Goals

The primary goal of this project is to help learners that do not know any (or close to any) Portuguese to become novice-level Portuguese speakers. It targets specifically the building of speaking skills.

The following table was built based on guidelines from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL, 2012). It lists and exemplifies the specific linguistic objectives of LanguageBug.

Speaking (Portuguese)
Learners will be able to manage successfully a number of uncomplicated communicative tasks in straightforward social situations.	Example: Self-introduction, description of objects and people, buying items, greetings, etc.
Learners will be able to handle interactions needed for basic survival in a context where the target language is spoken.	Example: Basic personal information, basic objects, activities, preferences, and immediate needs.
Learners will be able to respond to simple, direct questions or requests for information in the target language.	Example: Giving directions and asking for directions, asking for prices, conversational questions.
Learners will be able to speak intelligible, short (and sometimes incomplete) sentences in the target language.	Example: pronunciation, syntax, and vocabulary understandable by sympathetic interlocutors.

Table 4 - Specific Learning Objectives

Ultimately, LanguageBug users will also understand better how to structure an effective, focused language learning practice.

Therefore, they will be better prepared to build up their language skills using other resources (both language-based and authentic).