Volunteers take to learning Portuguese for Lusofonia games

The Lusofonia Games scheduled in Goa next year have prompted several youths to learn Portuguese language which was spoken in the state during its colonial past.
The volunteers and officials, who will be part of the Portuguese Commonwealth Games, are learning the European language as a part of their training.
Experts of Portuguese language have extended their help to local organisers of the games in training several hundred volunteers who would be assisting the players, team members and spectators during the 12-day event.
"Non-Portuguese speaking volunteers will be trained in the basics of Portuguese language," Keshav Chandra, Chief Executive Officer of Lusofonia Games, told PTI today.

Delfim Correia da Silva, lecturer of Portuguese at Goa University and director of Instituto Camoes, a language training centre in Panaji, is assisting the organisers with the training.
"The language centre has designed modules and training guides for the benefit of the volunteers. Portuguese language classes will begin in the first week of November. Each training segment will consist of 20 hours of training (5 hours per day, across four days)," he said.

The local organising committee has also received registration application of some Portuguese-speaking volunteers.
Delfim Correia da Silva said that being part of a sporting event of this magnitude is going to be a huge learning experience for the volunteers.

"Specific language-based training sessions will be conducted for volunteers over the coming weeks," he said.