Language usage in Macau: Portugese and Cantonese

[TLi]

I am from the mainland of China.

I want to learn Portuguese language in Macau.

Do you know if there is any training school?

Does this kind of training school accept Chinese from the mainland?

Muito obrigada!

[johnny_machine]

Originally Posted by TLi

I am from the mainland of China.

I want to learn Portuguese language in Macau.

Do you know if there is any training school?

Does this kind of training school accept Chinese from the mainland?

Muito obrigada!

Hey there TLi, have a try at these websites. The answer to that question can be a bit tricky because I don't know much about learning portuguese in a non-native context. However I do know IPOR and Escola Portuguesa de Macau (managed by Portuguese education ministry) and two colleges run good portuguese courses. You have to inform yourself about the conditions either in the website (has chinese version), by calling or by going there in person. Maybe even Fundação Oriente has courses, there are many more private schools, colleges and institutes that run portuguese language classes in Macau and Taipa, but I don't know their names.

IPOR (Instituto Português do Oriente)

Universidade de Macau

Instituto Politécnico de Macau

Escola Portuguesa de Macau

Fundação Oriente

The number of portuguese speakers in Macau is now higher than the last year of portuguese sovereignty or so the owner of O Galo restaurant told me. Many chinese are learning the language and portuguese returning or coming for the first time. You can still learn, speak it or even hear it in many places. =)

De nada and boa sorte!

[Rekarte]

Quantas pessoas falam português agora em Macau? e quanto era nos tempos de dominio português?

[johnny_machine]

Eita Rekarte, foi uma pergunta simples mas vai ser uma resposta complexa!

Em 1999 havia cerca de 15.000 portugueses em Macau. Macaenses uns 20.000, e chineses que falavam o português não há número oficial mas sempre tiveram peso. Segundo os censos oficiais estes chineses são poucos, mas a realidade é que muitos chineses em Macau entendem e falam um pouco do português mas raramente o demonstram (muitos são tímidos ou não gostam da língua ou da sua utilidade portanto não demonstram que são falantes nem indicam no censo). Na transição para a China 2 em 3 portugueses abandonaram Macau (muitos se arrependem) e muitos macaenses também zarparam para Portugal, Brasil, Austrália, EUA...

No entanto com a recente migração de portugueses e macaenses de volta a Macau e os milhares de chineses a estudar a língua todos os anos, este número está a subir rápido. Hoje ouve-se em Macau muitas pessoas casualmente a falar a língua na rua, mas agora a percentagem de falantes é menor devido aos 550 mil habitantes totais comparados com os +/- 300 mil em 1999. A cidade é muito maior, mas em números brutos existem tantas ou mais pessoas a falar português em Macau que há 14 anos.

O problema em responder à pergunta é a pouca fiabilidade dos censos oficiais e o pouco registo de quem vive em Macau e fala o português.

Edit: Esqueci-me de referir que cerca de 140.000 chineses em Macau possuem nacionalidade portuguesa, mas apesar do passaporte não dominam a língua. Há nove ou dez anos uma portuguesa/chinesa nessa situação foi condenada à morte em Singapura por posse de droga e criou um incidente diplomático entre os dois países, mas mesmo com pressão política Portugal não conseguiu salvá-la.

[Rekarte]

Valeu pela resposta,Johnny!

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by TugaMtl

Portugal has around 240 million speakers in the world right now and contrary to what that Andrade says, it is the 4th most taught (foreign) language in the world. I believe it is in Macau's benefit to keep Portuguese as an official language and to promote there for two reasons:

1) It is a way for Macau to stand out in China and in the World. If Macau replaces Portuguese with English, it will become a poor man's Hong Kong (which is already losing it's status to cities like Shanghai). Having this mix of European+Asian culture for a city of it's stature will make it unique and increase the charm of the city. This will lead to more tourism and in the end more money for them.

2) It put Macau in a position where it gets access to an emerging market, ie Portuguese speaking countries. We already know about Brazil growing importance but the Portuguese African countries have some of the fastest growing economies in the continent right now. China is already involved in many projects in Africa and it would be beneficial for China and Macau to tap into that market. These countries are growing and need investors, and China has plenty of money. Sure they could all speak broken English to each other when doing business but it is more beneficial to speak the language of your client as it makes them more comfortable and more prone to have confidence in you since you have already shown a certain amount of interest and commitment to them by learning their language.

Agreed.

I was recently in Macau. Quite a few people from Portugal are living in Macau. Very interesting to see that influence and connection. When you think of Portuguese and the options of places to go, Macau makes an interesting one for them.

I also noticed African people from Portuguese-speaking Africa, mostly studying Portuguse Law in Macau. Another interesting connection.

Macau appears to be keeping it's Portuguese connection and strenghening those connections.

I'm not Portuguese-speaking myself, but absolutely love seeing that connection in China. I also agree with the others that it would be a shame to lose that. Plus, with Macau operating on Portuguese Law, it seems that it creates more of a reason to keep those connections.

I also see English becoming more important as well as Mandarin. If Macau continues to give places and homes to the many different people of those various languages, Cantonese, Portuguese, English and Mandarin. It seems like it would only benefit Macau more and more. Which seems to be what Macau is already doing.

[mrfusion]

When China have business with English speaking countries, it doesn't have to do via Hong Kong, for the same reason, if China have business with Brazil or other Portuguese speaking countries, it doesn't have to do via Macau.

[johnny_machine]

I guess they don't have to, but insist on doing so.

The Macau forum is a good example of this:

$1bn readied for development projects in Portuguese language countries

The US$1 billion fund for projects in Portuguese language countries will become available “soon”, the assistant secretary-general of Forum Macau, Rita Santos, said during a visit to Portugal. In Lisbon, Santos met with the office of the President of Portugal and the AICEP Trade and Investment Agency, among others. She told Portuguese news agency Lusa that participation in the fund will be open to other financial institutions beyond those from China. Projects may focus, for example, on development of the hotel or construction industry in the Portuguese-speaking African countries. They will be studied on a case-by-case basis and the China Development Bank “is open to accepting other banks that want to participate in the fund,” she said.

“It hasn’t been launched yet because it’s a new financing mechanism and there are legal procedures, but it will be soon,” Santos stated. The Forum Macau official indicated that the fund will not be devoted to granting credit, but rather to “participation in investment”.

“The project must be linked to the economic and social development of each country” so that participation can be effective, she said.

The creation of a “Cooperation Fund for Development between China and the Portuguese Language Countries” was originally announced in 2010 by Prime Minister Wen Jibao at a Forum Macau ministerial conference. It is open to projects involving agriculture and livestock, tourism, infrastructures, trade, education and health, natural resources and services.

The Fund may be launched at the 4th Forum Macau Ministerial Conference scheduled for the third quarter of this year, which should also approve the Forum’s action plan for the next three years – proposals from member countries are now being gathered.

Source

[Gustavosg]

Olá eu sou brasileiro, e tenho alguns amigos daqui do Brasil que foram viver em Macau por motivo de trabalho com suas familias, e logo vou visita-los ,queria saber se é possivel falar portugues com qualquer pessoa na rua como no comércio e etc? E outra coisa que queria saber é se tem muitos brasileiros vivendo em Macau !?

[johnny_machine]

Originally Posted by Gustavosg

Olá eu sou brasileiro, e tenho alguns amigos daqui do Brasil que foram viver em Macau por motivo de trabalho com suas familias, e logo vou visita-los ,queria saber se é possivel falar portugues com qualquer pessoa na rua como no comércio e etc? E outra coisa que queria saber é se tem muitos brasileiros vivendo em Macau !?

Olá Gustavosg, bem vindo ao Fórum Macau!

Não é possível falar português com qualquer pessoa na rua, nem em qualquer loja, mas é possível utilizares a língua com regularidade se fores a lojas / restaurantes / etc de portugueses e macaenses (luso-chineses). Alguns chineses percebem a língua, portanto mesmo em negócios chineses é possível falar algum português, mas são uma minoria da população chinesa.

Quanto a brasileiros em Macau, há mais agora do que à alguns anos, no total devem ser uns 200/300? Existem 2 restaurantes brasileiros no território, aposto que lá vais conhecer compatriotas teus! Abraço e boa sorte!