Livelearning

Portuguese immersion in Brazil

Our learning method is based on learning by living, expressing yourself in a Portuguese immersion, 24 hours a day, and enjoying our Cidade maravilhosa. The best way to learn a language is by fully immersing your senses; to see, to hear, to experience life through another language.

Livelearning encourages you to use Portuguese continually so you acquire expressions and language without realizing, and without hours of tedium or boredom!

We offer the chance to experience life with Brazilian people to help you apply our method of Livelearning so you quickly improve your new language skills.

  • Students of Portuguese at Jardim Botânico practicing and having fun.
  • Foreigners students visiting Museum of Tomorrow in Rio de Janeiro.
  • Spanish student learning Portuguese at Santa teresa in Rio de Janeiro.
  • Live learning: Portuguese immersion in Brazil. Students learning Portuguese at Pão de Açúcar.
  • Foreigners students of Portuguese riding bike at Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas.
  • Portuguese immersion with foreigner students in Brazil.
  • Portuguese language students having a cooking class in Rio de Janeiro.

As a student of Rio & Learn, you will be staying with one of our families or native Cariocas, and you can begin putting Livelearning into practice immediately. It’s amazing how much practice and revision you can get from just 10 minutes when a friendly face asks you How was your day?.

This daily contact with Brazilian people at home will help you keep practising while relaxing. The Cariocas (people from Rio) are renown for their hospitality and kindness, and they are always more than willing to talk to overseas visitors.

Of course, they also provide you with useful tips on how to get by in the city and they can teach you a lot about Brazilian culture.

All of our accommodation offers are very accessible by public transport, so getting to school every day is simple.

The accommodation is selected from homes of families in a good neighbourhood of Rio de Janeiro (south). (*)

To meet your accommodation requirements, we offer two types of accommodation, Beach Accommodation and Budget Accommodation. Check out the Prices options.

Beach Accommodation

This accommodation is a few blocks away from Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon (south) beaches. You can walk to the beach in minutes!

  • Accommodation close to the school, and minutes by public transport.
  • High standards of Brazilian accomodation.
  • Internet connection.
  • Air-conditioning in most cases (or a good fan).
  • In some exceptional cases, we can offer much higher levels of accommodation in a great location but not at the beach front. (We always get your agreement prior to allocation upon this event).
  • Livelearning. Students of Portuguese playing beach volley
  • Foreigners students having a beer at Copacabana beach.
Students at Forte do Leme practicing Portuguese with the method Livelearning.
Learn Portuguese by living. Learn Portuguese and have fun in a surf class in Copacabana.
Portuguese immersion class at the beach. Student from the Netherlands and China practicing Portuguese.
Foreigners students having a Portuguese class at Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. Portuguese immersion in Brazil.
Portuguese Immersion with foreigners students practicing in a Brazilian restaurant.

Budget Accommodation

  • Accommodation in one of the other southern zone districts.
  • The journey by public transport to school is longer.
  • The comfort levels are lower but high by Brazilian standards.
  • Internet connection.
  • Often without air-conditioning, but there is always a fan in the room.
  • In some very rare cases, these rooms are at Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon.

In each housing option, we offer either a single bedroom and no meals, or accommodation with meals (breakfast and dinner).

If you are vegetarian or have special dietary requirements we recommend you choose the option with accommodation only since it is common for families in Brazil to eat meals with meat as the dish.

Learn by living. Student of Portuguese from Pittsburgh learning how to cook a moqueca.
Learn Portuguese by experiencing the best of Rio de Janeiro. Learning Portuguese in a Samba Class.
Portuguese immersion in Rio de Janeiro. Foreigners students visiting a Samba School in Rio de Janeiro.
Learn by leaving. Portuguese immersion in Rio de Janeiro. Mexican student practicing Portuguese in a Caipirinha class.

In some seasons, we offer hostel accommodation, but since hostel staff tend to speak English we wouldn’t recommend it. It is also very common for students in hostels to gravitate towards people who speak their own native language. This can really limit your progress of acquiring a language by simple, enjoyable day-to-day interaction and expression.

The accommodation is always booked for by the week, and is reserved from Saturday to Saturday, or from Sunday to Sunday. Extra days accommodation can be added as required. Check the Prices page for the cost per week and the cost of any additional days of accommodation you may need.

During the summer in Rio de Janeiro (December to March), the city is in high season. During these months, people from all over the world, and from all over Brazil, come to Rio de Janeiro. Housing prices consequently shoot up, so our accommodation prices have to rise during this time accordingly.

(*) When evaluating the accommodation prices we offer, please note that Rio de Janeiro has one of the most expensive charges per square metre in the world. Where cheaper offers are found, the lodgings are more than often very poor. For your comfort, please keep this in mind if you prefer to find accommodation independently of the school.

With our method of Livelearning, or learning by living, you will enjoy a memorable experience. All you have to do is participate, try to talk and listen continuously. For the method to be effective, you simply need to want to communicate with the new skills you are developing. After all, this is why you’re learning Portuguese!