Learning a new language, as when doing a course such as learning Portuguese for beginners, can be a whole lot of fun and a rewarding, sometimes challenging, experience.
Starting out may be daunting, especially when trying to track down the best Portuguese language tutor for you. Below, however, are some great tips to make that search less of a bumpy ride.
How Do I Find a Portuguese Tutor?
Congratulations if you’ve decided that Portuguese is the next language you would like to master!
Now that you’ve made that decision, your next consideration is how you would like to go about improving your Portuguese conversation skills. With technology being ever-present these days, you might consider using an app such as Babbel to get you started. You could also try to locate a private Portuguese tutor who either speaks the language the way it is spoken in Portugal or who specialises in Brazilian Portuguese.
The final decision is of course yours, but many people really prefer working with a tutor who is available when they need an actual person to assist them. The reason for this is, of course, you can clear up any questions that may arise concerning grammar, pronunciation or syntax. You will also be able to copy their pronunciation and develop your Portuguese-speaking skills.
If tuition is the route you wish to pursue, then there are several places where you can locate a teacher:
- Your workplace
- Online
- A local university or school
Portuguese is not generally taught is South African schools and you may have to locate a private institution where you can pursue your study of the language. It is, however, offered as a language of study at several universities in the country.
Portuguese is growing in international institutions around the globe. In 2021 there were approximately 258 million Portuguese speakers in the world, with around 232 million of these being native Portuguese speakers. The United Nations estimates that, by the turn of the century, there will be half a billion people speaking Portuguese.
Why not join this growing band today?
If, however, you find that there are not many educational institutions offering Portuguese as a subject, why not locate a nearby Portuguese restaurant where you might be offered a part-time or full-time post. You can then practise and hone your Portuguese speaking skills on a daily basis.
Another option is to look for a tutor online. This is, for many, the fastest and least stressful method of locating a tutor, simply because you can find a host of online Portuguese tutors at the click of a mouse.
A quick visit to the Superprof website will soon have you in touch with one of the many, vetted language professionals. Here, you’ll be sure to find a Portuguese language tutor who can help those learning Portuguese for beginners, all the way through to more advanced levels. You’ll be able to quickly access a Portuguese tutor’s profile and compare him or her to all the others listed on the easy-to-use Superprof website, at a price that will suit you. Also, don’t forget, most of these tutors offer their first lesson free of charge.
How Best to Select Your Portuguese Tutor
There are a number of factors to consider when looking for a Portuguese tutor.
So, when searching for a tutor, it’s always a good idea to refine your search based on a few search criteria:
- What kind of lessons are you looking for? Long-term or intensive?
- Is the tutor’s years of experience important to you?
- In terms of your ability to conduct a Portuguese conversation, do you know what level you are at?
Getting answers, to some of the above questions, can really assist you in your quest to find the tutor who best suits your needs.
If, by way of example, you think that learning Portuguese for beginners is for you, then an under-graduate Portuguese varsity student might just be what you’re looking for. This would be true if you’re looking to cover the basics, such as greetings and basic words, the Portuguese alphabet and verb conjugation.
If, however, you have a certain amount of proficiency in Portuguese, you would, possibly, prefer to work with a more experienced tutor, as opposed to working with a student.
At the same time, when selecting a tutor, remember to consider the kind of Portuguese you would like to learn. Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese do have distinct differences and it is, thus, very important that your chosen tutor is fluent in the type of Portuguese that you would like to master.
What’s the Price of Portuguese Lessons?
How long is a piece of string? That’s how tough it is to answer this question.
The are a good many factors that come into play when a tutor considers what to charge for his or her service.
However, Portuguese tutors on the Superprof platform, tend to charge an average rate of between R100 and R300 per hour. Individual tutors' rates will differ as they are dependent on:
- How lessons are delivered (i.e. are the lessons held in-person, online or in a group?)
- The level of experience of the tutor – an under-graduate would charge far less than a varsity lecturer; and
- The nature of lessons – a course preparing you to use Portuguese in a business environment will cost far more than a course which simply covers the basics of the language, such as the Portuguese alphabet and basic vocabulary.
If you have budgetary constraints, the are several ways that you could go about keeping the costs of lessons down. You could, for example, see if it is possible to shorten the length of your lessons with your Portuguese tutor. Ask if, instead of an hour-long session, the tutor will consider limiting your session to 45 minutes or cut down on the number of classes that you originally planned.
Another option, in terms of cutting costs, would be to consider whether online tuition would be the way forward for you. In-person tuition costs are generally higher, particularly in a cities like Johannesburg or Cape Town. Remote tuition would be a great way to take your Portuguese learning forward without breaking the bank.
The ultimate goal is to locate a Portuguese tutor who will be instrumental in facilitating your Portuguese listening, reading, writing and speaking skills, regardless of your current proficiency level.
Superprof can really help you in your search! They will advise you on which tutors are available close to your location and which provide online classes. Superprof also highlights each tutor’s level of experience, enabling you to make an informed decision in terms of selecting the tutor best suited to your needs.
The Best Way to Brush Up Your Portuguese Skills on Your Own
If you’re in the fortunate position where you’re exposed to Portuguese lessons at school or varsity, it would be helpful to know how to reap the most benefit from those lessons, so that, in the end, you learn the language as well as possible.
Reviewing your Portuguese lessons on your own is an important habit to get into, for several reasons:
- Revising on your own helps to enhance your Portuguese skills and knowledge obtained so far;
- There will be a smaller chance of you falling behind in future lessons, since your understanding of previously taught concepts will be better; and
- You can identify and brush up on any areas of vocabulary, grammar or pronunciation that you were unsure of.
When considering which techniques work best when revising Portuguese, one often finds that it is a matter of trial and error to find techniques or methods that work for you. For example, you may find that flashcards work well, or you might find that working through your class notes works best for you.
Additionally, it’s also beneficial to do some work outside of the classroom to extend your knowledge of Portuguese. There are a couple of enjoyable and easy ways to improve your knowledge of the language, including making use of a language app, like Duolingo, for several minutes every day or watching Portuguese TV or movies.
Taking Portuguese Lessons: Several Good Reasons
Portuguese is a great language to learn, for a host of reasons.
While Portuguese is spoken in a number of countries, like Brazil, Portugal and is even an official language in Angola, it is not widely spoken or studied in South Africa except in certain communities.
In South Africa, the common languages chosen as subjects of study include English, Afrikaans and indigenous languages such as Zulu and Xhosa. For that reason, you would definitely stand apart from the crowd if you were to indicate Portuguese as language that you are proficient in on your CV.
Additionally, below are a couple of great reasons why learning Portuguese can be helpful:
- Knowing Portuguese would be brilliant if you were planning a trip to Brazil;
- You would be able to appreciate and enjoy Brazilian and Portuguese music to a greater degree; and
- You may find it easier to learn languages such as French, Spanish and Italian once you have mastered Portuguese.
Learning Portuguese won’t be all plain sailing because things like pronunciation may be a bit challenging for speakers of other languages. Still, learning the language will be worth your while, whether for personal or business reasons.
Superprof has some fantastic tutors to help you along your journey!
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
