A lot of people consider learning Portuguese as a second language. Also known as lingua Portuguesa, the Portuguese language is probably one of the easiest languages to learn if you’re an English speaker.
If you know how to properly allot resources and use effective language learning methods, the study time is even easier.
In this article, we will feature the ten best way to learn Portuguese.
Why Learn Portuguese?
There are tons of other Indo-European languages to learn, but why Portuguese?
Besides the fact that it’s a fun language to learn, there a handful of reasons to consider.
If you need more motivation and convincing, here are six reasons to learn Portuguese.
Career Opportunities In 9 Countries
Did you know that there are eight languages that use Portuguese as a national language?
These countries created an association called the Community of Portuguese Language Countries or the CPLC. CPLC consists of Brazil, Portugal, Cape Verde, Angola, East Timor, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, and Sao Tome.
There are over 250 million Portugal native speakers, with over 24 million L2 speakers all around the world.
Portuguese is also popular in countries like Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, and Venezuela.
If you’re aspiring to start your professional career in these countries, learning Portuguese is a requirement.
For Academic Enhancement
Aspiring students who wish to study abroad can take advantage of scholarships just by learning Portuguese.
Schools such as the Camões – Instituto da Cooperação e da Língua and the Portuguese-American Leadership Council of the United States (PALCUS) offer grants and scholarship for students who like to study Portuguese abroad.
These programs are especially helpful for linguistic professionals who would want to advance their careers by studying Portuguese.
You can also check the Modern Language Association for other language programs and search their databases for opportunities.
For Tourism And Traveling
Are you planning to take a well-deserved vacation to a Portuguese-speaking country? Maybe to a destination that doesn’t have a lot of English speakers?
Although this scenario happens rarely, it still does happen.
If you’re planning to visit a lot of hidden spots in these countries, knowledge of Portuguese could come in handy.
Makes Learning Romance Languages Easier
Portuguese is a language that belongs to a group called the Romance languages. Languages in this group are known for being uniquely rhythmic and beautiful in the ears (hence the name).
There are over 500 million native speakers of Romance languages. The most popular ones worldwide are Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian.
A benefit of knowing and mastering one Romance language is that it makes other languages in the group easier to learn.
With similar words, grammar, and sentence structure, you will have a better understanding of the whole Romance language characteristics.
Learners who already know a Romance language will also have an easier learning experience too.
Easy Access To Resources
Learning a language is now easy because of the access to good resources that the Internet provides.
You can learn any language anywhere with the help of a mobile device. Portuguese is currently one of the most sought after languages on the internet.
Because of this, a lot of tutoring services like JustLearn are helping learners by providing top-notch, easy to access materials for your learning.
Even the entertainment industry provides good materials for Portuguese learners, such as TV shows and movies.
Enjoy The Portuguese Culture
And last but not least, Portuguese-speaking countries have diverse cultures known for giving unforgettable experiences and learning. Immerse yourself with the cafe culture and enjoy the company of the locals.
Enjoy the holidays and festivities with delicious local food such as eel. Dorado, robalo, pork dishes, vegetable delights like sopa de legumas, and seafood delicacies like Cataplana de marisco.
If you’re into sports, you can enjoy the company of a huge soccer community in both Portugal and Brazil.
There’s a lot of things you can enjoy in Portuguese-speaking countries!
10 Simple Methods To Learn Portuguese Effectively
1. Learn With Movies And TV Shows
One of the best ways to learn Portuguese is by regularly exposing yourself to Portuguese learning materials.
Even movies and TV shows can help learners to familiarize common words and phrases.
This is a very easy and entertaining way to pick up conversational Portuguese in a short amount of time.
Netflix is a great place to start looking for Portuguese TV shows and movies.
Excellent series like 3%, The Mechanism, The Edge of Democracy, Rafinha Bastos: Ultimatum, and Killer Ratings are available to watch on any device.
If you want a shorter Portuguese media, enjoy classic movies such as Cidade de Deus and O Homem do Futuro.
2. Improve Your Conversational Portuguese With Idioms
Idioms can make language learning through the creative and unusual use of words.
Here’s an example, “give a cold shoulder” doesn’t literally mean you’re going to give someone a literal cold shoulder. This idiom means to ignore someone.
By using idioms, you would see an insight into how natives use their language on daily basis.
Portuguese idioms are very interesting because each phrase has a rhythmic motion when spoken.
For example, “Pão pão queijo queijo” means “it is what it is”.
But when you use the literal translation, it says “bread bread cheese cheese”. Now, you can’t forget what bread and cheese are in Portuguese :D
3. Regularly Watch Short Portuguese Videos
As you regularly learn more words and pronunciation, you still need to practice it to use it instinctively.
According to a study done by Susanne Rott (University of Illinois), word retention happens when the learner was exposed to it six times within four weeks.
If you don’t have time to watch a TV series or a movie, watching short videos in Portuguese regularly is a good alternative.
A good starting point is watching kid shows because the language used is simple.
Pronunciation is also slow, making phrases easier to understand and imitate.
4. Use A Mobile App or Online Tutoring Services Like JustLearn
Language learning apps are for people who are easily distracted or want to speak Portuguese fluently as soon as possible.
Each lesson is a part of a curriculum that aims for learners to speak Portuguese in the shortest time.
Self-paced classes are also available. You can take a break and resume your lessons anytime you want.
Try Babbel’s fun, easy-to-follow lessons that fit effortlessly into your daily life.
5. Talk To Portuguese Natives / Fellow Portuguese Learners
Learning without practice will not work in any type of skills, including languages.
The application of the concepts that you learned on a regular basis is what makes you proficient in something.
That’s why if you want to speak Portuguese fluently, you need to apply it in every conversation possible.
To find study buddies, there are tons of groups from Social Media sites who are willing to practice Portuguese.
Another alternative is to find a tutor who will help you practice by regularly engaging in a conversation.
Getting proficiency in a language is a never-ending road. The journey would be more enjoyable if you study with other people.
If you prefer a more interactive approach, enroll in Lingoda’s classes with native Portuguese speakers to enhance your speaking and comprehension skills.
6. Follow Portuguese YouTubers
If TV shows and movies can consume tons of your time, why not try tuning in to Portuguese YouTubers and Podcast creators?
Since YouTube contents are more diverse, you can find more videos that appeal to your interests. Additionally, most Portuguese YouTubers use words and phrases that you’ll likely hear being used in a daily conversation.
If you want to watch comedy skits, Windersson Nunes from Brazil takes the top spot.
Canal Canalha is also a good place for parodies and real-life based blogs. For more variety of content, you can check out channels such as wuant, Pi, and Tubalatudo.
7. Record And Compare
Improving the accent and pronunciation is a two-man job. You need someone who can give you feedback and correct your Portuguese mispronunciation and weird accents.
Fortunately, you can improve all these aspects by recording yourself and comparing your audio to an internet resource.
No special application is required. All you have to do is record yourself saying a Portuguese word. Go to Google Translate and click the “listen” icon.
Compare your recordings to Google Translate’s output and fix the difference if there’s any.
8. Focus On Learning Sentences Instead Of Words
Words are sometimes enough to convey your ideas clearly. For example, if you want someone to run, saying the word “corre” will do the trick.
But to become more proficient in a language, a learner should be able to connect words together and make a coherent sentence.
Practicing sentences is what makes you a better Portuguese speaker. So make sure to learn grammar and sentence structures by heart.
9. Supplement Your Vocabulary By Learning New Words Everyday
Sentences are important, and so is your vocabulary. By learning new words every day, you can find yourself making more complex and expressive sentences.
You can set a word or two, try to incorporate it in every chance you can get.
Using flashcards might also help if you want a more visual approach.
Write down all the words you want to learn and read them during your free time (e.g. during commute).
It all depends on your style of learning new words. The important thing to achieve learning new words daily.
10. Try To Think In Portuguese
And lastly, the best way to learn and get proficient in thinking in Portuguese.
When we’re having an internal dialogue with ourselves, the language we use is often our native tongue.
But if we train ourselves to think in Portuguese, the words and sentences will come naturally.
It will also help in reducing the stutters or delays, which is common when you’re not
Final Thoughts
There is no “proper” way to learn Portuguese or any language in particular. It all depends on how you motivate yourself and dedicate your time and resources to learning new skills.
But we can always make the process easier and more fun!
Why should I learn Portuguese?
There are plenty of reasons you should learn Portuguese. Besides the fact that it’s a fun language to learn, there a handful of reasons to consider, such as career opportunities, academic enhancement, traveling, unique Portuguese culture, the ability to learn other Romance languages more easily.
What's the best way to learn Portuguese?
The best way to learn Portuguese is to surround yourself with it every day. Start by watching Portuguese TV shows and movies, reading the news, and listening to music. Then find a native Portuguese tutor to learn from them. Justlearn is a language learning platform where you can find native tutors from all across the world and learn from the best.
How hard it is to learn Portuguese?
Portuguese is not so hard to learn. If you speak English, you'll find Portuguese grammar easier and simpler. The Portuguese accent is also quite easy to learn, especially if you already know Spanish, as these two have some similarities.
