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I'm Just Getting Started
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Let's go! You're taking the first steps and riding that initial wave of motivation. Keep an open mind (and open ears) as you start exploring European Portuguese.
Learn
As a beginner, it helps to have more structure as you cover the basics. Start with the first Unit under the A1 level and keep working through each item on the list in order. Read the Learning Notes and then challenge yourself to put it into practice in the Lessons. Remember: it's not a test! It's your opportunity to practice without any judgment and continue learning through trial and error.
Listen
In the beginning, it's easy to feel a bit disconnected from "real" Portuguese because native speakers don't actually speak at the A1 level. But we don't want that to stop you from getting exposure to European Portuguese.
Start listening to A1 level Shorties, but don't worry about understanding everything just yet. The goal for right now is to listen and follow along, noticing what's familiar and what's new. Review the Vocabulary and Expressions tabs and then listen to each Shorty at least 3 times:
- Round 1: Listen without looking. Notice the rhythm and sounds of the language.
- Round 2: Toggle on the Translate button. Listen again, following along with the meaning in English.
- Round 3: Silently read the Portuguese words as you hear them. Start to notice the connection between the sounds and letters.
When you're ready, give the Quiz a try.
Tip: You can slow down the audio by adjusting the 1x in the upper right of the player.
Review
After completing the first couple units, start using Smart Review regularly to make sure what you learn doesn't go in one ear and out the other. Even 5 minutes a day helps.
Quiz Mode offers you a comfortable review, just like the format of the lessons. Flash Cards are ideal for a more challenging, on-the-go option.
Expect to makes lots of mistakes! That's the beauty of Smart Review. It analyzes what you get wrong and what you get right to create customized review sessions based on what you need most at the time. This means lots of repetition for what you find more difficult and just a quick touch on what's easier for you.
If you want more control, you can adjust what you see in your Smart Review sessions by visiting the Manage Smart Review page.
Prioritize the Essentials
Do you have limited study time (or limited patience)? Check out these shortcuts to narrow your focus as you get started. We'll highlight the most common phrases, verbs, and grammar you'll need to get by in the beginning. This may be a helpful framework for those of you who want to start talking as soon as possible with the bare minimum, and then fill in the gaps more gradually over time.
I Know the Basics, But I'm Not Using the Language Much
It may not always feel like it, but you've come a long way. Congratulations! You've started building a foundation of vocabulary, simple phrases, and basic grammar patterns. Now the road is getting a bit bumpy as you try to put it all together. Don't worry, that just means it's time for reflection. There's so much new information thrown at you as a beginner. Let's see what stuck and what didn't!
Ask Why
Stop flying through the units for a moment and take a step back. Ask yourself why you're not using the language.
- You're not confident about your pronunciation?
- You get nervous and freeze up?
- It takes you too long to translate in your head? (i.e. it's still very effortful to find the words)
- You just don't know enough vocabulary / verb tenses yet?
Thinking about questions like these may help you decide whether it's a good time to focus on reviewing and making your foundation stronger before continuing to the next Unit or level. Maybe you can pinpoint specific skills to focus on.
Strengthen Your Foundation
If you realize you're at this stage, it's often a good time to review what you know so far and make sure it's solid. When at least some of the language feels automatic, you'll have more mental energy to figure out the rest and keep building.
Around the end of the A1 level in the Units, start spending extra time with Smart Review. If you've been using Quiz Mode already, try challenging yourself more with the Flash Cards. Speak your response out loud instead of just thinking it. This will help with the transition to speaking Portuguese in real-life.
Listen
Devote more time to the Shorties, focusing on A1 and A2 first. Listen to each one multiple times. Here are some ideas:
- Listen repeatedly, with and without Translate turned on
- Read the transcript out loud (all at once or repeat it back line by line)
- Review parts of the transcript that were more difficult to understand or that had a less literal translation
- Add a few relevant Vocabulary words or Expressions to your Smart Review by mousing over the word/phrase and clicking the + icon
- Search for Shorties specific to relevant topics, such as Restaurants, or something more grammar-focused, like Demonstratives or Possessives
Even if you've made it through the A1 and A2 levels in the Units, don't expect to understand everything in the A1/A2 Shorties right away. They should be a fun challenge combining a little of what you know, with a little of what you don't know. You'll notice faster results when you let yourself venture out of your comfort zone.
Keep Going
After spending some time reviewing, continue on where you left off, probably around level A2 or B1 in the Units.
Be Prepared for Roadblocks
This is a difficult stage. Even though you've made excellent progress, you've also probably become more aware just how much you don't know yet!
It's a big jump to go from knowing the basics to really using the language, and it's common for learners to feel discouraged or overwhelmed. Try building a routine that works for you and read more about what to do if you hit a plateau in your learning.
Take Chances
Look for opportunities to start speaking Portuguese more, even if it's just to greet a neighbour, ask for a bag at the supermarket, or ask a family member how they're doing.
Have Fun
Take time to enjoy Portuguese and make it a larger part of your daily life. Not every study session has to be intense. You can also experience the language through movies, videos, music, food, and other cultural experiences. Check out our forum for ideas or to connect with other learners.
I Can Communicate, But it's Difficult
You're amazing! It's a huge achievement to reach the stage where you can really participate in Portuguese. Even if you're making lots of mistakes, you're getting your message across and that's what matters most!
Maybe you do well in familiar, routine contexts, but feel lost in a new setting. Maybe you understand others, but they don't always understand you. Maybe you have a lot of vocabulary, but your grammar is stuck back in A1.
Whatever the case may be, you've passed a major checkpoint and now it's time to level up your Portuguese. Keep strengthening your foundation, expanding the complexity, and searching for your weaknesses.
Seek Out Failure
This may sound counterintuitive at first, but at this stage, if you're not struggling a bit, then you're likely not growing.
We know it's more fun to breeze quickly through the units, but make sure you're really digesting what you're learning. Seek out more information on what you don't understand well, take stock of what you've accomplished, and find ways to take ownership over the learning process.
We all have our own goals and reasons for learning Portuguese. Now is the time to figure out what's standing in your way.
Focused Listening
Spend extra time with the Shorties, focusing on A2-B1 level. Keep making that connection between what you're learning in the Units, and how it fits into a more realistic context, like a dialogue or article. Here are some ideas:
- Listen repeatedly, with and without Translate turned on
- Read the transcript out loud (all at once or repeat it back line by line)
- Review parts of the transcript that were more difficult to understand or that had a less literal translation
- Add relevant Vocabulary words and Expressions to your Smart Review
- Filter the Shorties by topics that are relevant to your life, such as Travel or Small Talk or Food.
- Try to use some of what you learn in your own conversations
More Real-Life Practice
For those of you who are already in Portugal, do your best to get out of your usual "bubble" and find new people to practice with and new places to speak Portuguese.
Sometimes Portuguese people try to be nice and take it easy on you by switching to English. So you may need to put more effort into getting that practice time in. Read these tips if the locals keep responding in English.
If you're learning from afar, consider finding a study partner in our forum who can help keep you accountable, or even chat online.
When all else fails, talk to yourself! You may feel a little silly, but it's a good way to get more comfortable with producing the language, without the added pressure.
Find Your Place on the Path
Even though you're becoming more independent with Portuguese, it's a good idea to make time for structured learning, as well. Many people find this helps them maintain a routine, stay motivated, and learn patterns and new vocabulary more quickly.
Continue to follow the Units path as a default guide, feeling free to take detours along the way. If you feel like you have a good grasp of what you've learned so far, continue to level B1 or B2 in the Units. If not, skim through levels A1 and A2 to see which units you should repeat before moving forward.
Drill Verbs
Are there certain verb tenses you get stuck on? Are you searching your memory for the right verb ending every time? Check out the Verbs section to spend more time drilling the conjugations you tend to forget.
Review Out Loud
Use Smart Review Flash Cards to practice producing the language without any help. Say your responses out loud in Portuguese, instead of just thinking the answer in your head.
Sometimes you just want a quick review, but when you have more time, you can also use the cards as a jumping off point for exploring Portuguese. Try to visualize a context each time a card comes up.
- What else might you say in that setting?
- How might someone respond?
- What other vocabulary would you be likely to hear?
- How would you say that phrase informally vs formally?
I Communicate Well, But I'd Like to Improve My Fluency
You've come so far! Now it's all about refinement, filling in the gaps, and finding new ways to challenge yourself.
Try Something New
Spend time visiting new places and talking to new people. Getting more variety will help you improve and expand your skills. After a more difficult interaction, take some quick notes on where you felt lost.
- Was there a lot of unfamiliar vocabulary in that context?
- Was it how quickly they spoke?
- Were you struggling with which verb tense to use?
- Were they using a lot of colloquial expressions or idioms?
Use these notes to help guide your learning focus. Then use our site index to find what you need.
Fill in the Gaps
At this stage, learning becomes more self-guided as you work to improve your weaknesses, solidify your strengths, and learn the subtleties of Portuguese.
Check through the B1-B2 Units. Are there topics that you don't know as well? It's okay to skip around instead of going through them in order.
What about verb tenses? Are there any you tend to avoid?
Do you need more vocabulary for specific situations? Check our index for ideas of what to explore next.
Maintain & Speed Up
Use Smart Review Flash Cards to practice producing the language quickly and smoothly:
- Say your responses out loud in Portuguese instead of just thinking the answer in your head
- Consider giving yourself a time limit on each card to add some pressure
- Challenge yourself to think of alternate ways to say the same thing
- What you might say next if that phrase came up in a conversation?
Stick a routine of using the flash cards regularly to help you maintain your hard-earned skills and keep Portuguese active in your mind.
Listen & Expand
Focus on level B1-C1 Shorties, challenging yourself to understand without using the Translate button. This is the stage where you want to get more "flexible" with the language, as you move from being a communicator, to being a smooth and effective communicator. Try using the Shorties as a starting point for more free-form activities. For example, after listening:
- Summarize the Shorty in your own words out loud
- Write your own "Part 2"
- Discuss what it was about with a study partner
- Explore lines with more complicated grammar or less literal translations
Make it Relevant
Focus on Idiomatic Language
Huh? Where Am I?
Not everyone fits neatly into these categories. If you have more specific questions, feel free to contact us and we'll do our best to help put you on the right track with learning Portuguese.
Yes, slow down a little. It is difficult to repeat and follow when the Portuguese is fast. My vocabulary is very limited. I am Canadian with Azorian background. A lot of the words are new to me. Like the word “pocket”. Wow Bolso … Never heard my par3nt use this word.
Thanks Paula! One thing that might help a little bit is clicking the “1x” in the upper right corner of the Shorties or podcast episodes. Keep clicking until it’s at 0.8x to hear it slowed down. 🙂
I do whatever comes next in my lessons, but I have no idea where I am. The order is confusing. I can do the lessons very easily and reading goes well, but if it comes to producing sentences myself, it goes very slowly and difficult. Also it is frustrating to understand people in the Algarve and to make Portuguese friends. They are only interested in their family and not in making foreign friends. The only friends I have here are foreigners. I talked about this with Molly and she was very understanding and helpful.
Thank you! I’m glad I could help a little bit. When in doubt, the best way to find your place in the lessons is to go to the main Units page (under the Learn tab). This shows all the units in order and you can see what has/hasn’t been completed yet. We’re also working on some ideas for making it easier to keep track of where you are. 🙂
This is so useful. I keep thinking about what’s the best thing to to improve. Now I have a plan. Obrigado!
I am really enjoying this platform. I think that Joel’s experience learning Portuguese is very helpful. He knows the common pitfalls etc. I do agree that you should constantly review your intentions/reasons for learning Portuguese. If you aren’t really clear on your goals, you will give up too easily, and if you are frustrated you are probably learning! LOL. Thank you guys for putting together this learning platform It’s excellent and I can’t wait for the APP to launch! Obrigada!
All that is very helpful, but my situation doesn’t quite fit into any of those categories.
I have been learning the language for several years. As a result, I can understand the written language well and can also write Portuguese without too much trouble. However, I still find it almost impossible to understand spoken Portuguese. This applies not only to people speaking in person, but also to radio or tv. No matter how hard I try or how intently I listen, I can barely understand a word and just give up trying.
Would you say it’s hard to determine which words are being said? Or can you hear the words (i.e. you could probably write most of them down if you were able to re-play what you just heard), but struggle to pull the meaning from them to be able to understand the message?
The first relates more to perception and the second relates more to comprehension / memory / processing speed. They’re interrelated of course, but sometimes it’s helpful to think of it this way to know what to focus on more.
To help with perception: I would recommend doing a lot of listening practice with the Shorties, while following along with the Portuguese transcript. (Basically reading the words in your head as you hear them.) This will help your brain connect what you hear to the written word. The way words blend together in real life often sounds different than you would expect if they were spoken slowly and perfectly enunciated. So if the trouble is more with perceiving the words, this could help. Also try out the Minimal Pairs unit, if you haven’t yet.
To focus more on comprehension, try this: Starting with the A1 level Shorties, listen to a Shorty without looking and try to focus on the meaning more than the words. Visualize the scene as much as you can as you hear it play out. Keep listening a few times until you can build a more detailed scene in your head.
If it’s sounding like complete gibberish, try listening while following along with the English translation a few times (hearing the Portuguese while reading the English). Now that you know what’s happening / have an established context, listen again without looking and try to build the scene again. This will help you start to make connections between the meaning and what you hear. For example, in this Shorty, your brain might pick up on patterns like hmm, I keep hearing ia, era, tinha and words ending in -ia, -iam, -ava, -avam in the context of someone talking about what they used to do in the past. Then in the future, you might hear those again and even if you don’t get the whole message, you have one more detail: they are talking about a memory / something that “was happening” in the past.
Don’t give up if you’re not understanding full sentences. In the earlier stages, it’s more like getting the “gist” of what you hear, or even less than that! Sometimes if you start listening to something and don’t understand most of it, it’s almost like your brain gets overloaded and just gives up. It’s frustrating, but try to stay with it and keep listening, even if it feels like nothing is getting through. Do you feel like sometimes you’re scrambling to translate everything and it’s coming through too fast to process? If so, try experimenting with just listening and building a scene instead of trying to tie it to an English word. Maybe you’ll notice just a couple words here and there. Maybe you’ll notice the speaker’s facial expressions and gestures and this will give you some hints about the meaning. Maybe you won’t get the message this time, but eventually I hope this practice will help you tie the sounds more to the meaning.
I was a foreign exchange student from the US in 1979 and after that year I could speak Portuguese very well in most situations. Since then I have only been back a few times and find that I have forgotten almost everything. In addition I now live in Norway and speak Norwegian and notice that this has affected my pronunciation very much. I was thrilled to find PracticePortuguese, it’s the only continental Portuguese online course I could find. It works very well and I am slowly going through the lessons, starting at A1 which I am finding very easy.
So on to my two questions. First of all, I listen to podcasts a lot (that is where I found PP) and although the shorties are very helpful I would like to listen to a podcast in Portuguese that is easy for people learning Portuguese to understand. Perhaps something with news or maybe a short book. Any ideas?
Secondly, if you have any tips as how to use PP (besides the good information at this page) I would be happy to hear about that.
Thank you for your time,
Rebecca Haaland
Glad you found us! I hope we can help you get comfortable with Portuguese again. 🙂
We also have a Podcast (and Videos), in addition to the Shorties.
Here’s another guide on how to use the site: How to Practice Portuguese
If A1 continues to feel way too easy, it’s okay to skip forward in the Units. But it could also be helpful to have a full review. For now I would say to keep working through in order, and spend lots of time listening to Shorties and Podcast episodes. Every time a new question comes up (in the units or episode quizzes), speak your answer out loud before answering, just as a little extra pronunciation practice. Take note of what came back to you more naturally and what you might need more practice with. Then later you can use the Site Index to find more specific topics.