health impairments), some of our programs are located in parts of the world where accommodations may not be readily available. Students are encouraged to be forthcoming with the disability services coordinator about any specific needs and functional limitations so that the Summer School can collaborate with those students in a way that fosters their safe participation and allows them to fully appreciate any barriers that they may face, depending on the location and rigors of the particular program.
Harvard Summer School is aware of the risks associated with international travel. Should the US Department of State issue a travel warning for any of the countries in which a study abroad program is planned, the program in that country may be canceled.
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