Themes, sub-themes and research subjects — Edexcel A-Level Portuguese
Test yourself on Themes, sub-themes and research subjects with PEARSON EDEXCEL A-Level practice questions.
7 days Premium · Then the free plan continues · No card, no charge
Themes, sub-themes and research subjects explained
This row is course guidance, not an assessed answer target.
Read the full explanation
It defines the scope of the four themes: content about society in the past and in the present, plus aspects of political culture and artistic culture, all located in the Portuguese-speaking world, meaning countries or areas where Portuguese is an official language. When you read or research, check that your material sits inside that scope. For example, a present-day text on urban life in Lisbon, a historical source on twentieth-century Brazil, or a report on music or film from a Portuguese-official-language country all fit; material about a non-Portuguese-speaking region does not, unless it is clearly used as context. Build notes that separate society past, society present, political culture and artistic culture, and record which country or area each item comes from.
Your focus
- Explain the scope of the four themes, including society past and present and political and artistic culture.
- Identify the Portuguese-speaking world as the countries and areas where Portuguese is an official language.
- Classify source material by country or area, time period and cultural strand when preparing for the papers.
Themes, sub-themes and research subjects exam tips
Examiner Tips
- 💡For each source you read, write one line stating its country or area, its time period and whether it concerns society, politics or the arts.
- 💡Keep four columns in your notes: society past, society present, political culture, artistic culture, and file examples under each.
- 💡Check the scope test before studying a text: is it about the Portuguese-speaking world, and does it relate to society, politics or the arts?
Common Mistakes
- Restricting the themes to present-day society only. Correction: the statement covers society past and present, so include historical as well as current material.
- Treating the Portuguese-speaking world as a single country. Correction: it means the countries and areas where Portuguese is an official language, so study a range of them.
- Studying only political culture or only artistic culture. Correction: the themes address both political and artistic culture, so cover both strands.