Mission Letter

Ministry: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Service/ Body: Camões, Institute for Cooperation and Language, I.P.
Position and Responsible Person: Coordinator of Portuguese Teaching in Australia, Susana Cristina Freire Pereira e Teixeira Pinto
Period of Service Commission: 1 February 2013 to 31 December 2015.

  1. Service Mission:

The Coordination of Portuguese Teaching in Australia is framed within the legal regime established by the Decree-Law no. 165/2006 of 11 August, amended and republished by the Decree-Law no. 234/2012 of 30 October. Its mission is to coordinate and promote Portuguese education at the elementary, secondary and higher levels in Australia. It is also to participate and collaborate in initiatives aiming to dissiminate and valorise Portuguese as a language and culture, which are organised by Portuguese associations and Australian entities.

The Coordination of Portuguese Teaching in Australia is under the direction of the President of the Camões Board of Directors, Institute for Cooperation and Language, I.P., in conjunction with the Portuguese Ambassador in Canberra and the heads of Consular Missions in Australia.

  1. Main Services:
  • Monitoring of the situation regarding the teaching of the Portuguese language in Australia;
  • Preparation of training programs for Portuguese teachers in Australia;
  • Ensuring the availability and dissemination of up-to-date pedagogical material, aimed at local Portuguese teachers, through the organization of work meetings in each consular area and/or through the credited offer of the Virtual Camões Centre (CVC);
  • Development and maintenance of a website with information and announcements regarding Portuguese language schools and courses in Australia, as well as relevant cultural activities;
  • Articulation between the coordination and the diplomatic and consular network in the promotion of cultural activities related to the Portuguese language and culture in Australia, in order to create synergies and optimize the initiatives,
  • Representing the Camões, I.P., next to the Department of Education and other official institutions in Australia.

  1. Strategic Orientations:
  • Encourage the collaboration of local Portuguese teachers in order to implement common procedures related to Portuguese language programs in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Foreign Languages.
  • Promote and disseminate current Portuguese courses and structures, and support new initiatives offering the teaching of Portuguese.
  • Professionalize the teaching of Portuguese for adults through the certification (accreditation) of the courses offered.
  • Survey the training needs of Portuguese teachers in order to create adequate teaching and learning materials that will allow an effective intervention at a local level,
  • Involve Portuguese schools in Portuguese cultural activities in Australia.

Contacts for the Coordination of Potuguese Teaching in Australia

Address: Level 17, 55 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Austrália
E-mail: susana.pinto@camoes.mne.pt 
E-mail: cepe.australia@camoes.mne.pt

Camões, I.P.
https://www.instituto-camoes.pt/index.php

Caloute Gulbenkian Foundation
http://www.gulbenkian.pt

Portuguese as a Foreign Language Evaluation Centre
http://ww3.fl.ul.pt/caple

Portuguese Language Cyberschool
http://www.ciberescola.com

National Reading Plan
http://www.planonacionaldeleitura.gov.pt/

camões

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