ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. Part five of the book discusses specific cases of internationalization policies and practices in Brazilian higher education institutions. It discusses Portuguese as an Additional Language (PAL) programs in Brazil and examines how the growing demand for Portuguese language skills has led to the creation and consolidation of a hub for a global PAL network at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). The book also illustrates the link between language and economy. It then discusses the sociolinguistic and educational consequences of higher education internationalization programs, considering in particular the growing diversity of student populations in Brazil. The authors take the language as social practice and ideology approach and positioning theory to discuss the interactional experiences of two students from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) participating in an Exchange Program for Undergraduate Students (PEC-G) at one university in Brazil.
