Here are the resources I consider essential to learn how to speak European Portuguese.
PORTUGUESE SPEAKING TOOLS: PRACTICE WITH NATIVE SPEAKERS
Speak from day one is my approach to any new language. I have one tool I recommend for this:
Italki – connects you with native Portuguese speakers for spoken practice on Skype. You can pay Portuguese tutors for (affordable) one-to-one video lessons, or find a free language exchange partner! This link takes you right to the Portuguese tutors on the site.
PORTUGUESE LISTENING AND PRONUNCIATION RESOURCES
Practice Portuguese
– This website is geared to intermediate learners of European Portuguese who are looking to improve their listening comprehension. The spoken audio is clear and slow, plus there are texts you can use to read along.
PORTUGUESE LEARNING WEBSITES YOU MUST BOOKMARK TODAY
You’ll return to these resources again and again in your Portuguese study sessions.
Forvo – find out how any Portuguese word is pronounced. Just type the word you’re looking for into the search bar in Portuguese!
Wordreference – A dictionary with a difference, as all words include a discussion thread about their subtle meanings.
RTP ZigZag
– RTP ZigZag is Portugal's kids program from their Public Broadcasting Network. The site has a great selection of educational videos that are short to watch during your coffee break.
Priberam – A monolingual dictionary with both a European and a Brazilian search option for Portuguese.
PORTUGUESE TEXT COURSES AND BOOKS
These are the two course books I used when I was learning Portuguese:
Colloquial Portuguese: Beginner's Course – This series is a great way to introduce yourself to the natural flow of Portuguese, without worrying too much about the grammar.
Assimil Portuguese – A beginner’s text-based course with audio, if you’re more of a textbook person. Assimil’s explanations are a bit on the technical side, though. If you like that, this is a great course. The European Portuguese course is only available to those with an intermediate French reading level at this time.
START SPEAKING PORTUGUESE NOW
Need help getting started? I designed this course to guide you through your first week:
Conversation Countdown – Have your first conversation in Portuguese in just seven days. This is one of our most popular courses, and with good reason, because you’ll get results fast.
MUST-READ ARTICLES ON LEARNING PORTUGUESE FASTER
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