Portuguese: Easy to Learn?
What Makes Portuguese Easy to Learn?
Let’s be honest here. Learning a language is never an easy task. But that doesn’t make it impossible either! And, unlike what many self-proclaimed polyglots on YouTube might claim, it actually takes hard work and constant practice. But don’t panic! You may still find Portuguese easy to learn depending on some of your previous language learning experience.
If you have ever tried learning a language (or two) apart from your native one, that’s already a great advantage. This means that you know what learning a language is like – and you may find it easy to learn Portuguese. It also often indicates you’re more adaptable, since you’ve probably faced some common challenges such as dealing with new phonemes, different grammatical rules, and even sentence structure.
But, honestly, is it easy to learn Portuguese? Actually, yes, it sure can be. Especially if you already speak a Romance language such as French, Spanish or Italian. Since all Romance languages originated from Latin they share a whole lot of similarities. In fact, you could say the easiest way to learn Portuguese is to have some background in one of those languages. It’s so much easier, it’s likely you could learn Portuguese in a month!
How Easy is It to Learn Portuguese?
There’s no doubt that it takes a lot of practice to master a language. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun and easy to learn Portuguese! And what’s so difficult about studying Portuguese online? Not only it is cheaper than travelling to Brazil, it’s also much less complicated than getting a Brazilian student visa, too!
Now you may be studying from home, but that doesn’t mean the standard of quality should be any lower, right? At the end of the day, native Portuguese speakers will be your best Portuguese teachers. And you should make sure you find someone who will help you have fun while you’re learning!
Studying with a Native Teacher: the Easiest Way to Learn Portuguese
Who knows best how a student can learn the Portuguese language easily? An experienced Portuguese teacher. Not only that, but if your teacher is a native speaker, they’ll be able to tell you about Portuguese and Brazilian culture, and help you simulate immersion in your day-to-day despite being thousands of kilometers away from a Portuguese speaking country. It’s not quite the same as learning on Copacabana beach, but it certainly makes Portuguese easy to learn!
The most inexpensive route would be to find an online group course. Having group lessons will help you socialize and make friends that you’ll only be speaking Portuguese with. They can be a great support in your Portuguese learning journey. And by having the guidance of a native Portuguese teacher and a Portuguese language school, you’ll definitely have an advantage.
And if you’re willing to invest some more in learning, why not combine your online group course with online private classes? Those private classes can help you stay focused on your personal goals and objectives. After all, when it’s just you and a native teacher, it’s easier to shape class content to fit your needs.
Native Teachers at Home
What could be easier than studying from home?
Find a Portuguese School
Learn from different teachers with different ways of talking.
Simulate Immersion
You may not be in Brazil, but you can try to bring Brazil to you!
Funlearning
Have fun while you're learning Portuguese!
Resources that Make Portuguese Easy to Learn
Let’s be honest, immersion is quite a difficult thing to achieve, and it can also be quite pricey. But simulating it is not only the easiest way to learn Portuguese – it’s the cheapest, too! There are multiple free resources out there to help you learn Portuguese. And if you think our list doesn’t cover enough of them, don’t worry, your native teacher will have other suggestions, too!
For starters, let’s keep it simple. Why not a blog that helps you with grammar, vocabulary and uncovers Brazilian culture? A Dica do Dia is a perfect resource, whether you’re just beginning or already able to read Brazilian novels from cover to cover. There are also a multitude of apps to learn Portuguese out there: Memrise and Duolingo are great tools to help you build up vocabulary. And Anki is a great way to narrow down what you need to study.
As far as series and movies go, you can even download a chrome extension to help you study with Netflix. Oh, and there’s a beta version of it for YouTube. Those can help you maximize your learning while you’re actually having fun! And these are not the only ways to practice your listening! How do you feel about Brazilian music? You can practice by listening to your favorite songs, too!
And, bookworms, don’t think I’ve forgotten about you! Buying books from abroad and getting them shipped to your country can be so expensive! Thankfully, there are free online libraries that can help you practice without spending a single cent. For once, you can always check out the public domain. And if you’re an insatiable reader, you can find your way to a public digital library and read anything from Machado de Assis to translated titles from big international authors.
How to Learn Portuguese Easily and Quickly
Not sure if it’s already been emphasized enough – but remember to take classes with an experienced native Portuguese teacher! And even though we suggest that you combine an online group course with online private lessons, be careful not to overdo it! Studying Portuguese for four hours straight doesn’t sound like fun, does it? So don’t be in a hurry, and let what you’ve learned settle. Take breaks! Maybe start your day with online private lessons and end it with your online group course – just make sure that you’re not exhausting yourself doing too many hours in a row!
Even then, we cannot change the fact that the best way to learn Portuguese is through immersion and by having fun, of course! When you’re immersed, learning never feels like a chore – it’s just a natural conclusion to your daily experiences with the language. And, let’s be honest, wouldn’t it be fun to learn Portuguese in Brazil?
