Learn Portuguese in Portugal

Course Prices Accommodation Prices School Facilities Course Details Accommodation Details

Learn Portuguese in Porto, Portugal

Capital of the north, Oporto ( Porto ) is very different from Lisbon, unpretentious, inward looking, and unashamedly commercial. As the local saying goes: " Coimbra sings; Braga prays; Lisbon shows off; and Oporto works." The city's fascination lies very much in the life of the place, with its prosperous business core surrounded by smart suburbs and elegant villas, side by side with a heart of cramped streets and ancient alleys that has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Classified Area. Together with Rotterdam, Oporto was declared European City of Culture 2001.

Portugal offers a different experience with the Portuguese language than that which is found in Brazil. Beyond the grammatical and lexical differences of the Portuguese spoken in these two countries, Portugal 's heritage dates back further and includes different roots than found in Brazil. It thus offers a very different context for the language.

Porto is a European city with an immense historical patrimony, yet is also well linked to present and future times. As a trading centre at the mouth of the Rio Douro, Porto is the second largest city after Lisbon. The place has a number of distinctive atmospheres and this is very evident when comparing the various parts of the city.

The quarter around the riverside known as the Ribeira is full of narrow twisting streets with houses once painted or tiled in colorful facades, and full of the bustling energy of working people during the day and the liveliness of busy "tascas" and restaurants at night. The district around the Cathedral is full of busy streets and monuments to achievements, and streets lined with houses built like layers of a cake then crowded together with a maze of small alleys in-between.

The Cordoaria quarter is for the students with steep streets and interesting shops. The civic centre of the city is in the Central e Baixa quarter with broad avenues lined with banks and outdoor cafes, or in the Baixa where the two-tiered covered daily market goes about its business. Lastly, the Boavista area is the arterial route in and out of the city past blocks of apartments and hotels. As would be expected of such an important city it is full of fascinating buildings as well.

Wine: Porto is world renowned for the wine of its surrounding regions. For many visitors to Porto and students at our institute, this is the focus of their stay. Here you have innumerable opportunities to visit vineyards, wine tasting, producers, festivals, educational events, etc.

For those interested in these possibilities, LIA organizes tours, information and our own special programs so that you are capable of exploring this vast cultural delight in all of its intricacies.

Portuguese Courses in Porto, Portugal - Fees

Accommodation Fees

Our Portuguese School in Porto, Portugal

Our Portuguese school in Porto provides quality Portuguese language programs in a professional and friendly environment to create an effective and enjoyable learning experience for all our students.

Since 1991, our school has been devoted to providing high quality and personalized instruction in Portuguese for foreigners. All of our teachers are professional and experienced native instructors, university graduated and trained in the direct approach to language teaching.

The Portuguese language enjoys a lively and varied lexicon throughout the world today. Fast Forward is unique in its intimate approach to acquiring language through total cultural immersion. We believe it imperative to mix our institute's academic setting with that of each individual city reality.

Located in the heart of the city, our school delivers Portuguese language programs in a professional and friendly environment to create an effective and enjoyable learning experience for all our students.

Our Portuguese Courses in Porto, Portugal

Our Portuguese courses in offer group and private general language instruction, from absolute beginner to advanced levels. Portuguese Language exam preparatory courses are also available. Cultural programs are optional and available throughout the year. Upon arrival, students take a placement test to determine their level, and also decide which cultural programs they would like to participate in. LIA also offers Bildungsurlaub for German employees as well as University Credits for American students.

Binldungsurlaub

Group Instruction: Courses are held Monday through Friday. The teaching time for Bildungsurlaub courses depends on the individual requirements of the German states.

General Portuguese Courses
Group Instruction: Maximum of 06 students per class. Classes begin on any Monday for intermediate students (once a month for beginners), and are held Monday through Friday.

Standard Group (20 hrs) : 4 classes of 50 minutes each day, mornings.
Standard Group (30 hrs) : 6 classes of 50 minutes each day, mornings and afternoons.

Combined Courses : Ideal for those who require more intensive study or those who have a short period of time in which to learn Portuguese

Individual Instruction : Offered for both beginners, advanced, and professionals with specific needs. Classes may start any Monday, and are held Monday through Friday.

Private Instruction : For private groups of 2 or more students who wish to share their learning experience and advance together. Ideally students would have similar Portuguese language ability.

We believe it is important to vary teaching methods in our Portuguese courses as much as possible. Every group and person is different, thus, our teachers use an individual approach and flexibly adapt their teaching methods to students' respective learning needs. We supplement various course books with authentic teaching materials such as newspaper and magazine articles, audio-visual materials, and activities inside and outside the classroom. One of our fundamental principles is to ensure a maximum of spoken communication. You are encouraged to practice your spoken Portuguese in real-life situations, with your teacher, and with other participants, in pairs and groups. Many activities outside of school are created with this idea of oral communication as well.

Activities

Everything one can have in a very old European city including Contemporary Art museums, boat trips, wine tasting of the world renown Porto wine, bars and clubs, Summer music festivals, various historical periods as represented through architecture, the famous district of town called O bairro de Sé, famous Portuguese cuisine.

For details of more specialized courses, such as Business Portuguese, or Cultural Portuguese and Wine courses, please contact us for further details

Learn Portuguese in Portugal - Accommodation

You have a choice of host family, apartment, student residence and hotel accommodation the whole year round.

Host families are the most frequently chosen housing option. Our school ensures that each family offers a quality living situation and respects each students´ wishes as much as possible in the family selection. The host families themselves are experienced and enthusiastic participants in the student's life. Considering immersion into life, language, etc., living with a host family is by far the most intense. It truly is an experience not to be passed up.

Lodging with a Portuguese family includes breakfast, bedroom linen and bathroom towel laundry.

Options for those who prefer living that is more independent include:

Pousadas - These are lower cost hotels. They are fully furnished, and almost like apartments.
Apartment - This is a more costly option, yet also offers a bit more luxury.
Hotels - each city offers a wide array of hotels in terms of price, location and style.

Please contact us for up to date prices.

General Accommodation Info

• Accommodation is reserved from 12 noon on the Sunday prior to the start of the course until the Saturday following the last day of the course.
• All options are an average of 10 to 20 minutes away from the school. The schools can be easily reached by public transport.
• Breakfast or half board is included (evening meal 6 to 8 p.m.).
• You are issued with your own front door key.
• There is weekly cleaning of your room; bed linen is changed every 2 weeks; bed linen is provided, please bring your own towels

Please note: All prices are quoted in Euros. For the equivalent in your currency, please visit www.xe.com/ucc.

Courses start on the first Monday of every month.