Learning Brazilian Portuguese

Forewords

Before going to any foreign country it is ALWAYS good to learn a few words of the native language. Essentials like “Toilet/Bank/How much? etc.”

If you can’t afford lessons or find anywhere with Brazilian Portuguese courses near you, then there is a wealth of information already available on the internet. The best part is that you can tap into it all FOR FREE!

I’ve also included some Questions and Answers that hopefully will give you an idea of what to expect. If anyone has any other questions regarding learning Brazilian Portuguese then by all means ask and I’ll try my best to provide some answers.

Do many people speak English?
•  People do speak English but not as much and not as many as I first thought. It varies but I would say that the average Brazilian MIGHT be able to speak some english words, understanding whole sentences and phrases is a whole other thing though.
•  In Barra da Tijuca I found quite a few people spoke some english and you could communicate with them easier than in other areas of Rio de Janeiro. In my opinion this could be because Barra is a more affluent suburb and the people learnt it in school.
•  From my observations I think that most people that spoke some english learnt it in school or have travelled a bit. This is just a very general observation though.

Will it help to learn Brazilian Portuguese before going to Brazil?
YES! It will make SO MANY things easier if you learn just a little bit of Portuguese before you arrive. Also if you can speak some Portuguese it can reduce the chance of you getting “gringo prices.”
•  Public transport: you definitely need some Portuguese to help you get by and to the right areas when catching the onibus, metro and especially taxis.
-  DO NOT be surprised if you feel like you got ripped off by a taxi driver when you talk to them in english. Because you probably did. (I’ve had quite a few experiences where they’ve tried pull sh*t like going the long way around but luckily I could speak a bit and ask what they were doing and give directions).
•  Ordering food and eating out: you can always point and use body language. But it’s sooo much easier if you know how to order. Ordering food was the first things I learnt.
•  Jiu jitsu classes: you can get by without Portuguese through watching and observing people. BUT it really does help if you can understand a bit of the instructions that are given. Also helps if you know some basic commands (push, pull etc) and names of body parts when trying to ask for help from the professor and training buddies. Check out my post on BJJ Portuguese terminology.
- You can always start with the counting. Often when warming up everyone would have to count out sit ups and push ups. It’s funny because sometimes you can only remember up to certain numbers on the spot in Portuguese, then you revert back to english which gets some laughs in the class.
•  AND most importantly communicating with girls when you’re out on the town, always helps to know a few lines

How did I learn Brasilian Portuguese?
•  Listening tapes, often same lesson 2 or 3 times.
•  Trying to learn at least 1 new word or phrase a day. From a listening tape, reading or emails from Bitesized languages.
•  Signed up to orkut and livemocha to practice reading and writing.
•  Other things that might help include listening to music, watching TV shows to get used to hearing it spoken.

What’s the hardest part about learning the language?
•  I think the pronunciation of words is probably the hardest part. That and getting the grammar right e.g. verbs, adjectives, infinitives (I can’t even tell you what an infinitive is lol). But words will often sound different to how they’re written.
•  Some letters you will come across: ç, ã, é, á, ó, ê
•  The use of feminine and masculine words and when to use whichever where and why.
•  There’s been a few times when I caught a taxi and told them the address “Henrique Cordeiro” but they didn’t know where it was so I just kept repeating it and trying to pronounce it a different way everytime. Then the driver would correct me and be like, “Ohhhh não… EN-hi-kay core-jayroh” and I’m just thinking “Yeah that’s what I just said” lol.

What’s the best way to learn?
•  Besides the obvious of having a native speaker to teach you and practice with, I think the best way to learn would be a mixture of things. Websites and listening tapes as well as trying to read and write straight away. And like Jiu Jitsu: just practice, practice practice.
•  When speaking don’t be afraid to make mistakes. I think people will be pleased that at least you’re trying to speak their language. Unless you speak it pretty badly and they speak english in which case they’ll tell you to just speak english (had that happen to me a few times haha).

Free language learning websites
The following sites are all very comprehensive and great to get your reading and writing going. They have cover a wide range of themes and topics from vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation to greetings, expressions and . There is also a lot of information available to print out such as palm cards and print out sheets.
•  Learn Portuguese Now – Well structured and has a few booklets on a number of themes (greetings, directions, expressions etc) you can download and print and also cut out flash cards.
•  Sonia Portuguese – Includes some differences between Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese words, also some slang and colloquial terms
•  Easy Portuguese – Portuguese alphabet, short easy beginner lessons and some audio.
•  Bitesized Languages – is a service that sends out a daily email with the word of the day and it’s use in a phrase. Includes english translations and sounds bytes so you can listen to it. A good way to get your small daily dose of Portuguese.
• Portugese Blog – “Portuguese Blog is the Ultimate Resource for Learning Portuguese, and Everything about Brazilian Culture.” I only came across this recently when they left a spam comment BUT they seem to cover a lot on the language but also delve a bit into the culture of Brasil which would be useful.

Social communities
•  Livemocha – You create a profile and they have lessons in Portuguese from beginner to intermediate and advanced. Plus your work is marked/checked by native speakers, which you can add as friends and also check/mark their work in return. You submit written work but can also upload video and audio of you speaking so your pronunciation can be marked too.
•  Orkut – Described as the “Myspace of Brazil.” I’d say most people in Brazil (almost 80%) will use this as their online social network. Although Facebook is gaining steady popularity. A good place to start practicing your language skills and making new friends.

Listening tapes/courses
These are a great way to get your pronounciation. Because anyone that’s learnt some Portuguese will know that the way it’s written and the way you pronounce it can often be worlds apart.
Generally you will hear an english speaker say a phrase and the phrase repeated in the chosen language. Often phrases and words are repeated a number of times so it really gets drilled it into your head. Repetition is the best way to learn!

•  Pimsleur Brazilian Portuguese is the listening course I’ve used in the past and I highly recommend this one. Although the first couple of lessons start out quite formal you learn a more conversational way to talk once you get some basics. If you can’t afford buying the CD’s you could always try downloading it off the internet from torrent sites.

After thoughts

Learning Portuguese will help you make yourself understood better and enable you to express yourself and show more of your personality. Also I believe that learning the language is a major component in immersing yourself in the culture and in essence you’ll feel more like a Brasilian if you can speak it. If anyone has any other good tips to add to that then please leave some comments or send me an email.

- Updated 30/05/11