What is your experience of learning Portuguese?
Learning a language like Portuguese is an amazing process, and every stage of it can be very fulfilling. As the Portuguese language is spoken in many countries, learning Portuguese is not only one of the best ways to gain more understanding of different cultures, but is also a bridge to vast and diverse lands waiting to be explored. Regardless of my personal motivation for learning Portuguese, I found it to be an interesting and rewarding experience.
While there is no doubt learning Portuguese is well worth the effort, time is money. Although we would all love to have limitless time to improve our language skills, the truth is that our personal and professional lives leave little time for learning. You will find a number of different ways to learn Portuguese, but you should pick one that matches your personal goals. After all, learning a few phrases and mastering the ins and outs of Portuguese grammar are two completely different endeavours.It took me around 4 months to get familiar with the basics of Portuguese and another 8 months to get fluent in it. Believe me, once you get familiar with its alphabets and vocabulary; it’ll seem very easy to learn.
Throughout this article we will look at some of the different reasons why I decided to learn a language that is spoken by over 220 million people in countries like Portugal, Brazil, and Angola.
So, without any further delay let’s dive in:
- It Is Spoken All Around the World – As I have just mentioned above, Portuguese is spoken by over 220 million people, far beyond the borders of Portugal. This makes it the seventh most spoken language worldwide based on the number of native speakers, putting it ahead of the popular languages of French and German. Although not an independent state, Portuguese is spoken in the Chinese autonomous territory of Macau. Some Portuguese is also spoken in Malaysia, because of the remains of colonization. Because of this, you don’t need to worry about where to learn Portuguese. You will find classes across the world to start you on your way.
- It is a beautiful language – Languages like French, Italian, Spanish are considered some of the most beautiful and romantic languages in the world. They are called Romance languages because they descend from the language Roman people spoke and not because they are romantic, but the fact remains that we have come to associate them with love. And indeed, the Portuguese language is just as beautiful as other Romance languages.
- To create a rich Resume – For those wishing to work on the international scene, fluency in English, Spanish, or German is a prerequisite and almost indispensable. It is becoming increasingly common that companies want people who can speak the languages of the BRICS countries. Because Brazil is a part of this group, people who can speak Portuguese give themselves an added advantage over other candidates when applying for jobs. Now I can too!
- It will help you connect with rich cultures – Portugal’s history of exploration brought together food, culture and products from around the world, so Portuguese-speaking regions tend to have intriguing cultures enriched by this diversity. An array of different groups passed through the area, so Portugal has been influenced by Roman, Germanic, Moorish, Viking and countless other cultures. This unique mix contributes to delicious Portuguese food, unique architecture and rich musical heritage. Learning Portuguese in Brazil will mean you will be able to talk about the origins of samba, capoeira, or even bossa nova with a native interlocutor. A language is a great gateway to understanding a country’s culture.
- Because It’s Not A Difficult Language to Learn – Just like English, Portuguese uses the Latin alphabet. This immediately makes it easier to learn as compared to languages such as Japanese, Mandarin, Korean, Russian, and Arabic, all of which have their own writing systems. This means that instead of trying to get your head around a new way of writing, with new shapes and lines, you can jump straight into learning the Portuguese language itself. The dedication is most definitely worth the reward that you will see at the end as you learn about the language and culture of Portugal and Brazil.
Finally,
So, this is why I decided to learn Portuguese instead of any other foreign language. It doesn’t matter how you decide to learn Portuguese, and regardless of your motivation for doing so, you’ll need to practice in between Portuguese classes in order to be successful!
Language learning is not just about what you do in the classroom.