CityU holds first Portuguese Language Day to promote multilingual communication and Portuguese cultural experience

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To celebrate the World Portuguese Language Day on May 5th and give students an immersive experience in Portuguese language and culture, City University of Macau (CityU) held its first “Portuguese Language Day” event yesterday (May 3rd) at its Taipa campus. The event was organized by the teaching members and staff of the program of Bachelor of Portuguese at Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (FHSS) and was well-received by students and faculty from different programs.

During her opening address, FHSS Dean Lixian Jin encouraged students to take advantage of this opportunity to experience the charm of Portuguese culture and practice their communication skills. She also practiced her own Portuguese-speaking ability with the students.

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The one-day event featured an array of activities, including Portuguese folk dance and booth games related to Portuguese culture. These activities also helped students understand more about the Portuguese culture, stimulate their interest of learning the language, and allowed them to experience the culture through specialties and delicacies.

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In addition, undergraduate students from the Portuguese program showcased their talents on stage. The first-year students recited works by a famous Portuguese poet, while the second-year students put together an original drama that told the story of a protagonist who dreamed of traveling to Portugal and Brazil after reading a book about these two countries. The students’ humorous and lively performance provided a taste of the culture of Portuguese-speaking countries and received a great round of applause. The third-year students presented a short video they created that told an allegorical story about “cure”.

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The first Portuguese Language Day at City University of Macau (CityU) received support from the Macau Portuguese Folk Dance Association “Macau’s Heart,” the Portuguese Institute of the Orient (IPOR), and Casa de Portugal em Macau, a local association dedicated to spreading and maintaining the Portuguese language, culture, and traditions.

Carina Liu Jiayu, the coordinator of the Bachelor of Portuguese program, commented that the event stimulated students’ learning interest in the Portuguese language and enriched their extracurricular experience. “We hope that Portuguese Language Day can become an annual festival at CityU, encouraging students to actively participate in the planning, preparation, and performance of the event,” she said, “through this, we can promote Portuguese culture throughout the University, further enhancing students’ multilingual proficiency and expanding their international perspectives.”