Future of Portuguese Language: Global Writers Debate Reform
PRAIA, Cape Verde — For the 300 million people who speak it, the Portuguese language is a living, breathing entity. But for the writers who use it as their raw material, it is also a work in progress—one they wouldn’t mind editing.
Gathered in the Cape Verdean capital for the XIV Meeting of Portuguese Language Writers, authors from across the Lusophone world shared their visions for the idiom’s future. Their suggestions ranged from striking down controversial political treaties to purging English loanwords and rethinking how the language is taught in multilingual societies.
The Battle Over Orthography
One of the most vocal critics at the summit was Alberto Oliveira Pinto. The author of History of Angola called for the immediate revocation of the 2015 Orthographic Agreement, a mandatory spelling reform in Portugal designed to unify the language across borders. Pinto argued for a return to the grammar of his childhood, the restoration of traditional noun concepts, and a rejection of foreign loanwords.
Joana Matos Frias, a professor at the University of Lisbon, echoed this sentiment, questioning the “imposition” of political and socio-economic decisions on the act of writing. “Why am I suddenly forced to change my relationship with my language and my writing?” she asked.
Protecting the “Mother Tongue”
The infiltration of English is a growing concern for writers like Olinda Beja of São Tomé and Príncipe. She expressed frustration at hearing English terms like “roof” used in local radio advertisements. “I think of someone who doesn’t speak English, who has never left their village, hearing a word that means nothing to them,” she said, advocating for a language that remains accessible to all its speakers.
In contrast, Brazilian poet José Inácio Vieira de Melo argued that the language must expand, not contract. Known for creating neologisms, he believes poetry’s purpose is to break free from linguistic constraints. “Poetry is exactly that: having a language and not being trapped by what it offers,” he told Lusa.
A Question of Education and Identity
For writers from the PALOP (Portuguese-speaking African countries), the challenge isn’t the vocabulary, but the methodology. Amadú Dafé of Guinea-Bissau highlighted the “tremendous violence” faced by seven-year-olds who enter classrooms hearing Portuguese for the first time, only to be taught as if it were their mother tongue.
“Portuguese teaching doesn’t adapt to the reality of multilingual countries,” Dafé said. Cape Verdean writer Mana Guta agreed, calling for a “more affectionate” and playful methodology to bridge the gap between students and the official language.
Identity also remains a central theme. Mozambican musician and writer António Costa Neto urged the Lusophone world to move past “complexes regarding accents.” He also called for a deeper debate on racially charged terminology, noting that speakers must relearn how to use certain words that originated with discriminatory intent.
A Language Beyond Decrees
Despite the various critiques, some believe the language is best left to the people. Hugo Pinto, a researcher focused on Macau, argued that trying to control Portuguese through government policy is a fool’s errand.
“Language is a permanent construction, a history of many histories,” Pinto said. “I would remove the idea that it is possible to change the language by the will of someone or by a decree. It is made every day by everyone.”
The meeting, organized by the Union of Portuguese-Speaking Capital Cities (UCCLA), concludes today, bringing together voices from Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Galicia, Guinea-Bissau, Macau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Timor-Leste.
Image: Pexels – Jonathan Borba
