At IPLeiria most classes are taught in Portuguese and foreign students are expected to know enough of the language to follow them.For this reason, the Polytechnic Institute offers students the opportunity of attending a Preparatory Course for international students willing to learn Portuguese as a foreign language and willing to enter into the Portuguese higher education.General objectives: The course purpose is to prepare students to be successful with the Portuguese language (Part I) and with the specific entrance examinations (Part II) required for the 1st cycle programmes in the Institute.The course is divided into two parts:

Part I

Language and Portuguese Culture.Students will learn Portuguese basic grammar rules and apply these in different context. Throughout the course students will reflect on the Portuguese context by exploring geographical, historical and cultural aspects of the country.By the end of the course students will develop comprehension and oral/writing skills at the A1, A2 or B1 level. A total of 480h.

Part II

Specific subject.Students will choose a specific subject: Mathematics; Biology; Economy; Portuguese; History; Physics; Chemistry and Drawing. The choice will concern the study programme areas.By the end of the course students will be able to: master the specific subject in order to sit the entrance examination with success, required for the 1st study programme in the Institute. A total of 120h each subject.

Assessment:

Students enrolled on this course will be subjected to “on-going” assessment. To be awarded a certificate, a pass in the assessment must be obtained. Students who do not achieve a pass but attended at least 75% of the total number of classes, will be awarded a certificate detailing their participation.

Duration and organisation:

This course lasts 7 months with 30 contact hours per week. A total of 840h.