Young people in France hoping that Portuguese will open doors in the future
The 12 best Portuguese language students in France were awarded scholarships from the Cap Magellan association and the insurance company Império on Saturday and said that not only has the Portuguese already helped in the transition to university, but how it can open doors in the future.
“The Portuguese have already helped me to join the Sorbonne Law School. In order to enter, they ask all the students how many languages they speak and if they have other cultures and that counts in the selection process. So Portuguese has helped me and I think will continue to help in life, “told Eva Crespo, who aspires to be a judge, is Portuguese-descendant and was one of the distinguished young women this Saturday.
At home, Eva spoke more French with her parents, both of whom were still teenagers from the North of Portugal to France, and began learning Portuguese at school at the age of eight. “My parents always transmitted the Portuguese culture to me and visited Portugal to meet and see my family, but the truth is that it was the teachers who made us know a wider culture and still the culture of the Portuguese speaking countries,” said the young Portuguese -descendant, adding that receiving this award was a “recognition” for his career.
The delivery of the 12 bags worth 1,600 euros took place today at the Consulate General of Portugal in Paris, in the presence of João Alvim, Deputy Consul General, Diogo Teixeira, Executive Director Delegate of the Empire, Anna Martins, President of the Association Cap Magellan, and Adelaide Cristovão, coordinator of Portuguese teaching at the Portuguese Embassy, of the families of the young people and 11 of the 12 distinguished young people – one of the distinguished young women was in direct of Portugal through the social networks, since after the studies in France entered in Medicine at the University of Minho.
Although most of the young people who received scholarships had Portuguese parents, others only discovered their roots later. This is the case of Théo Francez, whose grandfather was born on the train that brought the parents from Portugal to France. “When I was a kid, I discovered that part of my family was Portuguese and I tried to find a school near me where I could study Portuguese,” said the 18-year-old Frenchman who recently attended the University of Rennes where he studied Materials Science and Properties.
With the discovery of the language, came also the discovery of the family that still has in Covilhã, that visited two years ago. Its ambition is to be astrophysical and the connection to Portugal can be reinforced. “I see that it is a sector that develops in Portugal and because, later, I would like to collaborate in this field or even to leave Erasmus,” said the young man.
Adelaide Cristovão recognizes that interest in the Portuguese language has been increasing and is increasingly a factor of distinction in the curriculum of those who enter the world of work in France. “In the case of France, where everyone makes English, most of them do Spanish and a percentage do German, when a curriculum with Portuguese appears extremely important because there are not so many and the Portuguese are not only the language of Portugal but of Brazil, Angola and many companies here have business with these countries, “recalled the coordinator of Portuguese teaching together. from the Portuguese Embassy.
The ceremony also had a more relaxed moment with Portuguese actor and comedian Jose Cruz who shared his story with the youth and the audience, mentioning how the Portuguese had an influence on his life and also his career.
