In this episode we’re going to talk about our Portuguese learning journey. Honestly, it’s a wild ride! We talk about our first impression of the Portuguese language, how our learning journey started and what ways we use to learn. We share what we struggle with most when it comes to learning Portuguese, what we find surprisingly easy and how we practice Portuguese in daily life.
Also we share some hilarious and embarrassing misunderstandings we had because of our (poor) Portuguese and we discuss if it’s possible to feel fully integrated into the Portuguese society without learning the language. Last but not least we have some tips and advice for anyone who wants to learn Portuguese.
Enjoy listening and don’t forget to rate the podcast and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform, like Spotify – it will help more hearts find our little corner of the world.
With love, April Betts & Anna Jirina.
About From Lisbon With Love
Welcome to From Lisbon With Love! A podcast about real stories of love, laughter, and life in Lisbon — from women who have left it all behind. We share real stories about moving to Lisbon, starting over and figuring life out along the way. We talk love, dating, friendships, breakups, healing, growing, all of it. Basically, the stuff we usually talk about over coffee ☕️ or vinho 🍷. If you’re thinking about moving to Lisbon, already here or just love honest conversations with heart: you’re in the right place! Learn more about our story here.
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Varieties of the Portuguese language
The Portuguese language is known for it’s many variations. The two main variants are European Portuguese (EP) and Brazilian Portuguese (BP). African Portuguese (AP) is spoken in Cape Verde, Angola and Mozambique. While Brazilian Portuguese is known for it’s melodious sound and open vowels, European Portuguese is defined by having more closed vowels and nasal sounds. Of all variations, European Portuguese is closer to the historical language.
Learning European Portuguese
Finding good resources to learn European Portuguese takes more effort, while resources for learning Brazilian Portuguese are very accessible. For example, the language learning app Duolingo only teaches the Brazilian variation of Portuguese. European Portuguese is considered the most difficult variation, because of it’s more complex vowel sounds. Also Portuguese speakers tend to speak very quickly, which makes learning Portuguese very challenging.
If you want to learn European Portuguese, it’s often recommended to focus on consistent, daily immersion through listening, to get used to the sound and rhythm. Also speaking is very important so you build more confidence. To practice your pronunciation, it’s really helpful to read out loud. A daily practice of 15-30 minutes can already make a big difference, instead of longer sessions once in a while.
Also finding a speaking partner for regular practice is recommended. The most important thing for learning Portuguese and learning any other language is to stay consistent, to make it fun and to enjoy the process.
Learning Portuguese: our experience
With so many variations that feature different vocabulary and pronunciation, it can be extra challenging to learn Portuguese. In a multicultural city like Lisbon, we’re exposed to different varieties of Portuguese every day. Since we’re focusing on learning European Portuguese, we like to practice with our Portuguese friends in particular.
Also we’re learning Portuguese through different apps, podcasts (like the one from Tradutex) and reading books. If you want to learn Portuguese (or any other language) we can definitely recommend the app Pimsleur. You can get a discount by signing up via this link.
However we really enjoy learning Portuguese and we try to focus on the small wins, it’s a slow and sometimes frustrating process. The pronunciation is extremely difficult and also understanding the Portuguese accent can be quite hard – something we also discuss in the episode. Learning Portuguese and being able to speak fluently is challenging, but one day we’ll get there!
Do you want to know more about our experience with moving to Portugal and integrating in the Portuguese society? In this episode we share what moving to another country is really like and all the things you need to consider beforehand. Also we share what we needed in order to move to Portugal as an EU- and US-citizen and how that’s different.
