Study Portuguese - Schools and Courses in Portugal

Despite its small size - 225km (140 miles) wide and 612km (380 miles) long -- Portugal is one of the most rewarding language study destinations in Europe. Study Portuguese in Portugal and explore its, cities, villages, and countryside with so much richness and variety along the way.

The people, whose warmth is legendary, inhabit a graceful land of huge variety. You can find almond trees in the African-looking Algarve; cork jungles and golden wheat fields in Alentejo; ranches in Ribatejo; narrow, winding roads in the Alfama in Lisbon; ox-drawn carts on a journey through the plains of Minhoo. Azaleas, rhododendrons, and canna sprout up and cover vast amounts of land; the sounds of fado music drifts out of small cafes; windmills revolve in the Atlantic breezes; sardine boats bobble in the bays; and lustrous whitewashed houses shine in the sun. The sea is never far away.

Tour beautifully restored towns and well-preserved architecture of UNESCO's World Heritage sites in Evora, Batalha and Alcobaça. If monuments are one of your interests, Coimbra and the gothic town of Evora are must-sees.

Portuguese History

Following its heyday as a world power during the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence in 1822 of Brazil as a colony. A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six decades, repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms. The following year, Portugal granted independence to all of its African colonies. Portugal is a founding member of NATO and entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.

Study Portuguese - Portugal Geography

Portugal shares the Iberian Peninsula with Spain, although it is only about one-sixth as large as its neighbor. Including the Azores (Açores in Portuguese) and Madeira, the country has a total area of 92,080 square kilometers. Portugal is situated on the very west of Europe. The rugged Pyrenees Mountains separate Iberia from the heart of the European continent, and Portugal is even further distant across the vastness of Spain. Distance and isolation have created in Portugal a sense that it is a part of Europe geographically but apart from it culturally, socially, economically, politically, and even psychologically.

Portugal is bounded on the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean and on the north and east by Spain. The country's shape is roughly that of a rectangle, with its short sides on the north and south and its long sides on the east and west. Portugal's Atlantic coastline is 837 kilometers long; its northern frontier with Spain is 336 kilometers long, while its eastern Spanish border is 839 kilometers in length.

Learn Portuguese - Portugal Economy

Portugal has become a diversified and increasingly service-based economy since joining the European Community in 1986. Over the past decade, successive governments have privatized many state-controlled firms and liberalized key areas of the economy, including the financial and telecommunications sectors. The country qualified for the European Monetary Union (EMU) in 1998 and began circulating the Euro on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU member economies. Economic growth had been above the EU average for much of the past decade, but fell back in 2001-05. A poor educational system, in particular, has been an obstacle to greater productivity and growth. Portugal has been increasingly overshadowed by lower-cost producers in Central Europe and Asia as a target for foreign direct investment. The government faces tough choices in its attempts to boost Portugal's economic competitiveness while keeping the budget deficit within the Euro zone's 3%-of-GDP ceiling.

Portuguese Food

Portuguese cuisine evolved from hearty peasant food drawn from the seafood of the country's abundant coast and the pork raised on the limited grazing land of its interior. From these humble origins, Mediterranean ingredients and spices brought back to the country during its exploration and colonisation of the East Indies and the Far East helped shape what is regarded as 'typical' Portuguese cuisine.

An essential first course of any Portuguese meal is soup. The most popular is the Minho specialty, caldo verde, made from cabbage, potatoes and spiced sausage.

You will see dried codfish everywhere. Locals will tell you that there are as many ways to cook this revered dish as there are days in the year.

The most common of Portugal's delicious fish (peixe) dishes revolve around sole (linguado) and sardines (sardinha) although salmon (salmão) and trout (truta) are also featured heavily. These will be fried or grilled and served in a variety of sauces.

You will see grills, thick with the smoke of charring meat, in front of many restaurants during your stay. Other than traditional sardines and salmon, Portuguese grilled chicken -- marinated in chili, garlic and olive oil -- is world famous.

Vegetarians in Portugal may have rough ride, particularly in traditional Portuguese restaurants. In most restaurants, vegetables (usually boiled or fried potatoes) are simply a garnish to the main meat dish. Even 'vegetarian' salads and dishes may just substitute tuna (which locals don't seem to regard as a 'meat') for ham or sausage. However, the Portuguese really like their choose-5-items salad bars, and restaurants serving Indian, Chinese, Mexican, or Italian fare can be found in most cities.

In many Portuguese restaurants, salad comes sprinkled with salt. If you require a low-sodium diet or simply would not like salt with your salad, you can ask for it "sem sal" (without salt).

Portuguese Courses - Portugal Climate

Portugal is one of the warmest European countries. In mainland Portugal, yearly temperature averages are about 15°C (55°F) in the north and 18°C (64°F) in the south. Madeira and Azores have a narrower temperature range as expected given their insularity, with the former having low precipitation in most of the archipelago and the latter being wet and rainy. Spring and Summer months are usually sunny and temperature maximum are very high during July and August, with maximums averaging between 35°C and 40°C (86°F - 95°F) in the interior of the country, 30°C and 35°C in the north, and occasionally reaching 45°C (113°F) in the south. Autumn and winter are typically rainy and windy, yet sunny days are not rare either. Temperatures rarely fall below 5°C (41°F) nearer to the sea, averaging 10°C (50°F), but can reach several degrees below 0°C (32°F) further inland. Snow is common in the mountainous areas of the north, especially in Serra da Estrela. Portugal's climate can be classified as Mediterranean (particularly the Algarve and Alentejo, though technically on Atlantic shore).

Learn Portuguese in Portugal - Advice

At our Portuguese schools and courses in Portugal 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 Portugal 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 Portugal, 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 Portugal 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 Portugal is to speak Portuguese in Portugal ! 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.