Minicourses and Workshops

Fall 2003

Brazil on the Web
Elba Barzelatto

The Web is a valuable tool for researching up-to-date information on Brazil's businesses, finances, statistics, and government. In this course, you will learn how to access and navigate these on-line resources for your own personal or professional use.

Elba Barzelatto is Manager of Information Services, Princeton Public Library, with more than 20 years experience as an online researcher.

Date & Time: Thursday, November 6, 6:00-7:45
Cost: $60

Brazilian Portuguese
Sandra Vasconcellos, B.A., M.Ed., foreign language instructor.

Learn to speak Brazilian Portuguese or strengthen the speaking skills you already have in an energetic and comfortable environment. Attention: A placement test is required prior to enrollment in the course. Please contact Continuing Education for more information.

Introduction to Brazilian Portuguese- Level 1
Back by popular demand! This course will offer an introduction to the language as it is spoken in Brazil. Dynamic and lively class meetings and individual participation will allow students to learn the vocabulary, idioms, and grammar needed for conversation. Students will also gain exposure to Brazilian culture through the use of written, audio, and visual materials.

Date & Time: 10 Mondays, September 15-November 24, 5:45-8:15pm (no class will be held on October 13).
Cost: $320

Brazilian Portuguese- Level 2
This course in intended for those students who posses a basic knowledge of Portuguese or who have completed the Introduction to Portuguese course. The course will expand students' basic knowledge of the language through a more extensive focus on grammar, vocabulary, and idioms. Through participation and interaction, students will improve their ability to communicate in Portuguese.

Date & Time: 10 Tuesdays, September 16-November 18, 5:45-8:15
Cost: $320

Brazilian Portuguese- Level 3
This course is open to students who have completed the second level of this series, and to those who can already communicate in Portuguese, but wish to polish their grammar and interactive skills.

Date & Time: 10 Wednesdays, September 17-November 19, 5:45-8:15
Cost: $320

José Martí: New York's Most Famous Unknown
Esther Allen

His statue stands at the heart of Manhattan, where the Avenue of the Americas meets Central Part West; more than a thousand books about him have been published over the past century. Yet most New Yorkers know little more about José Martí. This three-part series will introduce the life and work of José Martí, Cuba's greatest literary and political figure, and also one of the nineteenth century's greatest commentators on American politics.

Esther Allen translated, edited, and annotated "José Martí: Selected Writings" (Penguin Classics, 2002), now in its third printing and named a Notable Book of 2002 by the Los Angeles Times Book Review.

Date & Time: 3 Mondays, September 15-September 29, 6:30-8:00
Cost: $60

Cuba on the Web
Mario Gonzalez-Corzo

The Internet is a vast resource for information on Cuba's economy, government, and news agencies. This course will provide a detailed overview of the main on-line resources pertaining to Cuba, showing you how to access Cuba-related sources in an effective and practical fashion for your own personal or professional use.

Mario Gonzalez Corzo, Ph.D., e-commerce consultant in the private and public sectors with over 10 years experience as an on-line researcher and instructor.

Date & Time: Wednesday, October 15, 7:00-8:30
Cost: $60

Chile on the Web
Elba Barzelatto

Learn how to access the best free online sources about Chile for personal or professional use. Through this class, you will learn how to find the most reliable and up-to-date information on the internet pertaining to Chile's businesses, finances, statistics, government, and news. Discover the top 10 sites on Chile, the best strategies for searching the web, and useful tips on what to do when you reach a dead end.

Elba Barzelatto is Manager of Information Services, Princeton Public Library, with more than 20 years experience as an online researcher.

Date & Time: Tuesday, November 4, 6:00-7:45
Cost: $60

Summer 2003

Introduction to Brazilian Portuguese
Guilherme Malamut

10 sessions: June 11-26 From 5:45 to 8:15 PM
(Wednesday and Thursday June 11-12, Monday through Thursday June 16-19, and June 23-26)

If you are heading for Brazil or another Portuguese speaking country, this intensive course will help you to develop some speaking skills just before getting at your destination. Or, if you want to learn the language, here is your opportunity to strengthen your Portuguese or just learn from scratch.

Back by popular demand, the Bildner Center is opening a second group for the summer intensive minicourse. If you were not able to register in time, please don't miss this second opportunity! This course allows you to learn to speak Brazilian Portuguese or strengthen the speaking skills you already have in an energetic and comfortable environment. It provides an introduction to the language as it is spoken in Brazil. Dynamic and lively class meetings and individual participation will allow students to learn the vocabulary, idioms, and grammar needed for conversation. Students will also gain exposure to Brazilian culture through the use of written, audio, and visual materials.

Cost: $320

Guilherme Malamut was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He earned his graduate degree in translation in Brazil and obtained certificates in ESL Training Program in Israel, pedagogy and education, and teacher training course in Rio de Janeiro. Mr. Malamut has over 10 years of in-class language teaching experience and is known for his energetic and highly-interactive teaching style. Mr. Malamut has taught foreign languages to students of all ages and backgrounds and has established himself as an instructor able to provide a tailored approach to each individual class and student.

Introduction to Brazilian Portuguese
Sandra Vasconcellos

Date & Time: 10 sessions: June 2-17 From 5:45 to 8:15 PM
(Monday through Thursday June 2-5, and June 9-12, Monday and Tuesday June 16 & 17)
Cost: $320

Back by popular demand, this intensive minicourse allows you to learn to speak Brazilian Portuguese or strengthen the speaking skills you already have in an energetic and comfortable environment. It provides an introduction to the language as it is spoken in Brazil. Dynamic and lively class meetings and individual participation will allow students to learn the vocabulary, idioms, and grammar needed for conversation. Students will also gain exposure to Brazilian culture through the use of written, audio, and visual materials.

Sandra Vasconcellos was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She earned an undergraduate degree in education in Brazil and later received her Masters from the University of Maryland. Mrs. Vasconcellos has over 25 years of in-class language teaching experience and is known for her energetic and highly-interactive teaching style. Mrs. Vasconcellos has taught foreign languages to students of all ages and backgrounds and has established herself as an instructor able to provide a tailored approach to each individual class and student.

Spring 2003

Introduction to Brazilian Portuguese
Sandra Vasconcellos

Mondays, March 10-May 12 from 5:45 to 8:15.

Learn to speak Brazilian Portuguese or strengthen the speaking skills you already have in an energetic and comfortable environment. Back by popular demand, this course offers an introduction to the language as it is spoken in Brazil. Dynamic and lively class meetings and individual participation will allow students to learn the vocabulary, idioms, and grammar needed for conversation. Students will also gain exposure to Brazilian culture through the use of written, audio, and visual materials.

Cost: $320

Intermediate Level Brazilian Portuguese
Sandra Vasconcellos

Tuesdays, March 11-May 13 from 5:45-8:15.

Learn to speak Brazilian Portuguese or strengthen the speaking skills you already have in an energetic and comfortable environment. This course is intended for those students who already possess a basic knowledge of Portuguese or who have completed the Introduction to Brazilian Portuguese course. The course will expand students' knowledge of the language through an emphasis on grammar, vocabulary, and the use of idioms. Through participation and interaction, students will gain a more comprehensive knowledge of both Brazilian culture and the Portuguese language.

Cost $320

Sandra Vasconcellos was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She earned an undergraduate degree in education in Brazil and later received her Masters from the University of Maryland. Mrs. Vasconcellos has over 25 years of in-class language teaching experience and is known for her energetic and highly-interactive teaching style. Mrs. Vasconcellos has taught foreign languages to students of all ages and backgrounds and has established herself as an instructor able to provide a tailored approach to each individual class and student.

Brazilian Music: Bossa-Nova, Choro, Samba, and Beyond
Luiz Simas

You don't need to be a musician to enjoy this workshop on Brazilian music! The workshop will include an introduction to various Brazilian music styles and rhythms - including choro, maxixe, baiao, samba, bossa-nova, afoxe, and others - as well as their historical and geographical origins. Exploration of each musical style will be accompanied by original musical recordings as well as live performances by Mr. Simas. The course will feature a special focus on bossa-nova, and will consider the great modern composers and the future direction of Brazilian music. Audience participation will be highly encouraged.

Luiz Simas was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is a composer, singer and pianist, and he has performed and recorded with several well known Brazilian artists. Many of his songs have been recorded in both Brazil and the USA. Mr. Simas has been living in New York since 1989, and has performed in several places such as the Brooklyn Conservatory, the Greenwich House Music School, Rutgers University, the Spanish Institute, the Village Gate, the Polish Consulate , the Roger Williams University, the Rocky Mountain Ragtime Festival in Boulder, Colorado and many others. Mr. Simas has played abroad in Brazil and also in Jamaica, the British Virgin Islands and Trinidad.

Date: 3 Saturdays, April 12 - April 26.
Time: 1:00-4:00pm
Cost: $120

Introduction to Cuba's Post-Soviet Economy
Mario Gonzalez-Corzo

During the last three decades of the Cold War, Cuba has had one of the most collectivized, egalitarian, and subsidized economies within the Socialist camp. Massive shifts in global politics in the early 1990s plunged the island into severe economic crisis from which it is still reeling. These seminars will examine the changes in Cuba's socioeconomic condition since the crisis, the strategies adopted in response to it, and the major problems and challenges still facing Cuban economy and society today.

Mario A. Gonzalez-Corzo, M.A., Ph.D. (2003), is a Doctoral Fellow at the Center for Global Change and Governance at Rutgers University. His research interests and areas of specialization include Cuba's post Cold War economic reforms, the second economy, and the role of foreign investment in contemporary Cuba. He has conducted a variety of seminars and presentations on current Cuban affairs, economic reforms in transition economies, and the impact of the IT revolution and the globalization of finance in Europe and Asia. In the private sector, he has provided consulting, strategic, and investment advice to global banks and insurance companies in the US, Europe, and Latin America, and has worked with institutional clients to manage their risk exposure in Latin America and other emerging markets throughout the world.

When: Thursday, April 24 and Friday, April 25, 6-8pm
Cost: $75.00

The Bildner Center organizes these courses in collaboration with the Continuing Education and Public Programs division at The Graduate Center, City University of New York. To register and for more registration information, call (212) 817-8215 or send email to continuinged@gc.cuny.edu.

Refund Policy: When programs are cancelled by The Graduate Center, you may receive a credit and transfer your payment to another one of our programs. A full refund will be made if this is not possible or desirable. If you cancel prior to the first class: a credit for any class of equal cost, or 100% refund minus the registration fee. If you cancel prior to the second class (programs of more than three sessions): a credit for any class of equal tuition of 50% minus the registration fee. No refunds are available after the beginning of the second class.