I think we all want to be able to chat to the locals - even if it is just the basics. People always appreciate your making an effort and you also get to learn more about the local culture and your neighbours through doing so. Sometimes, just by seeming to make the effort of conversing daily, you will be well regarded and invited to events such as weddings, birthdays and harvest related gathering such as wine making (not to mention the 1000 other reasons the Portuguese have a knees-up). Many local events go on with only word of mouth used to communicate them - it would be a shame to miss out.

Learning Portuguese is not easy! It’s a fantastic goal to set yourself, however, and one that is rewarding and achievable. I’m sort of more qualified than others to talk about learning languages, as I’ve been teaching English to foreign students (fully qualified, of course!) for a few years now. Before I give advice on the different ways of structured learning, here are a few tips that I used and encouraged my students to use:

1. Write a list of seven new words, clearly written in large red letters with their English equivalents written smaller, in blue on the opposite margin. Now write three more lists, each with different words. Stick each page in a different, often used room of the house where you will pass it regularly. Whenever you pass it, glance over it and test yourself.

2. Read children’s books in Portuguese. The Little Prince (O Princepezinho) is a great place to start. After this, try Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist (A Alquemista) and keep going. Don’t look up every word you don’t know read for gist. Chances are you will gather what the word means if it appears in context a few times. It seems bizarre, but I reread a few Asterix books in Portuguese. Great fun!

3. Watch Portuguese television! It’s not the most groundbreaking programming in the world, but the news and soap operas will give you better comprehension and new vocabulary. Just try to avoid Morangos Com Açucar!

4. The Newspaper – of course! Newspapers are a great source of exotic vocabulary as well as topics of conversation.

5. Read blogs on a subject you a passionate about. I like fishing; therefore I will happily read about fishing in Portuguese, Find out how to say your hobby in Portuguese and google it.

So, onto structured learning. You’ve got the home CDs, you’ve scribbled biro all over your Teach Yourself book – what next? You have three options; Continue to study at home, study in a classroom or study with a private tutor.

1. Home Studies 

You’ve decided to go it alone. Well, you’re going to need to be very determined and focused. Having said that, this method is one of the most rewarding and, of course, cheapest!

The main issue with this method is your accent. We English speakers listen to different parts of words than the Portuguese. Therefore don’t be surprised if someone has no idea what you are saying only to repeat a word back to you “correctly” seemingly identically to how you said it in the first place. You need to continuously listen to spoken Portuguese and speak Portuguese with locals. At first waitresses will try to bring you a melon instead of a milky coffee, but stick with it and you will learn how to make that bizarre range of very necessary and very specific sounds.

I chose home learning and I have therefore used up and thrown away many dodgy books on the subject. The only ones that lasted in my library were:

“Teach Yourself Portuguese” CD and Book Set

“Teach Yourself Portuguese Grammar”.

The “Vamos Continuar!” Series of books, though these are hard going and very dry.

“Qual é a dúvida?” A great book for dipping into when you recognize your own mistakes. Without English translations.

“501 Portuguese Verbs”. A really good reference but not much of a page turner.

2. Language Schools

There is bound to be a great deal of language schools near to you. I know of them in Alvaiazere, Penela, Miranda do Corvo and Lousã – and that’s without ever looking for them. The most popular, and possibly the best courses could well be in Coimbra where they have British Council, International House and Cambridge School – all of which offer Portuguese classes to groups of foreigners or (costly) 1-to-1 lessons.

Try www.pai.pt and search for “aulas de ingles” – it’s the equivalent of UK Yellow Pages out here in Portugal.

3. Studying with a private tutor

One on one lessons mean that you get the most contact time possible. A good tutor will listen to your conversations closely and plan lessons around the mistakes you make. One on one lessons give the quickest, most notable results.

Unfortunately, there’s no hiding when it’s only you and the tutor! A good lesson will last at least an hour and in that hour, oh boy, you’re going to be talking! It’s painful at first and can be frustrating when you cannot express your opinions but this is a powerful motivator for picking up that vocabulary book and learning new words.

Should you accidentally choose a lazy tutor you may find that you are being hoodwinked out of your money! Photocopies of exercises, speaking in English, and “…so, what did you do yesterday?” conversations are the tell tale signs of a teacher who spends very little time planning. Your teacher should be able to answer every question you ask, or at least explain why you don’t need to worry about that grammar point for time being. Don’t fall for the trap of thinking some Portuguese contact is better than none, because it’s simply a waste of money to pay someone to give you the same results Portuguese television and a grammar book could give!

Once you have started making the effort to learn the language you will find your enjoyment of living here increasing immeasurably. I personally feel very much connected to the area and the people here because of my ability to chat away quite happily with them. I can now gossip and complain with the best of them!

This article was written by Graham.  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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