Courses

English III: Secondary level

This course is intended for students who study general English in the third year of High School. In this course, students usually have their first contact with Technical English before they get a Technical Certificate (one more year of study) in the following area:

• Information Technology

English for Computing I; English for Computing II: Tertiary level

These courses aim to give students a deeper view of the English language at a technical college level. English for Computing I is offered in the first semester and is also a pre-requisite for English for Computing II. Students meet once a week. The emphasis is on Reading for information which is developed by means of practical reading tasks, based on a variety of authentic texts in the field of Information Technology (IT). These texts can be drawn from different sources such as textbooks, newspapers, manuals, and web pages.

English for Computing II utilizes several Tutorials which provide students with the "read and do it yourself" characteristic. While developing their reading skills, students engage in meaningful projects which aim to teach them how to solve a problem using English for everyday use.

Students must not only learn but also "learn to learn".

• guided Research on the WWW in order to find sites that explain grammar points;

• communicating with another classes through e-mail;

• doing on-line quizzes written in JavaScript, or in the Flash program.

These are examples of activities that can be useful, interactive, and fun. Moreover, they make it possible to intersect English with the other courses of the IT Program, such as Web Authoring, and Program Applications.

Portuguese for Foreigners

This course is designed for exchange students of IFRN. Foreign students learn to speak and understand portuguese along with proper grammar and vocabulary. Moreover, they learn idiomatic expressions, proverbs, songs, popular sayings, and slang that cannot be found in traditional learning vehicles.

IFRN welcomes international students who:

• are responsible and respectful;

• are willing to learn the Portuguese language;

• are willing to adapt to the Brazilian culture;

• understand and accept cultures and values which are different form theirs;

• are tolerant with socio-cultural differences;

• have critical thinking;

• are willing to engage in extension activities;

• are motivated.