The LISBON LANGUAGE CAFÉ was founded in September 2014. It is located in the centre of Lisbon (Santos, near cais do sodré) and it was created with the aim of teaching the Portuguese language. If you would like to learn European Portuguese in the capital of Portugal, we offer a wide range of courses WITH A MAXIMUM OF 5 PEOPLE PER CLASS and we require NO enrolment fees. We are now operating in Lisbon and Sintra.
METHODOLOGY
In the majority of language schools, students speak and listen only 25% of the lesson. The remaining 75% is spent copying what the teacher explains or writes.
However, at Lisbon Language Café we use a teaching methodology that allows students to hear and speak throughout the entire lesson (level A1.2 and above).
This is a very effective way to improve the learning-teaching process.
Click HERE to check your Portuguese level.
A1 Level – Group Courses [2019]
Intensive Course : 2 week course (30 hours)
Session 99: Aug 19, 2019 to Aug 30, 2019 | 10:00 – 13:00 (Mon – Fri)
100: Sep 2, 2019 to Sep 13, 2019 | 10:00 – 13:00 (Mon – Fri)
101: Sep 16, 2019 to Set 27, 2019 | 10:00 – 13:00 (Mon – Fri)
102: Sep 30, 2019 to Oct 11, 2019 | 10:00 – 13:00 (Mon – Fri)
103: Oct 14, 2019 to Oct 25, 2019 | 10:00 – 13:00 (Mond – Fri)
104: Oct 28, 2019 to Nov 8, 2019 | 10:00 – 13:00 (Mond – Frid)
105: Nov 11, 2019 to Nov 22, 2019 | 10:00 – 13:00 (Mond – Frid)
106: Nov 25, 2019 to Dec 6, 2019 | 10:00 – 13:00 (Mond – Frid)
Number of students: 2 to 5
Cost: 300€ (Includes Books, PODCASTS and Quizzes (E-learning Platform)
Address: rua do Instituto Industrial number 18, floor 3, right door – Santos
Intensive Course : 1 week course (15 hours)
Session 52: From Aug 19, 2019 to Aug 23, 2019 | 10:00 – 13:00 (Mon – Fri)
53: From Sep 2, 2019 to Sep 6, 2019 | 10:00 – 13:00 (Mon – Fri)
54: Sep 16, 2019 to Set 20, 2019 | 10:00 – 13:00 (Mon – Fri)
55: Sep 30, 2019 to Oct 4, 2019 | 10:00 – 13:00 (Mon – Fri)
56: Oct 14, 2019 to Oct 18, 2019 | 10:00 – 13:00 (Mond – Fri)
57: Oct 28, 2019 to Nov 1, 2019 | 10:00 – 13:00 (Mond – Frid)
58: Nov 11, 2019 to Nov 15, 2019 | 10:00 – 13:00 (Mond – Frid)
59: Nov 25, 2019 to Nov 29, 2019 | 10:00 – 13:00 (Mond – Frid)
Number of students: 2 to 5
Cost: 180€
Address: rua do instituto industrial number 18, floor 3, right door – Santos
Extensive / Evening Course (30 hours)
Session 9: from Sept 23, 2019 to Out 30, 2019 | 19:00 – 21:30 (Mon and Wed)
Number of students: 3 to 5
Cost: 300€ (it includes FREE ACCESS to our PODCASTS (E-learning Platform) and all the materials)
Address: Rua do Instituto Industrial number 18, floor 3, right door – Santos
Check our classrooms in Santos (7 min walk from Cais do Sodré metro station)
A2 Level – Group courses
Progressive Course
If you live in Lisbon and if you want to learn Portuguese gradually this option is perfect for you. This solution allows you to learn gradually and consolidate your learning as you go. Our classes are based on conversation and complemented by a growing knowledge of grammar.
Course Duration: 4 weeks with the possibility of continuing
When does it start? 2 September 2019
Schedule: Monday and Wednesday at 7 pm (you can join this group every Monday)
Cost: 100€ (2 lessons per week. Lesson duration: 90 minutes)
Number of Students: 2 to 5 students
Intensive course: 2-week course (30 hours)
Session 1: Jul 15, 2019 to Jul 26, 2019 | 14:00 – 17:00 (Mon – Fri)
2: Jul 29, 2019 to Aug 9, 2019 | 14:00 – 17:00 (Mond – Fri)
3: Aug 26, 2019 to Sep 6, 2019 | 14:00 – 17:00 (Mon – Fri)
Number of students: 2 to 5
Cost: 300€ [Includes Book, Podcasts and Quizzes (E-learning platforms)
Address: Rua do Instituto Industrial number 18, floor 3, right door – Santos Click HERE to check our classrooms!
Private Lessons
Your teacher will adapt the method and the topics to your goals and interests. Your lessons will be, to some extent, customized. We use a large element of questions-answer activities. Other interactive and dynamic tasks are also used (vídeos, podcasts, and games) and informal conversations to acquire vocabulary.
Pack of 15 hours: 299€ (19,99€ per hour) – INCLUDES book and E-learning platform
Pack of 10 hours: 210€ (21€ per hour) – INCLUDES book and E-learning platform
Pack of 5 hours: 125€ (25€ per hour) – INCLUDES book and E-learning platform
Address: Rua do Instituto industrial number 18, floor 3, right door – Santos
When does it start? Any time | Trial lesson: 14,99€
B1 LEVEL – Group Courses
Progressive Course
If you live in Lisbon and if you want to learn Portuguese gradually this option is perfect for you. This solution allows you to learn gradually and consolidate your learning as you go. Our classes are based on conversation and complemented by a growing knowledge of grammar.
Course Duration: 4 weeks with the possibility of continuing
Number of Students: 2 to 5 students
Cost: 100€ (2 lessons per week. Lesson duration: 90 minutes)
When does it start? 2 September 2019
Schedule: Monday and Wednesday at 7 pm (you can join this group every Monday)
Private Lessons
Pack of lessons (INCLUDES book and E-learning platform access):
15 hours: 299€ (19,90€ per hour)
10 hours: 215€ (21,5€ per hour)
5 hours: 115€ (23€ per hour)
Address: Rua do Instituto industrial number 18, floor 3, right door – Santos
When does it start? Any time | Individual trial lesson: 14,99€
About our Private Lessons
- Private lessons are aimed at individuals with specific learning goals or who require or want a more intense tutoring service;
2. These lessons can be taken by individuals alongside other courses to further intensify their study of Portuguese, or as stand-alone sessions;
3. These lessons are also suitable for couples or small groups who have a similar level of Portuguese;
4. Private lessons follow the same immersive style as our other group sessions
5-As with our other courses, all aspects of language skills (reading, speaking, writing and listening) are focused on within the class
FREE Portuguese (online) Courses
Learn Portuguese in Lisbon! We have hundreds of FREE quizzes, podcasts, and videos on this website! EVERYTHING FOR FREE! Courses are organized in 3 levels. (A1 and A2 and B1 courses)! Check this example!
Why you should study with us? [10 reasons]
1- Opened since 2014 gives you the guarantee of experience
2- We make learning Portuguese fun!
3- Our students will learn language-hacking tools to speak the language from day 1
4- Our teachers are professional, multilingual and full-time workers
5- Our philosophy is to empower students to speak Portuguese and learn more about our country
6- Our lessons are ALWAYS planned but our materials, teachers, and resources are flexible to meet your needs
7- All our students have FREE access to our E-LEARNING platforms
8- All our teachers are native speakers and the class size is restricted (maximum of 5 students)
9- We want our students to use their skills, not just study it. Our goal is to empower you to speak and interact.
10- Our school is modern, accessible and has a centric location. We have free Wi-fi! Our rooms are bright, comfortable and climatized!
Learn Portuguese in Lisbon – click HERE TO CHECK OUR FACILITIES
Terms and conditions: A course is always guaranteed even if it doesn’t have a minimum number of students, however, the number of hours may be reduced. In the event that an intensive course runs with less than 2 students, Lisbon Language Café offers 2 daily hours (120 minutes) instead of three. The price will always remain the same.
Cancellation Policy (Intensive/Extensive courses) A. More than 30 days prior notice – 60% refund B. Less than 30 days – 30% refund c. During the course – no refund
COMPARING the COST of Portuguese Schools in Lisbon (2019)
Intensive Courses (2 weeks)
Lisbon Language café: 300€ for 30 hours (2 weeks). 2 to 5 students. Price per hour: 10€
Lisbon Language Café: Google Reviews: 61 ** Classification: 4.8/5 ** Experience: 5 years
Portuguese connection 500€ for 40 hours (2 weeks). 3 to 8 students. Price per hour: 12,5€
Portuguese connection: Google Reviews: 67 ** Classification 4.9/5 ** Experience: 6 years
Portuguesetcetera: 370€ for 30 hours (2 weeks). 3 to 8 students. Price per hour: 12,3€
Portuguesetcetera: Google Reviews: 28 *** Classification: 4.8/5 *** Experience: 8 years
Lusaschool: 560€ for 40 hours (2 weeks). 3 to 9 students. Price per hour: 14€
Lusaschool: Google Reviews: 60 *** Classification: 4.8/5 *** Experience: 2 years
TOP ARTICLES (2019)
Why you have to learn Portuguese in Lisbon
Bilingual people are smarter! Did you know this? It is a fact! In accordance with the NYT, if you can speak two languages, your brain will increase your cognitive skills.
Portuguese in beautiful!
Learning a language for pure pleasure is the best option! The Portuguese language that is spoken in Brazil sounds like music and it is a great pleasure to listen to. This is probably one of the reasons why Portuguese music and Brazilian music have such a rich musical history. In Lisbon you can listen to fado and in Brazil, you can listen to Bossa nova, Samba, and many other styles. By the way, music is a great way to learn and consolidate a language. And if you try to sing it you will also improve your pronunciation.
2. More than 220 million people speak Portuguese.
Portuguese is the sixth most spoken idiom on the planet. Most speakers are in Brazil and Portugal but there also native speakers in many countries of Africa. In the United States there are more than 1 million native speakers.
3. A secret language
There are more than 220 million people in the world that can speak Portuguese but it is also true that only a few people have decided to learn the language as a second (or third) language. This can be an advantage for those who decide to learn it. If you can speak Portuguese fluently, you will have a skill that only a limited number of people has. Your CV will be more interesting and this improves your chances of getting a good job.
Belém
Belém is one of the places that you can’t miss in Lisbon!
Thanks to the maritime trade, Belém played a very important role in the history of Portugal. This area of the capital was critical for strategic and logistical reasons.
There are many monuments that you should visit here such as “Padrão dos descobrimentos”. This great place was built in 1940 when Portugal organized the Portuguese world exhibition that was organized to promote the colonies of Portugal.
This monument was later reconstructed to celebrate 500 years of the death of D. Henrique, the great Portuguese navigator.
In “Padrão dos descobrimentos”, one can also find the great poet Luis Vaz de Camões and Pedro Álvaro Cabral (navigator).
Another spot that you can’t miss is “Torre de Belém – Belém Tower”. This monument was built in 1520. The tower was critical to defending the capital.
After this great tour you can’t miss a “pastel de Belém”, you will love it!
Super tips to learn Portuguese in Lisbon
Tip 1: full immersion
Immerse yourself. This means, reading and speaking Portuguese as much as possible. If you don’t live in Portugal, the first tip is: change your mobile menus to Portuguese. Let your mother tongue go and welcome the Portuguese language! You should also find a way to have contact with someone that speaks only the language of Camões. If you don’t know any native speaker, there are apps that you can use such as our QUIZLET
The more you have the new language in your life, the more your brain will understand that it is useful for you. Therefore, take advantage of all your opportunities to be exposed to the Portuguese language. Another tip, write down (in Portuguese) on a post the name of all the objects that you have at your house. You should also: read children books (to expand your vocabulary), watch vídeos with Portuguese subtitles and speak with yourself in front of a mirror (in Portuguese of course).
Tip 2: leave your comfort zone…
What does it mean? It means that you have to change your routines, you have to put yourself in a position where you can only speak Portuguese. If it will be hard? Yes, indeed. But it also improves your skills a lot. Buy things, ask for information and solve all your daily problems in Portuguese. You will see the outcome of this strategy on a long-term basis.
Tip 3: start with the essential key points
In the beginning, you can’t try to learn everything! It is useless trying to know every single rule, all exceptions or all irregular verbs. You have to stay focused on the main information: regular verbs and the Big four irregular verbs (SER, ESTAR, IR, and TER).
Tip 4: Go abroad!
If you have the possibility to go abroad, just do it! Stay at least 6 months. You will learn a new culture and this will help your Portuguese learning process. There are different options for your choice: Portugal, Brazil, Angola and Mozambique and the main options. If you native speakers around you all the time, you will be learning all the time.
Tip 5: Repeat repeat repeat!
Unless you’re a genius, you will have to read and re-read and re-read again. Your brain will need time and repetition to be able to memorize everything. The best method that I can recommend is: study every day for 25 minutes. Half an hour per day will make a huge difference after a few months. A keyword is a consistency!
You need to find a way to integrate these 30 minutes per day in your daily routine. This strategy will make you move you forward and will keep your motivation high!
Tip 7: Be realistic and patient!
Learning Portuguese (or any other language) takes time. If you keep yourself studying you will progress, no doubts about this. Everyone needs time to learn an idiom and you won’t be an exception. Plan your study in a realistic way. You will face many obstacles but you will overcome them if you persevere.
After one month you should be able to conjugate the main verbs (regular and irregular verbs) and you should also be able to buy things in restaurants or supermarkets.
After 6 months, you should be able to maintain a basic conversation in Portuguese.
In 12 month you should be able to have a conversation with a higher level of complexity.
Everything takes time in our life, learning Portuguese isn’t different.
Tip 8: expand your vocabulary!
The most important thing to know when arriving at a new country is the basic vocabulary! With this information, you will be able to understand the majority of the subjects if you’re reading a book or signs. Focus on basic words. On this article, I selected those words that should be the beginning of your learning process.
Another advice: focus on those words that will be critical for you. If you’re going on a business trip, you have to learn those words that are related to your business field.
You should learn vocabulary related to your own life and personal history. If you do that you will be able to talk about your life and make new friends while you learn Portuguese.
Learn how to count in Portuguese. This is super useful for your daily life, especially to pay your daily bills. Start with cardinal numbers and ordinal number, 1 to 10 and try to learn 10 new numbers every day.
On your first days, don’t put all your energy on your grammar. Start with vocabulary and then move on to the grammar. We believe that many schools spend to much time with grammar. We believe that speaking is critical to learn and consolidate your grammar.
Tip 9: Listen Portuguese to learn Portuguese
Another important tip about how to learn Portuguese: before speaking you have to listen. You have to listen to be able to understand and reproduce the same sounds. The more you listen the more you will able to reproduce the Portuguese sounds.
Tip 10: practice your pronunciation
Pronunciation is a critical topic. Expanding your Portuguese vocabulary isn’t enough because you have also to be able to produce those words correctly.
Every time you learn a new Portuguese word you have to be sure that you know how to say it. The best strategy is asking a native speaker. If you don’t have the chance to ask it directly to a Portuguese native speaker, you can use online platforms.
Tip 11: write texts in Portuguese
Reading is very different from writing. Writing will help your brain to consolidate your grammar. Start with shorts texts (20 words per day) and then move on to 10 lines per day. After a few months, you will be surprised by the amount of information that you will have written. Moreover, writing will give you the chance to revise your grammar and, if you’re revising your Portuguese you are also consolidating your idiom.
Tip 12: learn online with apps (technology can help you)
Simple actions as using your menu in Portuguese will help you a lot to learn new words. Nowadays, there are several E-learning platforms that will help you much. The most famous one is called Duolingo (Brazilian Portuguese), and it is available for Android and IOS. This famous tool makes everything to help you with your goals, especially to learn and assimilate your vocabulary. Anki is also a nice tool. You can use these apps everytime that you waiting for your bus.
Tip 13: Think in terms of opportunities and new experiences.
When I decide to learn a new language as Portuguese, I always think about the new experiences that that language might provide me. It is true that speaking Portuguese will open many doors for you: make friends, watch Portuguese shows, learn newspapers and magazines. In other words, make sure that learning Portuguese will give the chance to have fun! So, do you like music? Search for Portuguese music on youtube. Do you like football? Check the names of the Portuguese players!
Tip 14: Have fun while you learn Portuguese!
Make sure that you find the right materials for your case. You have different options:
- Listen to Portuguese music
- Watch films and series
- Watch vídeos on youtube
- Read newspapers and magazines
Tip 15: don’t worry about your mistakes!
One of the barriers to talk is being afraid of making mistakes. Don’t worry about that! Native speakers of Portuguese will appreciate your effort and will help you! Each mistake is an opportunity to improve your Portuguese. The more you speak the more you will improve your skills. Speaking a new language is hard. Shy people will face more problems to improve. Mistakes are normal, no one can learn and consolidate a new idiom without many mistakes.
Tip 16: speak Portuguese with a dictionary.
You will learn many new words with this tip. Use an online dictionary, it is very quick and effective! You can use it anywhere. You will be also learning if you follow this tip!
Does Portuguese sound like Russian?
I am a Portuguese teacher and I was in Glasgow teaching Portuguese on a high school when a fellow teacher asked me (after listening to my dialogue on the phone with a Portuguese relative): “do you also speak Russian?”… And, as you can guess, I can’t speak Russian, but I have to say that my Portuguese is quite good! 🙂
Portuguese has many guttural tones and sliding vowels that make it sound Slavic.
Hearing Portuguese for the first time can be challenging and you only have sure that they’re speaking Portuguese when we say “Obrigado!” It sounds like a strange Russian, loads of [sh sh sh]… But it is not easy to find a formal connection between languages to explain their similarities.
But Portuguese to foreigners sounds like Russian (for native speakers of Portuguese and Russians, this similarity isn’t obvious at all). Russians and people from Ukrainian learn Portuguese very quickly and their accent is very clear. After a few years in Portugal it is hard for Portuguese people to find out if a Russian person is Portuguese or not (their accent is great).
There are exceptions (there are always exceptions to the rules), but most Portuguese words are very different from Russian words. However, for a Portuguese student (someone who is starting from scratch), these two idioms can sound very similar.
Portuguese words (and sounds) that are hard to pronounce
1. Word EXCEÇÃO
The “X” has 5 different sounds in Portuguese and it represents a real challenge for foreign people who intend to learn Portuguese in Lisbon. There are different rules and many exceptions. Just go with the flow with it. With the word Exceção, X produces a [EIS] sound.
ç symbol – It is called cedilha. The C letter with cedilha transforms [K] sound into an [S] sound. If you have a C and after it an E or an I, the sound will be [C].
Nasal sound ão – The true nightmare for English speakers as they don’t have this sounds on their language. the symbol ~ is called Til. Every time you see a TIl you should now that a nasal sound is coming!
2. Word “Cabeleireiro”
ei – you should pronounce it as “ay”.
r – In Portuguese, if you have only one “r” in the middle of the word, you should produce a soft sound. Try the following technique: Say as long as you can dadada…. Your “d” will become softer after a few repetitions and your “dadada” will become a dadarara…Try it!
3. word “Otorrinolaringologista”
It is a long Portuguese word and it has many funny sounds. Let’s see:
[rr] sound – The sound that we produce when we have a R at the beginning of a word is the same sound that we produce when we have two R in the middle of the word.
[go] – An a, o or u after a G produces a [gê] sound. If you have a e or i after a G, you will have a [gê] sound, such as the world “goal”
[gi] – The sound that you have to produce here is the same sound that you produce in the world: “GIgolo”.
Learn Portuguese in Lisbon
Which Portuguese verbs are the most important?
When you start learning Portuguese, firstly you will learn the PRESENT TENSE.
You have to consolidate, as soon as possible, the three categories of regular verbs in Portuguese: -AR, -ER and -IR.
In the Present tense, unfortunately, there are loads of irregular verbs.
However, you don’t have to go home and memorize those long lists of irregular verbs. In fact, there are only 4 irregular verbs that you should learn by heart asap: TER (to have), IR (to have), SER (to be for permanent descriptions) and ESTAR (to be for temporary descriptions.
For all the other irregular verbs, you will need time, it will be a process and you should not be too severe with yourself. Try to use an e-learning platform to keep in contact with the conjugation of these words. Then, you have to start speaking the language, you have to listen Portuguese and you have to speak the idiom and fail, and fail and fail and then, finally, succeed!
Once you reach the level A2 in Portuguese, you will learn the simple past in Portuguese. As a Portuguese teacher, i have to say that from this level on you have to start speaking Portuguese on a regular basis. There is no other way to consolidate the Portuguese idiom. The big four (verbs: SER, TER, ESTAR and IR) will be super important to start this second learning stage. Make sure you memorize them as soon as possible.
Should I watch TV to improve my Portuguese
Well, the answer depends on your level. If you are starting your Portuguese from scratch the answer is NO. If you are an advanced Portuguese student the answer is YES!
A1 and A2 students struggle to understand Portuguese native speakers. If you are (or if you were a Portuguese student), I am sure that you had the chance to watch Portuguese Tv and I am also sure that you didn’t understand much. On TV, people speak too fast for your listening skills.
Portuguese students should be exposed to activities and challenges in accordance with their level of competences. If you are an A1 student you should be using A1 podcasts and not trying to watch Portuguese TV (spoken by C2 speakers – native speakers).
Watching Portuguese Tv and listening Portuguese radio should be an activity for B2 students (and higher). Before reaching this level (and if you want to reach this advanced level), you have to use your time wisely! Use always the materials that will make you consolidate what you are learning at that point. Don’t waste your precious time with activities that you just can’t do!
Portuguese television with subtitles.
Watching Portuguese tv with subtitles is a great activity for B1 students. However, it is not easy to find TV programs with this option. However, if you find them, use them. It will be challenging but you will learn new words and new vocabulary. You can also try to find this resource on youtube. There are many Portuguese history TV programs with subtitles that will make you learn more about the history and culture of Portugal. At the same time, you will learn more about our language and you will improve your listening skills (which is, in my opinion as Portuguese teacher, the most important skill for your learning process.
X letter in Portuguese – Learn Portuguese in Lisbon
We have good news and bad news about this Portuguese grammar topic. The letter X in Portuguese has 5 different sounds.
The good news first: from these 5 sounds, there are 4 rules that are very easy to learn and apply.
Rules
1: Every time you can see an X at the beginning of a word you know that the sound is [sh]. Example: XAVIER, XERIFE.
2. If a word starts with EX and if it is followed by a vowel, the sound of the X is [Z]. Example: exemplo, exótico.
3. When the Portuguese word end with X, you know that the sound of that X is [ks]. Example: Fax
4. A word that starts with EX but that is then followed by a consonant, the sound is [EIS]. Example: Excitante.
Now the bad news; sometimes there aren’t simple rules to apply. Sometimes the sound of a particular X is related to the etymology of the word. In that case, the best suggestion for your Portuguese learning process is, just go with the flow!
Private or Group Lessons? What’s the best option?
Learning a new language is an important decision. There are many reasons why people decide to learn languages.
The most common are:
1. Change of residence
2. Professional reasons
3. Personal reasons (often related to a partner of another nationality)
4. Pleasure to learn languages (less common)
Whatever the reason, the process of learning and consolidating a language is (almost) always slow and progressive. It takes work, dedication, focus, energy, resilience, and willingness to succeed.
Because it is a decision and an important process, it is important to clearly define the best strategy for success.
The teacher and the type of classes that you will choose is a very important choice. For this reason, Portuguese students should ask the following question to themselves:
Private lessons or group lessons, what is the best solution for my case?
Well, the answer is: it depends on you! What is your preferred learning style? Are you timid? Are you an extrovert person?
Extrovert people tend to learn Portuguese faster then timid and introvert Portuguese students.
If you believe that you will need a bit more time than then the average to learn Portuguese, maybe you should pick individual lessons because your teacher will follow your rhythm without any pressure.
Learning in a small group of Portuguese students in Lisbon can be challenging as you can feel yourself under pressure (especially if you need a bit more time than the usual to understand the content).
You if are short of money or if you like to socialize, Portuguese group lessons are certainly the best option. In this case, you won’t have a Portuguese teacher always on top of you and you have to adjust yourself to the needs of the group/class (that be a bit different from your own needs).
Learning Portuguese in a group can also be very funny because of the differences that students have among them. Also because Portuguese students tend to help other students and this attitude creates a bond between Portuguese students that, very often, they will maintain over time. In fact, learning in Lisbon can be much more than just learning a new language.
Regardless of your choice, the most important thing is to maintain consistency and focus. Do not forget that learning Portuguese (or another language) is always a marathon and not a speed race.
Another important tip is to make sure that your classes are good fun. No one can learn languages if they have boring lessons! Relax and have fun in your classes. If your Portuguese classes (individual or group) are boring, then try another teacher or another school.
When you go to your language school and your Portuguese class, you must feel a sense of well-being and fun!
How many hours per week should I study to improve my Portuguese?
Learning Portuguese in Lisbon involves organization and effort. Learning a new language isn’t a straightforward activity. It won’t be a 100 meters race, it will be a marathon.
This means that you have to find a way to integrate your study of Portuguese in your daily routine or your weekly routine.
Our experience tells us that 4 or 5 hours per week would be a great job! no one can study for 20 or 30 hours per week every single week. So, try to create a study plan can you can accomplish.
You should also create a study plan that includes different activities of Portuguese: listening, writing, grammar, speaking.
Keep your agenda open. Study every time you can and don’t forget that you have to feel some pleasure in this Portuguese learning process.
How many hours of study per level (A1, A2, and B1)?
Once again, the right answer to these questions that many Portuguese students do us is… it really depends on many different factors.
But lets try to give you an idea about this topic.
A1 Level in Portuguese (no background in Spanish or Italian): 60 to 80 hours
- 30 to 40 hours of lessons (contact time) and
- 40 to 50 hours of homework
A2 Level in Portuguese (same context): 80 to 100 hours
- 40 to 50 hours of lessons (contact time) and
- 30 to 40 hours of homework
- 20 hours of conversation in Portuguese
B1 Level in Portuguese: 100 – 150 hours
- 50 hours of lessons (contact time) and
- 50 hours of homework
- 50 hours of conversation in Portuguese
Portuguese grammar
What is the difference between “Indicativo” and “Conjuntivo”?
If you are learning portuguese and if you have just reached level B1 you will now study the subjuntive (conjuntivo em português).
On levels A1 and A2 all the tenses that you learn in portuguese are related with facts, real events. However, once you start the subjuntive you will learn a tense that will give you the chance to talk about possibilities, about things that are not real, about wishes and fears.
To use the subjuntive well in portuguese, you have to use portuguese every day. The “conjuntivo” in Portuguese is all about conectors and we have soo many conecters that you can’t go home and memorize everything.
To use subjuntive well you have to know the grammar rules and the guide-lines that your teacher will teach you. However, sometimes grammar can be hard and very often they won’t help much.
As we stated bafore, “conjuntivo” is about possibilities and wishes but sometimes we can express exactly the same idea with two different modes: indicative and subjuntive.
Check these examples:
- SE CALHAR amanhã vou à praia. Mode: Indicative
Translation: Maybe I will go to the beach tomorrow
- TALVEZ amanhã vá à praia. Mode: subjuntive
Translation: the same
The value of these two sentences is exactly the same.
- É bom ires com ele. Mode: infinitivo pessoal
Translation: It’s good that you go with him
- É bom que vás com ele. Mode: subjuntive
Translation: the same
The value of these two sentences is exactly the same.
If you live in Portugal and if you are consolidating your portuguese, you need to find a friend or a partner to help. In portuguese, from level B1 on, you have to speak the language every single day, you have you be exposed and you have to have someone to correct you. Don’t get upset if a native speaker wants to correct you. That will help you a lot!
Are you a portuguese intermediate student (B1)? Check our tips.
If your level of portuguese in already B1, this means that you can already communicate with people (if they speak portuguese with you in a slowly and carefully way).
Intermediate students of portuguese in Lisbon (levels B1 and B2) face new challenges on this level.
When you’re starting from level A1, you have to learn basic grammar, the sounds of portuguese and their rules and you have to spend some time memorizing the key rules of the language.
However, once you reach level B1 things change. At this point you have to find a way to speak portuguese on a daily baisis. You won’t be able to consolidate B1 grammar content in Portuguese without speaking every day.
Check the grammar content at this stage of learning:
1. Preterito perfeito composto (example: Eu tenho lido muito = I have been reading a lot)
2. Pretérito mais que perfeito composto (example: ele tinha ido à praia com a Maria = He had gone to the beach with Maria)
3. Subjuntive (Present). (example: “Talvez ele vá ao cinema” = Maybe he will go to the cinema)
4. Subjuntive (future). Example: Se fores a Lisboa, eu vou contigo = If you go to Lisbon I will go with you.
Subjuntive in portuguese can be hard. We use these structures to talk and describe possibilities, things that are not real and wishes and fears that we have.
There are many conectores to learn and repeting plays a critical role at this point. Learnig these conectors isn’t enough. You have to use them frequetly, you have to hear people using it as well and hopefuly recognize them during the conversation.
Another important tip is: find a teacher to converse in portuguese. It must be an experienced teacher that will lead you towards those tenses and grammar strutures that you’re learning and consolidating. Random talk is also useful but isn’t enough to improve your portuguese consistently.
Watching television with portuguese subtitles is also a great help at this point. You can also use youtube to support you on this challenge.
As example you can watch the video below, a video that is related with the portuguese history. If you like history and if you’re learning portuguese in Lisbon, you will be happy to know that there many different videos similares to this one.
How to choose your language school in Lisbon
If you are about to start a portuguese course at a language school in Lisbon you have to read this article. Not all schools are the same. In our opinian you have to pay attention to the following criterias:
Location
Pick a language school that isn’t far from your home or from a metro station
Price
An expensive portuguese course doesn’t have to be the best course of Lisbon. Be careful! Try to book a trial lesson and check carefully what the course includes and which materials you will get access to.
Teachers
Make sure that your teacher is “a real portuguese teacher” with experience. He (or she) will be super important for your portuguese learning process. Once again, try to book a portuguese lesson to evaluate him and then you can decide with more data.
Materials
Check the portuguese books and online platforms that your school will give you access to. This kind of materials will be very important for your portuguese home work. You can’t rely only on your portuguese lessonsto learn the idiom. You have to work a lot at home and, for that, you have to have good portuguese materials.
Facilities
You don’t have to have the best classrooms of the town to learn portuguese. You have to make sure that your classrooms are clean, well equipped and quiet.
Trial lesson
Pick a school that gives the opportunity to do a trial lesson (paid or not). It is an essencial moment that you should because you will get a feeling about that particular portuguese language school
How to order coffee in Portugal?
Introduction
Coffee in Portugal is a fundamental part of Portuguese culture. Drinking a coffee with someone is a reason to socialize. But drinking good coffee is also a pleasure for the Portuguese.
But for a foreigner, ordering a coffee in Lisbon or in Portugal may not be a simple task. In fact, the drink that is usually an “espresso” in other countries may have many different names in Portugal.
In this article you will learn the different names used for coffee in Portugal. You’ll also get to know the different ingredients that beverages with coffee take.
INGREDIENTS AND RESPECTIVE NAMES:
Bica, café or cimbalino (depends on the zone of the Country): it is a coffee that usually the foreigners call “expresso”
Abatanado: it is similar to the famous “Americano” but with less quantity. Two coffees with plenty of water. Some people call it “double”.
Carioca: It’s a weak coffee. The beans are placed in the machine and a coffee is taken. Then a coffee with the same grains is taken again.
Italiana: It’s a very short coffee. Express medium. One say it is stronger than the normal expresso.
Meia-de-leite: served in a larger cup. It’s a drink with coffee and milk. Take a coffee and then fill the large cup with milk.
Galão: equal to half-milk but served in a glass. It takes more milk and more coffee.
Café duplo: two coffees or two espressos without adding water (so a bit different from the flan).
Café pingado: it’s a coffee with a little bit of milk (a few drops of milk)
Garoto: It’s a coffee with milk foam. This term is more usual in the south of Portugal.
Descafeinado: it is a coffee without caffeine (actually it is a coffee with much less caffeine because this drink still contains some)
Café em chávena escaldada: It is a common expression but in this case the person who is going to drink it intends to drink the hottest drink.
Café em chávena fria. Exactly the opposite of the previous one. Who drinks it, wants the coffee colder. Often, the waitress spills the cup over cold water before taking the coffee.
Café com cheirinho. The famous “cheirinho” means a bit of bagasse in the cafe. Some believe that this drink works as a digestive …
Café sem ponta. We only start filling the cup after the first few drops of coffee.
Coffee with lemon drops. A normal coffee with a few drops of lemon. Some people believe it takes the headaches out.
Private lessons
Lisbon Language Café : 20 to 23 € per hour
Lusa and Portuguese Conection: 35-40€ per hour
Some teachers work in more than one language school in Lisbon. You can have a private lesson with teacher X for € 20 in one school and have the same class in another school (with the same teacher) for € 35. Carefully review all the options and do 2 or 3 trial classes before you make your decision. Good luck!
Days of the week in Portuguese
The days of the week in Portuguese have rather bizarre names. However, they have an interesting history. Although ancient Latin established a relationship between the days of the week and the moon and the pagan gods, the Portuguese related the days of the week differently.
The names of the different days of the week are associated with the days of the old fairs. Exceptions are the days of Saturday and Sunday.
So the days of the week in Portuguese are:
Segunda-feira = 2ª-feira – Monday
Terça-feira = 3ª-feira- Tuesday
Quarta-feira = 4ª-feira » Wednesday
Quinta-feira = 5ª-feira – Thursday
Sexta-feira = 6ª-feira – Friday
Sábado – Saturday
Domingo – Sunday
Segunda-feira (or Monday) means “second fair”. Terça-feira (or Tuesday) means “third fair.” We can apply the same logic for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
So the question is: why does the week start with “second fair” and not “first fair”?
The answer is because the first day of the week is Domingo (Sunday), which is related to the word “domini” that comes from Latin. “Domini” means the day of God.
According to Portuguese culture, the first day of the week should be dedicated to God, the creator of the world.
The days of the week in Portuguese reveal two interesting things about the Portuguese culture:
1. Portugal as a religious and monotheistic country
2. The relationship between the Portuguese and trade
On a day-to-day basis, the Portuguese often do not use the word “feira = fair” because when they say “Segunda = Monday”, the receiver will understand that it is Monday. The same logic applies for all other days of the week (except Saturday and Sunday).
Regarding Saturday, this word is related to “sabbath.” It is believed that there is a relationship between this word and Judaism.
It is very common to see the abbreviated days of the week. Examples:
Monday = Monday
3rd = Tuesday
…
Sat – Saturday
Sun – Sunday
Example of use:
Aberto de Terça a sábado das 10:00 às 19:00 – Open from tuesday to saturday from 10.00 to 19.00 Hrs.
We hope you enjoyed this article!
Study or live in Lisbon
Are you planning a change in your life? Do you want to try something different? Lisbon might be what you’re looking for.
Sunny days in Lisbon
As you know, the weather in Lisbon is great! Even during winter Lisbon has many hours of sunshine. Your mood will improve on Monday morning.
Cost of living
Lisbon today is considerably more expensive than it has been in the past. Finding a cheap house in the center of Lisbon is difficult nowadays in the capital of Porto. However, when compared to other European cities (like London, Paris, Rome) Lisbon remains reasonably cheap.
The cost of living is not just the price of the house so it is important to know that the prices of transport, restaurants and super markets is quite cheap.
The Portuguese are friendly and hospitable
People in Portugal like to get well and are (usually) very friendly with tourists and with foreign residents. Although Lisbon has many tourists, the Portuguese continue to think that people from other countries are important to the local and national economy.
The Portuguese language
The Portuguese language is not difficult for people who speak a little French, Italian and Spanish. It is also more or less easy to learn Portuguese for students who already speak 2 languages. For people who speak only one language can be a bit more challenging.
Christmas wishes in Portuguese
If you take your Portuguese course at our school in November or December, you will learn to wish for a good Christmas in the Camões language. This date is very important for the Portuguese! Christmas in Portugal is the time of family reunion.
Christmas Eve (December 24) is the date when all the people in the family get together to fraternize. At midnight the Christmas presents are open and this is an especially important time for the children. The next day (December 25) is often the extension of the previous night. The lunch of the 25th of December is also an important moment in the Christmas of the Portuguese people. At this time of year, the Portuguese feel closer to each other. People are nicer and more generous. Christmas is definitely a unique time.
If you are in Portugal on this date and if you want to wish a good Christmas in Portuguese you should learn and use the following expressions of Christmas:
- Bom Natal para si e para os seus!
- Boas saídas e melhores entradas!
- Festas felizes
- Feliz Natal com muito amor e saúde
- Boas festas com muita paz!
- Feliz Natal e próspero ano novo
- Bom Natal e feliz ano novo!
- Que todos os teus desejos se concretizem no próximo ano
- Que o pai Natal seja generoso contigo
- Um sapatinho cheio de saúde, amor e dinheiro
The best places to visit in Portugal
Portugal is a small country in southern Europe. But in spite of being small, Portugal is a country of a great variety of landscapes. The south of the country is flat and warm. The north of the country is much colder, rainier and mountainous.
It is not easy to recommend places to visit in Portugal because there are many sites of great interest. However, because the purpose of this article is to help you choose the best places we will start our suggestions for the south of Portugal
Algarve – Ferragudo town
It is a small village near the important city of Portimão. It has a beautiful castle (São João de Arade) and its small center is of enormous size and beauty. And of course, do not forget to visit the beaches in the area.
Algarve – City of Faro
The city of Faro is almost always the gateway of foreign tourists since it is home to the Algarve airport. Many tourists go directly from the city of Faro to the seaside resorts. But this city has a beautiful historic center, a cathedral that must be visited and also a Formosa ria that deserves to be seen.
Alentejo
The Alentejo is a region of great contrasts. The upper Alentejo is mountainous, the lower Alentejo is dry and flat. Although the interior of this region of Portugal has several places of interest (such as Évora), it is on the Alentejo coast that we find the areas of greatest beauty and interest.
Porto Covo
This Alentejo village belongs to the municipality of Sines. The center of Porto Covo is very beautiful and well worth being visited. The Island of the Pessegueiro is beautiful and the arrival to the island its high point (photo infra).
Évora
The city of Évora is located in the interior of the Alentejo, just 1 hour and 15 minutes from Lisbon. It is the only place in Portugal where you will be able to find a Roman temple (called Temple of Diana). Its gastronomy is also well known and famous. Summers are very hot (almost 50 degrees) and the temperature in the winter can be negative during the nights.
Lisbon
The city of Lisbon is today the biggest Portuguese tourist attraction. A city that offers a lot with little money. Beaches, good and cheap food, cultural offerings, cheap accommodation, and fantastic weather. In the Portuguese capital you can not miss 1. the castle of São Jorge; the downtown; 3. the seafront that connects the city center with Cascais and 4. the town of Sintra (25 minutes from downtown Lisbon).
Coimbra
The city of Coimbra is located in the center of Portugal and was the former capital of the country. There you will find a medieval historical center and the oldest university in Portugal: the University of Coimbra (famous for its baroque library and the bell tower.) Also in Coimbra you will find a 12th century Romanesque cathedral.
Porto
The city of Porto is one of the most beautiful in Europe! There you will find the river Douro, the most beautiful cold beaches, its bridges and of course, the Portuense gastronomy (try the “Francesinha” and the “tripas à Moda do Porto” =). In Porto you can not miss a walk through downtown, the Douro cellars (to taste Port wine) and the boat ride on the Douro River.
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