General Description of the Program

History of the Program

The Program in Languages and Literatures at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) is an important tradition in the State of Rio Grande do Norte. The Program was officially recognized on September 16th, 1959 by Federal Decree nº. 46868, and proposed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Languages and Literatures, and a Teacher Education degree for Portuguese Language teachers, who aimed to teach in secondary education. In 1966, it became a fully-fledged Teaching Education degree in Languages and Literatures with a major in either Portuguese, French, English, or Latin. Later, in 1996, the framework for the Program was reformulated once again, and most resembles the current one, offering four Teacher Education and Bachelor of Arts degrees in four separate programs: Portuguese Languages and Literatures, English Languages and Literatures, French Languages and Literatures – structured with a common core of courses. However, in 2010, with the creation of the Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures (DLLEM), the Teacher Education Degree in English Languages and Literatures (code 34277 e-MEC) moved from the Department of Languages and Literatures and became a part of the Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures (DLLEM).

Description of the Program

The English Languages and Literatures Program at UFRN is a vibrant center for Teacher Education in which students acquire knowledge in the area of language studies, with an emphasis on the linguistic aspects of the English language and anglophone literatures and cultures in all of their diversity, within the context of language teaching. Classes directly related to language and literature in English are taught in English, which include the core curriculum classes, such as language skills development workshops, the investigation of linguistic aspects of the English language, research methods in language studies, as well as anglophone literatures in various literary genres – dramatic, poetic and narrative. In addition, every semester there are several electives offered, also taught in English, including, Translation Workshop, Special Studies in Literature (Irish Literature, African American Literature, among others), Oral Expression IV and Reading and Writing IV. 

Faculty

The faculty of the English Languages and Literatures Program currently comprises 09 (nine) tenured, Ph.D Professors, specializing in different areas, such as language and linguistic studies, anglophone literatures, and teaching English as an Additional Language.