The Department of portuguese language has been taught at the Faculty of Translation and Interpretation since 1964, first as a second foreign language, and since 1975 as a first foreign language. The Department was opened in the early 80-s. Today, the Department offers courses of Portuguese both as a first and as a second foreign language. Students get a degree in ‘Translation / Interpretation and Translation Studies and those who study Portuguese at the Institute of International Relations and Sociopolitical Studies at MSLU get a degree in ‘Journalism’.

   The Department offers courses in all aspects of Portuguese studies, in accordance with the syllabus: ‘A Practical Course of Portuguese, ‘A Practical Course in Verbal Communication Culture’, ‘Theoretical Phonetics’, ‘History of the Portuguese Language’, ‘Theoretical Grammar’, ‘Stylistics’, ‘Lexicology’, ‘Theory of Translation’ and ‘A Practical Course in Translation and Interpretation’, ‘Simultaneous Translation’ (optional), ‘History, Geography and Literature of the Portuguese Speaking Countries’.
Scientific research conducted at the Department is focused on current issues of Portuguese studies. The Department staff consists of two professors, four associate professors, a senior lecturer and an assistant.

   The Department staff members are highly skilled translators and interpreters engaging in practical translation and in interpretation on a regular basis.
Course papers and graduation papers submitted by the students of the Department deal with various aspects of translation of sociopolitical, professionally specialized and belles-lettres texts as well as with theoretical studies of the Portuguese language in all of its aspects, such as lexicography, stylistics, theoretical grammar, history of the Portuguese language.

   The Department staff members develop manuals for studying theoretical and practical aspects of Portuguese.

   The Department maintains regular contacts with the University of Minho (Braga). Every year, both students and teachers of the Department participate in exchange programs offered by the above University. Over the past few years, six Ph. D. theses have been successfully defended; at present, four post-graduate students are working at their Ph. D. theses.