Portuguese Applied to Law: teaching experience to Chinese students

Abstract

This article discusses the practical experience of the teaching-learning process of Portuguese for specific purposes, targeted at Chinese students enrolled in the Bachelor's Degree program in Commercial Relations between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries. It begins by contextualizing and characterizing the degree, which results from a partnership between the Polytechnic University of Macau (China) and the School of Education and Social Sciences of the Polytechnic University of Leiria (Portugal), emphasizing its objectives and curriculum structure. Subsequently, the paper addresses the elements and strategies considered during the planning phase, focusing especially on the Law module integrated into two second-year course units (Portuguese as an Applied Foreign Language I and II). A specific reference is made to the syllabus content, especially the integration between legal topics and Portuguese language learning. Additionally, the article analyzes student-centered teaching-learning strategies, which are particularly relevant given that the linguistic and cultural immersion context of the training takes place in the city of Leiria. Active teaching methodologies also include continuous, systematic, and integrated assessment practices, designed to identify areas for improvement and consolidate learning, thereby promoting inclusion and academic success. The analysis of the educational pathway underscores the importance of integrating the study of Portuguese language with the specialized areas of the course, as well as highlighting the relevance of linguistic and cultural immersion in preparing professionals capable of operating competently and efficiently within legal and commercial contexts in Portuguese-speaking countries.