Portuguese Talk

Photo by : Fábio Pinheiro

Learning a second language is a lifetime process, this apply even for your mother tongue, you are always learning.The benefits are both immediate and long term, and the obstacles minimal if you really make an effort to learn a little every day, and with the Internet makes it much easier, you can subscribe for a newspaper or magazine of your interest and because the news (world news) are basically the same , you can have an idea of the context.There are many tools available, and the decision of taking a class depends on your dedication, be ready to really immerse in the language,otherwise all the effort and money won’t be worth it.From my own experience English is a never ending learning process, however an adult can learn a language without (master) in three months if he really wants.

Speaking in a foreign language takes people out of their imprinted mindset and exposes them to the mores and customs of an entirely different group of people. Their view of the world expands , people are different, so are their culture, learning a second language will also increase understanding and compassion for other cultures. This becomes a powerful tool in fighting stereotypes and bigotry. For example, a native English speaker who takes the time to learn some Portuguese before traveling to Brazil will have more than simply a greater chance of understanding the street signs and menus. By making the effort to speak to people in their language, rather than assuming they should speak English, the traveller is validating the Brazilian culture. The simple act of trying to express oneself in the other language shows a respect that people really appreciate it.Also learning a second language has been proven to delay the onset of dementia.There are several reasons that you can cite as a reason of  learning a second language :emigration,family and friends,work,study or research,travel studying abroad ,however no matter the reason is, if you dedicate to learn the culture of the country,you can be able to learn and even master your language faster than you think. So let’s go ,here are useful tips for learning Brazilian Portuguese:

Those learning Portuguese will find good-humored
words to deal with major or minor "headaches.”
A small problem may be described in Portuguese
as um pepino (“a cucumber") while a big one is
considered to be um abacaxi ("a pineapple").
John Robert Schmitz

1 - Learn the Brazilian Portuguese Aphabet.
Learning the alphabet letters in fundamental in learning to read.You can check on Omniglot website.Also check the Alphabet songs in Brazilian Portuguese on Youtube.

2-Practice what you learn with  a native.
Talking Brazilian Portuguese with a Brazilian is not that heard,you can subscribe yourself in a language exchange websites and talk over skype.If you are attending a Portuguese class in person take advantage of the opportunity and speak only in Portuguese with your teacher.

3-Ask yourself why are you learning? How fast to want to learn? Answering that will make your way easier. There are several online courses available like : Rosetta Stone and Piemslur, and there is one in particular that I like the approach called Semantica, you can download to your phone as well.One-to-one class is a option if you really want to focus and learn, because I assume someone wouldn’t pay for particular classes and not pay attention right?

4-Find a topic about Brazil that you like , it can be football, food, the culture in general, movies and try to read in Portuguese, you will be surprised how much you can learn doing that.I organized a channel on youtube called :Portuguesetalk, you can find interesting topics about Brazil there.