Portuguese language courses for non-native speakers take place on three islands - Communication

Direção Regional das Comunidades

The Regional Government will launch this month four Portuguese language courses for foreign citizens living on the islands of São Miguel, Terceira and Pico.

The courses are funded by the Regional Directorate for the Communities, certified by the Regional Directorate for Education and Educational Administration, and organised by CRESAÇOR's Migrant Support Office and the Association of Immigrants in the Azores (AIPA).

CRESAÇOR started its two courses in Ponta Delgada on September 4, which are taking place during and after work hours. In turn, AIPA started one course in Angra do Heroísmo on September 6 and will start another in Madalena do Pico on September 11.

The 150-hour courses run until December and will allow participants to acquire a legal residence permit in the Autonomous Region of the Azores as regards the Portuguese language requirement.

The four courses involve 71 trainees from 24 countries: 22 from the United States of America, 11 from Italy, six from Germany, four from France, three from China, three from Colombia, two from Canada, two from Cuba, two from Algeria, two from Poland and two from Russia.

The are also trainees from the Netherlands, India, Slovenia, Guinea, Israel, Austria, the Czech Republic, Spain, Norway, Ukraine, Indonesia and Senegal.

The two courses on the island of São Miguel include 22 women and 18 men, aged 25 to 77: 22 have a university degree and 18 have secondary or vocational qualifications; 22 trainees are employed, eight are unemployed, nine are retired and one is studying. The are 27 trainees living in the municipality of Ponta Delgada, seven in the municipality of Ribeira Grande and six in the municipality of Lagoa.

On the island of Terceira, there are 11 women and six men, aged 23 to 73, attending the course: three have secondary education qualifications and 14 have higher degrees; seven trainees are employed, seven are retired, two are unemployed and one is studying. They live in the municipalities of Angra do Heroísmo (13) and Praia da Vitória (four).

On the island of Pico, six women and eight men aged 32 to 74, have enrolled in the course: six have secondary education qualifications and eight have higher education degrees; four trainnes are employed, eight are retired and two are unemployed. They live in the municipalities of Madalena (eight) and São Roque (six).

This week, the Regional Director for the Communities, José Andrade, presided over the opening of the two courses organised by CRESAÇOR in Ponta Delgada and signed the funding contracts with AIPA for the courses to be held in Angra do Heroísmo and Madalena do Pico.

Later this year, another two Portuguese courses for non-native speakers will be held on the island of Faial, following an application submitted by Horta Town Council to the Regional Directorate for the Communities.

Over the past three years, the number of Portuguese language courses promoted by the Regional Government has increased from two to four and to six, given the growing demand from an increasing number of foreign citizens living in the Region.