For the past eight weeks, a group of 15 Brazilian natives have been meeting at the Oak Bluffs Public Library to learn beginners level English language skills.

A program at the Oak Bluffs Library offers an opportunity for non-native English speakers to practice in a supportive environment.

For the more than 60 students in the newly revived Portuguese program at the regional high school, falar portugues (speaking Portuguese) is becoming easier. Portuguese joins French, Spanish and German as languages offered by the high school. But German, the program with the lowest enrollment, is being phased out.

Changes are on deck for the world language program at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School in the coming school year, with a plan to reintroduce Portuguese as full academic course.

Last year Good Shepherd Parish in Oak Bluffs was faced with a problem. Father Messias Albuquerque was leaving, and due to a priest shortage in Brazil finding a replacement who could say mass in Portuguese would be difficult. Recruiting someone to say the Saturday mass was a familiar issue. Over the years a series of clergymen have filled this role.