Learn Portuguese - Schools and Courses in Brazil
Portuguese Schools and Courses in Brazil
Brazil is a dazzling country. For the adventurous, the sporty, the curious, and everyone in between, Brazil's alluring beaches, exotic forest trails and energetic cities will excite your every bone with scenic and cultural variety.
Very few destinations are able to offer such varied options as Brazil. Its natural beauties, the enormous popular festivities and the countless protected environmental reserves are priceless attractions that will amaze and delight even the most sceptical traveller. Travel through Rio de Janeiro, the Amazon or the country's beautiful beaches and enjoy the rich spirit of the Brazilian people to make it all the more exquisite. Celebrate Carnival with some of the most ethnically diverse peoples in the world. Brazilians have a uniqueness and variety typical of this vast and colourful land.
 Brazil boasts five thousand miles of coastline, some of it packed with cafes and partygoers, but long stretches of it remaining blissfully empty. Rainforests and wetlands are bustling with exotic wildlife. You can find both the oldest cities and civic architecture in the New World, and one of the newest cities in the entire world here. Come learn Portuguese in Brazil and experience the never ending carnival of life that is Brazil.
Brazilian History
Until the 1500s, Brazil was inhabited solely by indigenous people, mainly of the Tupi and Guarani ethnic groups. Later in that century, the Portuguese began settling, and began extracting the valuable pau-brasil wood from which the country draws its name. The following four centuries saw further exploitation of the country's natural riches (gold and rubber) and the rise of an economy based on agriculture (sugar and coffee) and slave labor. Millions of Africans were taken to the new world in a forced diaspora. At the same time, extermination or Christianizing of the native people was occurring. The 19th century saw a second wave of European (mainly Italian and German) immigration, adding to this unique and complex set of factors that generated today's equally complex and unique Brazilian culture and society.
Brazil became an independent nation in 7 September 1822 following three centuries under Portuguese rule. Easily the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil also overcame more than two decades (1964-1988) of military intervention in the pursuit of a democratic ruling, while facing the challenge of maintaining its industrial and agricultural growth. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, today Brazil is South America's leading economic power and a regional leader. Highly unequal income distribution remains a pressing problem.
After 20 years of democracy, the country has grown strong, and despite the social problems of the unequal income distribution, its people remain a happy and festive people.
Learn Portuguese Brazilian Geography
 The country of Brazil occupies roughly half of South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean. It covers a total area of 8,514,215 km² (3,287,357 sq. mi) including 8,456,510 km² (3,265,076 sq. mi) of land and 55,455 km² (21,411 sq. mi) of water. Brazil is bordered by the countries of Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela. By comparison, the United States is slightly larger than Brazil in land mass. The largest river in Brazil, and one of the longest in the world, is the Amazon. The rainforest that covers the Amazon Basin constitutes almost half of the rainforests on Earth.
Portuguese Schools Brazilian Economy
Characterized by large and well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, Brazil's economy outweighs that of all other South American countries and is expanding its presence in world markets. From 2001-03 real wages fell and Brazil's economy grew, on average only 2.2% per year, as the country absorbed a series of domestic and international economic shocks. That Brazil absorbed these shocks without financial collapse is a tribute to the resiliency of the Brazilian economy and the economic program put in place by former President Cardoso and strengthened by President Lula da Silva. In 2004, Brazil enjoyed more robust growth that yielded increases in employment and real wages.
 The three pillars of the economic program are a floating exchange rate, an inflation-targeting regime, and tight fiscal policy, all reinforced by a series of IMF programs. The currency depreciated sharply in 2001 and 2002, which contributed to a dramatic current account adjustment; in 2003 to 2005, Brazil ran record trade surpluses and recorded its first current account surpluses since 1992. Productivity gains - particularly in agriculture - also contributed to the surge in exports, and Brazil in 2005 surpassed the previous year's record export level. While economic management has been good, there remain important economic vulnerabilities. The most significant are debt-related: the government's largely domestic debt increased steadily from 1994 to 2003 - straining government finances - before falling as a percentage of GDP in 2005, while Brazil's foreign debt (a mix of private and public debt) is large in relation to Brazil's small (but growing) export base. Another challenge is maintaining economic growth over a period of time to generate employment and make the government debt burden more manageable.
Brazilian Food
Brazil's cuisine is as varied as its geography and culture. On the other hand, some may find it an unrefined mélange, and everyday fare can be bland and monotonous. While there are some unique dishes of regional origin, many foods were brought by overseas immigrants and have been hybridized through the generations. In Brazil, Italian and Chinese food can often be as baffling as Amazonian fare.
The national dish of Brazil is feijoada, a hearty stew made of black beans and pork (ears, knuckles, sausage and pieces of beef (usually dried). It is served with a side of white rice, and garnished with collard greens and sliced orange. F eijoada is usually not served in restaurants, and ones that do typically have it only twice a week (usually Wednesday and Saturday). A typical mistake made by tourists is to eat too much feijoada shortly after arriving. This is a heavy dish; you need to become more accustomed to it before delving in. Even Brazilians usually eat it parcimoniously. While you are at it, try the caipirinha, Brazil's signature drink made of wedged limes, sugar and cachaça.
The Northeastern part of Brazil is popular and famous for its excellent seafood.
In even the smallest towns, it is easy to find good food at self-service restaurants. Brazilian restaurants vary in degrees of cleanliness. As part of Brazilian law, customers are allowed to visit the kitchen and see how the food is being handled.
Most of the self-service restaurants offer two kinds of deals: an all-you-can-eat fixed price (called "rodízio"), or you go "por quilo" - pay-by-weight, very common during lunchtime throughout Brazil.
Lanches are Brazilian Snacks, and include a wide variety of pastries. Look for coxinha (deep-fried chicken balls), empadinha (a stuffed pastry, unrelated to Latin American empanadas: try out the palmito heart of palm variety), and pastel (fried turnovers). Pão-de-queijo, a roll made of cassava flour and cheese is also very popular try it with a fresh cup of Brazilian coffee for a real treat!
Portuguese Courses - Brazilian Climate
Although 90 percent of the country is within the tropical zone, the climate of Brazil varies considerably from the mostly tropical North (the equator traverses the mouth of the Amazon) to temperate zones below the Tropic of Capricorn (23°27' S latitude), which crosses the country at the latitude of the city of São Paulo. Brazil has five climatic regions--equatorial, tropical, semiarid, highland tropical, and subtropical.
Temperatures along the equator are high, averaging above 25°C, but not reaching the summer extremes of up to 40°C in the temperate zones. There is little seasonal variation near the equator, although at times it can get cool enough for wearing a jacket, especially in the rain. At the country's other extreme, there are frosts south of the Tropic of Capricorn during the winter (June-August), and in some years there is snow in the mountainous areas, such as Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. Temperatures in the cities of São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, and Brasília are moderate (usually between 15°C and 30°C), despite their relatively low latitude, because of their elevation of approximately 1,000 meters. Rio de Janeiro, Recife, and Salvador on the coast have warm climates, with average temperatures ranging from 23°C to 27°C, but enjoy constant trade winds. The southern cities of Porto Alegre and Curitiba have a subtropical climate similar to that in parts of the United States and Europe, and temperatures can fall below freezing in winter.
Brazilian Interesting facts
 The Amazon is the source of twenty percent of the world's fresh water.
Cave paintings, which are twenty-five thousand years old, can be seen in the Serra da Capivara National Park
Portugal and Spain divided the world in 1494 with the Treaty of Tordesillas.
There is only one Portuguese speaking country in Latin American, Brazil.
A new constitution in 1934 gave women in Brazil the right to vote before many European countries such as France and Switzerland.
Brazilian's often eat barbecue dinners in "Churrasco", where waiters bring spits with different kinds of meat to the diner's table and slice the meat onto plates.
Emerson Fittipaldi was Brazil's first Formula 1 championship winner in 1972.
Brazil won their fifth FIFA World Cup Championship in 2002.
The famous beach resort in Rio de Janeiro is Copacabana. It forms part of the 50 miles of coastline around Rio.
The World Earth Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. This has become known as the Rio Earth Summit. It set international targets for lowering greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental initiatives.
Learn Portuguese in Brazil - Advice
At our Portuguese schools and courses in Brazil our advice can really be summed up with one simple word - practice! What kind of study materials you use is not quite as important as how or how often you use them. Your hard work and determination will be one of the biggest factors in successful language learning.
The Portuguese school and course you choose in Brazil is going to be the core of your Portuguese study, so make sure you choose a Portuguese language course that gives you structured lessons and lots of opportunity to practice your new language skills. Our Portuguese courses at our Portuguese schools in Brazil, will give you the perfect opportunity to study, learn, and practice Portuguese in a supportive, well planned and friendly environments.
You must work at your new Portuguese language skills every day. Ideally, you should study Portuguese an extra hour or more every day. If you can get at least an extra half-hour of study time, that's pretty good too. Try to at least get a little review and study, learn and practice Portuguese every single day.
If you attend one of our Portuguese courses in Brazil and you learn Portuguese everyday, you will have a good basic knowledge of the Portuguese language in a reasonable amount of time. Your knowledge and ability will increase and improve depending upon what other tools you use and what kind of experiences you have using the Portuguese language.
Grammar book. A good old-fashioned grammar book may be boring but they are a great way to really get to grips with the details of the language.
Phrase Book
These are extremely helpful books that you can carry with you. They can be useful for practicing pronunciation, or for quickly finding a lot of more commonly used phrases, words and idioms. Phrase books are always a nice supplement to learn Portuguese and they are convenient and cheap.
Dictionary. Absolutely necessary in the long run. You must have a dictionary if you wish to expand your vocabulary, and you will need one in order to take full advantage of many of the Portuguese language learning tips set out here. Make sure you get one that translates both ways e.g. Spanish to Portuguese AND Portuguese to Spanish. It is also helpful to find a dictionary that contains idioms the phrases particular to the language which you are studying as well as phrases that are commonly used in the Portuguese language, but may be difficult to translate.
Flashcards
A simple Portuguese language learning tip, but a very effective way to review, refresh your memory and expand your vocabulary. There are pre-made flashcards that can be purchased, or for extra help, you can create your own. Keep them with you at all times, in your pocket or in your car, and look at them for a quick review or language lesson at every opportunity. They are very convenient.
Talk to yourself
 It may be obvious, but the best way to learn Portuguese in Brazil is to speak Portuguese in Brazil ! This convenient method can be use at all times, as you can even talk to yourself. Even if you are in public and don't feel comfortable talking to yourself out loud, you can make it your habit to practice Portuguese by thinking Portuguese. Throughout the day, think of the Portuguese words for everything you pass objects in your house, things you pass when you are traveling, things you use at work or school, etc. Learn basic Portuguese phrases like it is cold today' or it is sunny today' and use whichever is appropriate when you first look out the window. By putting this tip into use on a regular basis, the vocabulary and phrases will become more routine and automatic.
Practice with friends
Taking it even further than talking to yourself, you can practice with your friends. Even if they don't speak Portuguese, talk to the people you know by using your new language. Warn them in advance that you are practicing your new knowledge and they'll know what's coming. Even a simple 'good morning' or'see you later' in Portuguese will make those phrases more natural to you. Your friends may even begin to learn a few words and join in the fun too!
Listen to music
Listen to Portuguese music. You'll hear the Portuguese language used in a real context and this will help you pick out the rhythm and pronunciation even better. This method will also give you a further understanding of, and appreciation for, the culture and customs of the people. Music in Portuguese might be easier to find than others, but Amazon or eBay and many other global websites will enable you to find music in Portuguese and many different languages.
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