Portuguese as Non-Native Language today: challenges and recommendations

Abstract

In recent years, the number of foreign students in Portugal has increased exponentially. Although Portuguese as a Non-Native Language (PLNM) is not new to Portuguese schools, that increase brought the need to take measures and carry out updates to the aforementioned subject. In this short study, we will check what changes have occurred recently, through the most current legislation. Subsequently, in a more practical approach, and taking into account a paper by Albino (2021), we will verify, on the one hand, what constraints PLNM teachers still face and, on the other, what recommendations they leave to potential decision-makers. Most of our interviewees pointed out the lack of diversity of materials suitable for teaching-learning PLNM as a constraint. Participants also feel constrained by the lack of training to manage classes with students from different backgrounds and different proficiency levels. Respondents also mentioned difficulties in articulating PLNM with other subjects. In their recommendations, the interviewees suggest, above all, the implementation of a year zero and inclusion/welcome programs for foreign students.