ABSTRACT
This chapter presents information on the history of Portuguese emigration, in particular to the Netherlands. It deals with the status and use of the Portuguese language in the Netherlands. The chapter discusses research evidence on topics such as first and second language acquisition, patterns of language choice, language shift, language loss, and educational opportunities of different generations of Portuguese immigrants. As far as the Portuguese language is concerned, it includes studies on Cape Verdean immigrants in the Netherlands. In the late Middle Ages, Portugal was a thriving nation with spirit and means to discover the world. By 1500, Portugal had explored the whole African continent and the seaway to India. There have been two major waves of Portuguese emigration to the Netherlands. The first group arrived at the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century. The second group of emigrants came in the second half of the 20th century.
