São Paulo – The Brazilian embassy in Beirut is offering free Portuguese courses to Syrian refugees who are getting ready to travel to Brazil. The classes will be taught at the Brazil-Lebanon Cultural Center beginning on the 13th this month.
“Judging from the profile of the refugees who will go to Brazil, many of them are merchants and entrepreneurs, and they often succeed in becoming established in the country, but the first hurdle is language, because English and French are not that widespread in Brazil,” says the cultural center’s director Najua Bazzi about the reasons for the embassy’s initiative.
According to Bazzi, the hospitality and kindness of Brazilians make it easier for Syrians to adapt in the country, despite the language issue. The fact that they are welcomed in Brazil is also encouraging newly-arrived refugees to learn the local language so they can communicate with the locals.
Currently, says Bazzi, every Wednesday, the consular service at the embassy in Beirut focuses on Syrians who wish to travel to Brazil. “They get a leaflet to let them know that if they want to learn the language, they can come to us,” the director explains.
Bazzi explains that unlike the traditional classes taught at the Center, the ones for refugees will be exclusively conversation-oriented. “The classes will be about how to introduce oneself, answer questions regarding one’s address, speaking on the telephone, ordering coffee, going to the doctor, stating one’s profession,” she exemplifies. “The conversations and simulations will all be tailored towards what they are expected to find upon arriving in Brazil,” she says.
Bazzi notes that despite the different teaching style, the course’s structure is just like that of the course taught to regular students. The teachers are also the same.
The classes for refugees will take place once a week, on Tuesdays, from 4pm to 6pm. Students will be divided into two classes, one for youths and adults and another for children aged 8 to 12, who are required to be able to read and write. The course does not comprise any specific modules, and students can quit once their needs are met. No documentary proof of refugee status is required in order for students to enroll.
Contact
Brazil-Lebanon Cultural Center
Website: http://brasiliban.itamaraty.gov.br/pt-br/
Tel.: +961 1 322 905
Email: brasiliban@itamaraty.gov.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
