1. Passion


Learning a language rapidly requires passion. Without passion, your motivation will be lower and it will take longer to see results. With this in mind, begin by learning the alphabet.

 

2. Food 

(Image by Miguel Vieira, CC-BY-2.0)

Food is very important, and can be a great way into learning a language. Start investigating Portuguese cuisine. Sample fish, meats, desserts - whatever you fancy. No matter how many or how few of the dishes you like, you will have learned to talk about food. You can even try cooking the dishes too.

 

3. Discover New Words

 

 (Image by Yohan euan o4 CC-BY-SA-3.0 via Wikimedia Commons)

 

Memorize 30 words and phrases each day. At this rate, within 90 days you will have memorized about 80% of the language. Start with the most common words.
Using post-it notes is a simple, useful method that can yield amazing results.

 

Cover your house and belongings with post-its bearing the names of the objects in Portuguese. For example, on your door put a post-it with the word “porta,” on the wall put a post-it with the word “parede.” Everywhere you turn, you will be reminded of the words for everyday objects. Pretty soon, you won’t need the post-it notes anymore.

 

4. Use Two Good Dictionaries

 

(Image by Manuel de Sousa (Own work) CC-BY-SA-3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons) 

 

It is very important you have dictionaries from which you can discover the meanings of new words and how to use them properly. Having a Portuguese-only dictionary as well as a dual-language dictionary will expose you to more Portugese.

 

Here’s a link to a good online Portuguese dictionary to get you started.

 

5. Read

 

 

(Image by Heaven&Earth CC-BY-3.0)


Reading is very important in pushing your language skills forward. You should start with short, simple books. When you are reading:

1. Write all the new words you encounter on a piece of paper.
2. Choose 10 new words from this list to memorize.
3. Find the 20 most common words in the book. Memorize these too.

Now you have 30 new words!

 

Good choices for starting out include children's books, which use simple, clear vocabulary and language.

Newspapers are also a good choice, as you can read about something that interests you, and thus stay motivated. Here are some Portuguese newspapers you can try:

 

Whether it’s a large or small article, you should divide it into seven parts before you start. Why seven? Because then you can study one part every day of the week. This way, you won’t overload your brain and you will assimilate more of what you learn.


You should pay special attention to all new words, and practice writing and saying them.

  

6. Music

 

(Image by Davide Restivo CC-BY-SA-2.0)


Music is very important when we start learning a new language.
Search for a few songs in in Portuguese, for now no more than five.
Try singing along. Don’t be shy or afraid, it is normal for beginners to make mistakes. Just try repeating the words.


Find a transcription of the lyrics to the song and translate it into your mother language.

Here are some Portugese songs :

 

7. Movies

 

 (Image by Stef48 CC-BY-3.0)


Learn while chilling on the sofa. In Portugal, foreign movies are not dubbed into Portuguese, so you will hear the original dialogue but see the translation in the Portuguese subtitles. It is an amazing way for you to learn Portuguese. Just search online and you will find movies with Portuguese subtitles.

 

8. Games

 

 (Image by Colleen Kelly CC-BY-2.0)


Play games with your family and get them to use Portuguese, too. It doesn’t matter what game you are playing, do it in a humorous way and imagine you are playing in another country. You are learning while having fun!

 

Extra Advice


Study something in the morning, then review it the same night. Don’t go on to the next lesson until you are sure you have mastered the current one.

Read about the history of Portugal to learn more about the country of the language you want learn.

Learn about the culture of the country, and the living habits of its people.
Use what you have learned to try to be as much like a Portuguese person as you can, in the way you talk, eat and watch movies. Try “going native” for a whole week, immersing yourself in Portuguese!

Find a native speaker who will help you, and keep practicing!

 

Hero Image (Library Books) Pouya sh at the English language Wikipedia (CC-BY-SA-3.0) via Wikimedia Commons