Lecturer I, Portuguese
About
Maria Teresa Segarra Costaguta Mattos is a lecturer in Portuguese at the University of Michigan. Hailing from Rio Grande do Sul, in the south of Brazil, she completed her studies both in Brazil, at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, and in Portugal, at the University of Coimbra. She has been teaching foreign languages since the age of 14, and her passion for teaching has only grown since then. Before coming to Ann Arbor, Maria Teresa taught Portuguese as an additional language at universities in Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago.
“Why study / teach Portuguese?”
Portuguese is one of the most spoken languages in the world, and engaging with it opens communication with some 250 + million people, in multiple continents: Europe, South America, Africa and Asia. Additionally, Brazil is not only the largest economy of Latin and South America, but it is also one of the United States' most important trading partners. Thus, studying Portuguese offers the opportunity for students to increase their marketability and widen their professional opportunities. Learning Portuguese also opens the doors for a much greater understanding of the diverse and multifaceted Lusophone culture. From the rich Luso-African literatures to the artistry of the Brazilian cinema, the possibilities are endless.
