Izaskun Kortazar’s first Basque classes in Brazil will begin this Saturday in Sao Paulo. This begins a month-long tour that will include teaching in several cities of the country. Born in Bilbao and resident in the US for the last dozen of years, Kortazar teaches at Boise State University (BSU). She has been NABO language coordinator for a number of years and now, being the Basque language teaching specialist seh is, Izaskun will teach introductory Basque classes in Sao Paulo, Porto Alegre, Uruguayana and Pelotas.
Sao Paulo, Brazil. The teacher, from Bilbao, has been in Brazil improving her knowledge of Portuguese and to teach Basque classes beginning throughout the month of May. The University of Sao Paulo (USP) will host the first class this Saturday with an intensive course from 10am-5pm open to Brazilians of Basque descent or any member of the Basque clubs there, or the public in general. Maite Alava, secretary of the Eusko Alkartasuna Basque club in Sao Paulo has coordinated the classes, as well as participated in translating the material into Portuguese.
After the inaugural session this weekend in Sao Paulo, the following courses will take place in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in Puerto Alegre (May 12-16), Uruguayana (May 20-23) and Pelotas (May 25-30). Kortazar will complement these sessions with talks in other places on the recuperation of Euskera between1960-1990, as well as at the English Language School, where she will talk about her teaching experience in the US. Ana Luiza Panyagua, president of the Rio Grande do Sul Basque club coordinated Kortazar’s program in the south of the country.
“To encourage and promote interest in Basque by sowing seeds to begin their knowledge,” are some of the Kortazar’s goals with this initiative. As she told EuskalKultura.com, “It would be interesting if from basic knowledge that we can share now, would eventually grow into people slowly becoming immersed in the Basque language, either in face-to-face classes or on the internet.” Kortazar is excited about the possibility that meeting and getting to know Basques in Brazil will provide her, and hopes that it is the beginning of a long a fruitful relationship.
More information on classes, places and Schedule are available on this Facebook page: Euskal Etxea de Rio Grande do Sul.
-Sao Pauloko Eusko Alkartasuna (website)
-Sao Pauloko Eusko Alkartasuna (Facebook)
-Euskal Etxea do Rio Grande do Sul (website)
-Euskal Etxea do Rio Grande do Sul (Facebook)
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