Nicolas Portugal, PhD, is an Assistant Instructional Professor of French in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures at the University of Chicago. He teaches French language and culture across the curriculum, from beginning through advanced levels, with an emphasis on oral proficiency, intercultural competence, and inclusive, student-centered pedagogy. His teaching and scholarship explore how emerging technologies, including virtual reality and AI-supported conversation, can create immersive, low-stakes opportunities for students to develop confidence and prepare for meaningful interaction in French. His broader interests include curriculum design, inclusive language education, and the cultural narratives surrounding French and France in the United States. He has contributed to the redesign of the University of Chicago’s second-year French curriculum, aligning instruction and assessment with proficiency-based outcomes and real-world communication. Across his work, he brings language learning into conversation with literature, film, contemporary culture, and global engagement.
Publications
- Olid, Bel, and Nicolas Portugal. “From Insecurity to Inclusion: Addressing Gender Diversity in Romance Language Teaching.” South Atlantic Review, vol. 91, no. 1, Spring 2026, pp. 116+.
- Portugal, Nicolas, and Georgy Khabarovskiy. “Breaking Boundaries in Language Education: Exploring Cultural Immersion via Virtual Reality, a Pilot Study.” South Atlantic Review, vol. 90, no. 1-2, 2025, p. 172. ISSN: 0277-335X
Recent Courses in RLL
- FREN 10300 Beginning Elementary French III (Winter 2024, Spring 2024, Spring 2026)
- FREN 12002 Intensive French II (Winter 2026)
- FREN 13333 Reading French for Research Purposes Prerequisite Course (Autumn 2022, Spring 2023, Autumn 2023, Winter 2024, Winter 2025)
- FREN 20100 Language, History, and Culture I (Autumn 2022, Winter 2026)
- FREN 20200 Language, History, and Culture II (Winter 2023, Autumn 2024, Autumn 2025, Spring 2026)
- FREN 20300 Language, History, and Culture III (Winter 2023, Spring 2023, Winter 2025, Spring 2025)
- FREN 23333/33333 Reading French for Research Purposes (Autumn 2023, Spring 2024, Autumn 2024, Spring 2025, Autumn 2025)