The Best Way to Study Portuguese – 6 Tips That Will Work Wonders

The Portuguese language is the 7th most spoken language in the world today with roughly 223 million native speakers everywhere and the official language of 7 countries: Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau and São Tomé and Príncipe. And if that’s not reason enough to study Portuguese right now, the Foreign Service Institute of the US Government claims that a native English speaker would only need around 600 hours or 24 weeks of study to reach fluency in Portuguese. So what are we waiting for? Let’s see what is the best way to study Portuguese and start learning it right now.

1. Begin your Portuguese training with the best language learning app available

Language learning apps are now guaranteed shortcuts to speak Portuguese fast. With Mondly, the award-winning language learning app, the Portuguese language will literally become glued into your brain after just a few weeks of training.

Featuring compact Daily Lessons, vocabulary builders to help you learn new Portuguese words fast, real and simulated conversations to get you fluent on the go and much more, Mondly puts your brain on autopilot while you simply enjoy your trip to Portuguese fluency.

Mondly doesn’t necessarily teach advanced Portuguese grammar. Instead, it focuses on getting you fluent in Portuguese using the inductive method – learn by doing, context and example, and extrapolate to rules. That sounds like a great start for your Portuguese training, doesn’t it?

2. Read children’s books in Portuguese

Now that you know quite a few Portuguese words and phrases, you can continue your training with reading on a Kindle. Why a Kindle? Because it has an integrated vocabulary that allows you to see a word’s definition by simply tapping on it. The enthusiasm of discovering new Portuguese words by your own will help you learn faster.

And what better reading material is there than children’s books? Yes, you read that right. Since you are only at the beginning of your Portuguese journey, children’s books are the most suitable for your level of proficiency. From easier books you can then move to O Principezinho (“The Little Prince”) by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and then to Harry Potter e a Pedra Filosofal (“Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”) by J. K. Rowling.

Meanwhile, also continue your daily training in the language learning app. Because learning Portuguese – or any other language – is like a war on multiple fronts. If your strategy is good, you’ll win on all of them. If not, you could get stuck in a siege forever. So be smart and you’ll learn faster than you think.

3. Use flashcards for those Portuguese words that can’t seem to stick

Some Portuguese words just won’t stick. A lot of people know your pain. We’ve all been there. Luckily, flashcards will do the trick. Put down on sticky notes the most stubborn words and make sure you’ll see them every day (by the bed may be a good place for them). Before you know it, you’ll find yourself mastering the very Portuguese words that caused you headaches just a while ago.

4. Train your ears with TV series, movies, music or short videos in Portuguese

Did you ever notice that when you spend some time in another country and then come home, it seems to you that you still hear people speaking the same language they did abroad? That’s mesmerizing, isn’t it? Well, your brain got used to the language. And in order to boost your Portuguese skills, you have to have the same experience with Portuguese.

Watching Portuguese movies, TV series, short videos or listening to Portuguese music doesn’t sound like such a drudgery, doesn’t it? Well, that’s what you’ll have to do in order to train your ears for the Portuguese language. So do some research, choose what suits you best and speak Portuguese like you never knew you could!

No ideas? Start with this classic Fado Português from Amália Rodrigues:

5. Talk to yourself in Portuguese

If you can’t find any online friends to help you practice Portuguese, you can even talk to yourself. Not by yourself, but to yourself. As crazy as that sounds, expressing your thoughts in Portuguese can help you master the language faster. If you prove to be persevering, you’ll soon discover that you will be able to form a line of thought directly into the Portuguese language.

Bonus tip: Stay positive and book your trip to Brazil or Portugal ASAP

What language do you want to learn? Brazilian Portuguese or European Portuguese? Well, whatever your choice, go to momondo and book your holiday right now. Many people argue that traveling requires a lot of money and that’s not exactly true. If you plan ahead, you may be able to find an affordable deal. The key is to keep your eyes on the offers.

And what better way to celebrate learning Portuguese than traveling to a country where it is spoken?

Now you know what is the best way to study Portuguese. Download Mondly, keep your eyes on the goal and never give up! Boa sorte!