It is very uncommon to find someone in South Africa, outside of a South African Portuguese community, saying that they can speak Portuguese.
Portuguese is often overlooked, but the truth is that it is a language that is valuable to learn. You can learn Portuguese as a second or third language and still reap many benefits from it.
Irrespective of where you choose to go in the world, you are bound to find someone in the world who can speak the language. This is because there are millions of Portuguese speakers all over the world. In fact, Portuguese may be more commonly spoken than languages like Japanese or Russian.
If you, like so many other South Africans, have taken a liking to the Netflix series, "I Am Georgina," then you might just realise how valuable learning the language of the famous football player Cristiano Ronaldo can be.
So would you like to learn Ronaldo's native language as well?
While many private primary and secondary schools in South Africa have started teaching foreign languages like French, Mandarin and even Spanish, it is rather rare to find a school that teaches the Portuguese language as part of its standard curriculum.
Does this mean that you should give up on the hope of studying Portuguese entirely?
Well, if you would like to learn Portuguese, you can always do so with the help of a Portuguese tutor. Finding the right Portuguese tutor could mean not only learning the language but being supported as you do so, and becoming more confident as your vocabulary improves.
If you are all too keen to learn Ronaldo's home language, you need not struggle any longer with finding the right tutor for you. Follow the suggestions below that may help you to find Portuguese lessons near you.
Find A Portuguese Tutor Through Schools
While there are not many schools in South Africa that teach the language, that doesn't mean you can't find the right Portuguese tutor for you at your school or at any other school for that matter. To find a Portuguese tutor, you can start by asking your school teachers.
You would be surprised at how many teachers offer private language tutorials during their own time.
Perhaps your very interesting English teacher is just as good at teaching Portuguese.
If you cannot find a Portuguese tutor by asking around at your school, use the best tool that you have available at your disposal, the internet.
- Search online and you will find Portuguese tutors or perhaps even schools offering Portuguese classes after school
If worst comes to worst and the Portuguese tutors you find during an online search cannot help you, they may very well be able to recommend someone who can help you.
Again, while we are trying to be hopeful, you may still struggle finding any suitable Portuguese tutor who is willing to offer you private lessons in your area.
That is why, an easier alternative is to search for Portuguese lessons online on a tutoring website like Superprof.
Should You Learn Portuguese Online?
When you are choosing to learn a language that is not as popular as other foreign languages, you need to consider exploring all avenues. If you cannot get a tutor to come to you to teach you Portuguese, why not meet your tutor online? Perhaps online Portuguese lessons will be able to meet your language learning expectations without denting your budget.
Truth be told, there are several benefits of taking online classes that may not be a possibility should you opt for face-to-face classes.
With online classes, you can:
- Set your own schedule for your Portuguese classes so that you don't need to undergo major lifestyle changes in order to take these classes
- All your lessons can be taken from the comfort of your home
- There are many online Portuguese tutors available that you can choose to take these lessons with
- You won't need to travel to attend lessons, and once you have finished, you don't need to wait to get home before you start doing something else
You'd be surprise at how much you will learn from online Portuguese classes, especially if you are able to find a native Portuguese tutor to tutor you online via a webcam.
The chances of finding an online Portuguese tutor with many years of experience is also high. With a few online lessons, you will be able to get a firm grasp of the Portuguese alphabet, and learn some commonly used Portuguese verbs.
There is no reason why you cant say, "Olá to Portuguese," with the help of an online Portuguese tutor.
We recommend trying a tried and tested site like Superprof to find the right online Portuguese tutor for you. On Superprof, you may find a whole range of Portuguese tutors who are eager to teach you the language (either in-person or on an online-only basis). The benefit of finding a Portuguese tutor on the Superprof site is that you can scroll through all the tutors' profiles to find the one you think will assist you in meeting your Portuguese learning goals.
Olá to Private Portuguese Tutors
While you may think Portuguese group tutorial lessons may be best for you, you would be surprised to see how beneficial taking private Portuguese tutorials can be.
Certain workplaces that demand that you learn a foreign language like Portuguese, pay the tutorial fees for a private tutor so that you can learn the language. If you know of a company whose employees are learning Portuguese, you could ask about the tutors who come to give private lessons and get the details of the private tutor or tutors in this way.
You can also speak to employees who are taking these private Portuguese tutorials, so you can find out the prices of these lessons before you contact the tutor and commit to taking lessons.
Learning Portuguese while you are still at university or before you start looking for work is great, because when you do start applying for jobs, you can consider positions that require you to have basic knowledge of the Portuguese language as well.
The perks of learning Portuguese with a private tutor is that:
- You can learn the language much faster than when you learn in a group setting
- You can learn at your own pace
- The tutor offers his or her time and undivided attention to you only
- You can ask your face-to-face Portuguese tutor to teach you the language at your local coffee shop
- You can gain confidence in the language by conversing with your private tutor on a regular basis.
Portuguese Language Basics
Once you've found the right tutor for you, the Portuguese language will become much easier to learn. The tutor will work with you and assist you in grasping the basics of Portuguese. Your Portuguese tutor will start teaching you Portuguese language basics like vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
When learning a new language like Portuguese, you must make sure that you are getting the pronunciation of the words correct. That is where having a private tutor helps: to guide you and correct you with word enunciation.
Your Portuguese tutor will also provide you with frequent homework or enrichment exercises so as to consolidate your learning and make you feel more confident about speaking the language.
You will need to have a solid understanding of Portuguese language basics should you want to improve your overall Portuguese proficiency and advance from a beginner to intermediate level.
If you are looking to start off with Portuguese language basics, search on the Superprof website for the right tutor for you. You would be surprised at just how many first additional language and home language Portuguese tutors you will find on the site.
To get started with your Portuguese tutor search, merely enter your town, suburb or postcode into the Superprof search tool and specify that you are searching for a Portuguese tutor. You will then be presented with tutors who are based locally and tutors who are abroad and who teach Portuguese online. From this list, you can then choose the best Portuguese tutor for you.
Portuguese language learning can be "divertido" (fun)!
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