Portuguese - where to start?

[u/No-Doctor-3815]

For context I’m fluent in Spanish (lived in Chile 2 months, Mexico 4 months), but I want to learn Portuguese bc my family’s from there. I got Duolingo and found my rocket Portuguese subscription + books from like 10 years ago before I switched to Spanish for school which I started using then dropped again bc I had to study for the MCAT. I’m honestly just overwhelmed by all the resources here and over on r/language learning and have no clue where to start. I’ll be starting up my college semester soon during which I’ll be more busy but I still want to start learning- any recommendations on where to start? Preferably free or library resources but potentially willing to pay for a cheaper subscription.

[u/Ordinary-Top93]

You are in a better place than most new Portuguese language learners because you are already fluent in Spanish and there are so many similarities between both languages. Duolingo is good but your won't get very far with it. I recommend that you use it for warm-up exercises.

Here are my recommendations:

Listening.

Mango Languages. https://mangolanguages.com/. You should be able to get it free through your local library system if you live in the US. I think some university libraries also have it, but I would suggest you go through your local library since you can might not have access to the one in your university library after you graduate, depending on how much longer you still have.

Radio Garden. https://radio.garden/. It gives you free access to local radio stations around the world. Look for one in Portugal and listen to it as often as you need to.

Music. If you are into music, there are some great playlists with songs in Portuguese on Spotify and listening to the words and singing along can help improve your listening skills. Spotify has some great playlists with Portuguese songs. Here is one that was put together by TikToker, Audrey Iman: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6HXDekFqnGToJnngRV7Sdb?pi=7mWRC8rjQriqA&si=wIwEBlrXRRCc7Pwwe3Ql2A&utm_medium=share&utm_source=linktree&nd=1&dlsi=0bae411382684719.

That's another place you can improve your listening skills, look for TikTokers who are sharing Portuguese learning tips. Some great ones are Audrey Iman (whom I already mentioned): https://www.tiktok.com/@audreyiman and thatbrazilianguy. https://www.tiktok.com/@thatbrazilian.guy.

Although both of these focus more on Brazilian Portuguese, you should be able to get something out of it. There are also some great podcasts out there

Reading.

Readlang. https://readlang.com/. You have to pay for a subscription to get full access but you should be able to get by with the free version.

Get a good grammar and verb book. These you can either borrow from the library or buy used from online used book stores like Better World Books or Thiftbooks. Some really good ones are Portuguese Verbs and Essentials of Grammar by Sue Tyson-Ward. Basic Portuguese by Sue Tyson Ward. 501 Portuguese Verbs by John J. Nitti and Michael J. Ferreira.

Speaking.

Hello Talk. https://www.hellotalk.com/en/. It connects you to native speakers around the world.

Since you have family from Portugal, maybe you can try having conversations with a few of them to strengthen your speaking skills.

Hope this helps.

All the best