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Issue link: https://thelinguist.uberflip.com/i/1149191
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER The Linguist 7 @Linguist_CIOL FEATURES Embassy insights Q How do you promote Portuguese as a heritage language among people in Britain? A The Portuguese government recruits and employs 25 teachers to teach Portuguese in primary and secondary schools in the UK. We currently have 3,500 students, mostly in London, but also in the south, Manchester and Jersey. We teach Portuguese as a modern foreign language, following the national curriculum, and in after-school classes to keep the heritage alive. We also fund 18 teaching positions at British universities, supporting 1,600 students. Português mais perto (www.portuguesmaisperto.pt) is an additional language platform for online learning, so that families who live in remote places can join the network of schools. Q Tell us about the work of Camões IP… A The Instituto Camões is a Portuguese international institution dedicated to the worldwide promotion of the Portuguese language and culture, and international aid, on behalf of the Government of Portugal. Led by Dr Regina Duarte, who is also our Attaché for Educational Affairs, Camões IP manages the network of 3,500 students in the UK. Q Are there any projects for disseminating Portuguese culture? A We have several ongoing projects, working with Portuguese artists and producers living in the UK, and bringing Portuguese artists to exhibit, perform and launch their books in the UK. We also work in partnership with major cultural events, such as the Lumiere Festival, and cooperate with the Consul General of The Portuguese Ambassador to the UK, Manuel Lobo Antunes, talks to Romana Sustar about promoting his nation's culture and language Portugal in Manchester, Jorge Cruz. At the moment, we are supporting a significant retrospective of the work of artist-activist Paula Rego in MK Gallery (until 22 September). Q Do you collaborate with the embassies of other Portuguese-speaking countries? A We celebrate Portuguese Language Day on 5 May. This year we had a major event bringing together poetry and music from different Portuguese-speaking countries as part of the centenary of King's College's Camoens Chair in Portuguese Studies. Poetry is significant for Portugal and we would like to improve poetry translation in future. HE Manuel Lobo Antunes has been Ambassador since 2016. For details of Portuguese Embassy events, search Facebook 'portuguese.embassy.in.london'. Council member Romana Sustar MCIL CL is a multilingual Digital Marketing Manager. Twitter @RomanaSustar Portuguese is the sixth most spoken language in the world; the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) comprises Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Angola, and São Tomé and Príncipe. It is also the co-official language of East Timor, Equatorial Guinea and Macau in China. The diplomatic alliance between the UK and Portugal dates back to the 1386 Treaty of Windsor, making Portugal England's oldest ally. The Embassy estimates that there are now 400,000 Portuguese people living in the UK. FACT FILE: PORTUGAL SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT Portuguese Language and Culture Day at King's College; and (inset) Manuel Lobo Antunes