DILI, 06 May 2025 (TATOLI) – On the occasion of World Portuguese Language Day, celebrated annually on May 5th, the President of the Republic (PR), José Ramos-Horta, praised the development of Portuguese as an official language in Timor-Leste.
With only an estimated 5–10% of speakers in 2002, the Portuguese language has experienced significant growth over the past two decades, as more than 30% of Timorese people now speak the language.
Horta praised the development of Portuguese as an official language in Timor-Leste: “More than 30% of the population speaks the language. In the past, there were no children who spoke Portuguese, but now thousands of Timorese are able to communicate in this language.”
As the fifth most spoken language in the world, with nearly 300 million speakers, Portuguese strengthens and promotes cooperation and solidarity among CPLP member states.
With less than half of Timor-Leste’s 1.3 million population speaking the language, the country is making efforts to increase the use of the language.
The President of the National Parliament, Maria Fernanda Lay said that Parliament is promoting the use of the Portuguese language, with sessions, and interventions in plenary sessions twice a month: “And the deputies – I encourage them to be able to use the Portuguese as a national language.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão, who took part in a peace walk to celebrate Portuguese Language Day in Timor-Leste, encouraged parents to support their children in learning the Portuguese language.
“I call on parents to help their children learn the Portuguese language, as it is part of our national identity,” said Prime Minister Gusmão on the occasion of the celebration of the Portuguese Language Day, in Dili, on Monday.
Education Minister Dulce de Jesus Soares said that the government is making efforts to ensure school children can learn and speak Portuguese well: “The government’s task is to ensure that every kid learns Portuguese at an early age.”
Minister Soares noted that the curriculum and textbooks are written in Portuguese, and therefore encourages teachers and students to use the language as a means of daily communication: “Teachers and students must learn Portuguese and speak it daily.”
Meanwhile, the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Culture, José Jerónimo, recalled that the Government of Portugal has supported Timor-Leste in promoting the Portuguese language through the Centers for Learning and School Training (CAFE), which have been established across all municipalities.
CPLP Executive Secretary Zacarias da Costa said that for the CPLP member states, the Portuguese language is not just a tool of communication, but also a heritage, a symbol of identity, and a vehicle for conveying cultural and historical values.
He therefore said that the Portuguese language must be celebrated with pride, with the responsibility of keeping it alive and dynamic, ready for the challenges of the future: “The Portuguese language, with its unique richness, is a bond that unites and strengthens us.”
Previously, António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations said that: “Languages of global communication, such as the Portuguese language, play a crucial role in promoting understanding, affection, mutual respect and coexistence among peoples and citizens of the most distinct geographical origins.”
Portuguese is currently the fifth most spoken language in the world and an official language of Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe and Timor-Leste.
The date of 5 May was officially established in 2009 by the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP) – an intergovernmental organization that has been in official partnership with UNESCO since 2000, and which brings together peoples with the Portuguese language as one of the foundations of their specific identity – to celebrate the Portuguese language and Lusophone cultures. In 2019, the 40th session of UNESCO’s General Conference decided to proclaim 5 May of each year as “World Portuguese Language Day.”
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
