Portugal Reflection

Reflection

After a month of Portuguese training programme, not only has my Portuguese improved, but also has my horizon widened.  

When this summer programme came up, I was so interested in it because this would be a great chance to explore the university life and culture in Portugal. As Macao had once been a colony of Portugal, it would be worth to get to know more about this country. I had actually have the notion of furthering my postgraduate studies in Portugal, as I am starting my Bachelor's Degree in the UK, it would be a valuable experience if I can have a chance to further my studies in another European country and I believe I will even better improve my Portuguese proficiency in the forthcoming future.

Admittedly, I did not really have the confidence to speak as much Portuguese during the Portuguese class in IPOR, but during the month in Portugal, after experiencing different situations that you must speak Portuguese in order to express yourself, I have the confidence to talk to anyone in Portuguese. Many times when I went shopping or just buying some fruits, some staffs or hawkers just did not speak English, this forced me to speak Portuguese and made me practise Portuguese conversation skills. It was really good that even some staff in the hostel tried to let me practise Portuguese by talking to me in Portuguese. My summer vacation was very meaningful because at least I did not sleep till noon as I needed to attend the Portuguese class. Though, I really gained a lot. The professor was nice, her method of teaching was fascinating. There were always opportunities for me to speak, write and raise questions. It was a good idea to make us do homework every day, so that I would review everything that she had taught that day. It was appropriate to separate among 28 students into two classes, I believe students could better absorb the knowledge and comprehend more deeply. Ultimately, from the results I was certain that my Portuguese had gone through a great improvement.

Besides learning Portuguese, I also learnt Portuguese dancing and cooking. I think the dancing class was interesting, it was kind of cultural teaching and a chance for me to exercise. This dancing class also enhanced our friendship and team spirit since everyone would involve and sometimes altogether we handed in hand, danced in a circle. For the cooking class, it really benefited me as I used to cook for myself during my stay in the UK. The professor taught me the different names of food, took photos for us and I felt grateful and proud when I received the Portuguese Cooking Diploma from her.