The center, linked to USP’s Faculty of Philosophy, Languages and Human Sciences, will hold a commemorative event on September 11–12. Dedicated to teaching and research on linguistic and cultural diversity, it serves as a collaborative space for knowledge exchange
Founded in 1990, the Language Center was created to coordinate linguistic activities developed by the Departments of Classical and Vernacular Languages, Modern Languages, and Oriental Languages of USP’s Faculty of Philosophy, Languages and Human Sciences (FFLCH), promoting a collaborative space for teaching and research focused on linguistic and cultural diversity. Since then, it has become a dynamic hub for training and exchange, serving USP’s academic community – students, faculty, and staff – as well as the general public interested in languages and cultures.
To celebrate this journey, the 5th Meeting of the Language Center will be held on September 11 and 12, to discuss Language Centers in Contemporary Times: Practices, Experiences, and Training, bringing together specialists, professors, and students in a diverse program that will include lectures, roundtables, workshops, and academic presentations. The full program, as well as information on registration and paper submissions, is available at this link.
More than just a course hub, the Language Center is recognized as a space for knowledge production and articulation between teaching, research, and outreach, contributing to the holistic education of students and strengthening the connection between university and society.
“Celebrating another year of the Language Center means recognizing the collective effort and collaboration that brought us here. May this anniversary reaffirm our commitment to multilingual education and to critical, inclusive, and transformative reflection within the public university and society,” said professor Heloísa Albuquerque, director of the Language Center, in a message to the academic community.
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Courses, exams and partnerships
Over its 35 years, the Language Center has stood out as an institutional initiative for a plural and inclusive language policy. It offers regular and extension courses, thematic workshops, lectures, and events in Portuguese, Spanish, English, French, Italian, and Japanese. Activities span different proficiency levels, combining communicative skills with a critical approach that takes students’ sociocultural contexts into account.
Another highlight is the development and administration of foreign language proficiency exams, required by USP’s graduate programs and recognized by other institutions. This program has been fundamental to the University’s internationalization processes, preparing students and researchers for exchanges, internships, and international academic collaborations, as well as fostering multilingual scientific production.
In recent years, the center has also expanded its network through institutional and interinstitutional partnerships. Among the most significant examples is the agreement signed between FFLCH and the São Paulo State Department of Education, which strengthened the ties between the Language Center and the state public school system’s Language Centers. Led by the Pedagogical Support Coordination (Coped), these actions have contributed to the continuing education of basic education teachers, improved language teaching quality, and democratized access to linguistic training.
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Commemorative Meeting
The 5th Meeting of the Interdepartmental Language Center, to be held on September 11 and 12, celebrates its 35th anniversary with an event organized by professors from the Department of Modern Languages (DLM), Department of Classical and Vernacular Languages (DLCV), and Department of Oriental Languages (DLO). Registration is now open, and in addition to participants, papers may be submitted for presentation during the meeting.
Papers may be submitted under the following thematic axes: Critical language education: decoloniality, inclusion, and representativity in language teaching; Didactic practices and experiences in face-to-face and online contexts; Multilingual training actions: the role of Language Centers in language teaching; Initial and continuing training experiences in Language Centers; Intercultural, literary, and translation studies; and Trends and issues regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence and other technologies.
Information on registration and fees is available on the official website or via email: encontroclinguas@usp.br.
*With information from Juliana Morais, FFLCH Press Office
English version: Nexus Traduções, edited by Denis Pacheco
