Portugal is an attractive country for many foreign communities. Often, these communities are made by families with school-age children. They only heard and spoke their mother tongue. Often, even after arriving in Portugal, they continue to be inserted in an environment where the Portuguese language is not included.
It is therefore necessary to find solutions for appropriate integration, both with regard to language and culture.
Integration of children
Like national children, foreigners also have the right to attend public school where they are integrated into the school year according to their age. The family has to ask for equivalence to the school curriculum that the children have done in the country of origin.
Integration into the school environment is not always easy. The sociologist Teresa Seabra alerts to the difficulties that foreign students will feel. In the first cycle, the difference with the national students is not significant. However, with the advancement of schooling, the difficulties increase, that is, problems accumulate and they are not solved. The sociologist advises specialist support right after the first cycle of schooling.
Unfortunately, the process of entry into schools is time-consuming and sometimes complicated. To facilitate and anticipate the difficulties of integration, look for places as study centers with experienced teachers in public education. In this way, they can identify which knowledge has already been acquired and which hasn’t. The tasks assigned will then serve to reduce the difference level between national and foreign students before entering school. In addition, they also make known the reality of the school. They explain how schools work outside and within the classroom, culturally integrating children. This support should be continued after school starts.
Children between 6 and 10 years
Children between the ages of 6 and 10 are integrated into a 1st cycle class with a single teacher who adapts the strategies of the class to the student. However, not always the teacher can give the necessary support to these students, because the classes are very large. In addition, the difficulties and work rhythms of students are different even among foreign students.
Teenagers
Once the students integrated in the school, they make a written and oral diagnosis and then are inserted at the level corresponding to the use of the Portuguese language. These levels have been defined by the Council of Europe. The Common European Framework for Languages is the document drafted by this body which organizes the use of languages in 6 levels from basic user (A1) to advanced user (C2). In public schools, there is the discipline of Portuguese Non-Mother Language (PLNM) that is intended for students whose language of origin is not European Portuguese.
Adults
For this age group, portuguese is often acquired in the context of work. Thus, it becomes more difficult to have time to attend a course, but there are solutions for punctual occasions. In certain neighborhoods, there are organized groups of neighbors or cultural associations that promote activities that help in cultural integration. Conviviality and the exchange of experience in an informal context are beneficial both personally and socially. The parish councils of the areas of residence have a record of these associations.
It is as much or more important that the integration of people arriving from other countries is not only linguistically but also culturally. Understanding how Portuguese society works, which are the rules of conduct in public space and the meaning in certain dates help in the insertion.
(You can also read this article in portuguese)
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