10 Ways to Practice Portuguese Before The End of The Year
Did you know that over 50% of New Year’s Resolutions only last up to three months? Or that only 6% of people actually stick to their resolutions in the long term?
When November arrives, it is common for people to reflect on their year. They think about the good moments, the struggles, and what they accomplished. But above all, many ponder what they did not do, and that leads them to start prepping for the New Year. A New Year seems like a new opportunity. It is a fresh start. Or is it?
In reality, most people struggle to stick to their resolutions because they get caught up in a busy routine. With the resolution already made, it is easy to postpone it. They will do it when they have the time. But time always seems to run out, and the resolutions remain.
So, instead of waiting for the new year, why not do something about your 2025 resolutions today? After all, the year has not ended yet. Thus, you still have time to make some changes. Below, explore the top ten ways to practice Portuguese before the end of the year:
- Switch Your Phone & Apps to Portuguese (Portugal)
- Listen to European Portuguese Podcasts Daily
- Watch Portuguese Series on RTP Play or Netflix
- Read Short Articles from Portuguese Media
- Play Story-Based Games in Portuguese
- Talk to AI in Portuguese Every Day
- Immerse Yourself in Portuguese Music
- Shadow Real-Life YouTubers
- Localize Your Digital World to Portugal
- Keep a “Portuguese Life Log”
If your goal was to learn Portuguese in 2025, you can still do it. Here is how!
Why Learn Portuguese
Learning a new language is an incredible way to boost your skills and grow. It is a challenging but rewarding experience that allows you to connect with people anywhere in the world. At Portuguese with Carla & Friends, we love helping you learn European Portuguese the natural way.
Below, start by exploring the differences between European and Brazilian Portuguese. Then, look into the three essential steps to learning a new language. Finally, discover the ten things you can start doing right now to reach your learning goals for this year!
A Note on European Vs. Brazilian Portuguese
As you probably already know, there are two main variants of Portuguese – the European and the Brazilian. Although they are under the same language, you will find them easily distinguishable from each other. For example, there are significant differences in pronunciation, vocabulary, and even grammar.
Because of these differences, we recommend choosing one variant to learn and sticking to it. Doing so will avoid unnecessary confusion and help you make progress faster. Since there are many more Brazilian Portuguese speakers worldwide, there are also more learning resources available in that variant.
Still, European Portuguese learners can find non-Brazilian learning resources online. At Portuguese With Carla and Friends, we keep a YouTube channel filled with free, valuable content. We launch new videos regularly, so you always have more content to explore.
We also hosted a podcast that is available on most platforms, so you can easily listen on the go. Through both of these resources, you can also download dialogues, access engaging learning notes, and lists with useful phrases.
How to Learn Portuguese in 3 Steps
Practicing Portuguese does not have to be difficult. Here are three steps you can consider when choosing activities to include in your study routine.
Improve Your Language Skills
Your number one goal when learning European Portuguese (or any other language) is effective communication. To achieve it, you must improve your skills. There are four language skills to work on: listening, understanding, speaking, reading, and writing.
There are many methods to this, but we prefer the natural, human approach: exposure and immersion. After all, your brain is programmed to absorb language. When you are exposed to a language as the natives speak it, it becomes second nature to you.
Master Portuguese Grammar
Grammar is a somewhat complex subject for most learners. It includes rules and exceptions, and it changes from formal to informal language. However, traditional study methods make it even more complex. A basic conversation becomes a set of regulations to memorize and follow.
Instead, learning and practicing Portuguese should be an absolute joy. Of course, there will be challenges. But there is no need to add to them with boring grammar explanations. When you are exposed to the language, your brain unconsciously picks up patterns.
You absorb how native speakers apply aspects like verb conjugation. This way, you learn to work your way around Portuguese dialogues without theoretical conjugation practice.
Use Effective Learning Techniques
Last but not least, you need to apply effective learning techniques. As you probably understood, we are big fans of immersion, exposure, and practice. Yes, these methods might leave you a little outside of your comfort zone. But they are effective.
No textbook is ever going to teach you closed vowel pronunciation. Besides, you might even memorize the most popular Portuguese verbs, but a massive library of verbs will get you nowhere in a real-life conversation.
At Portuguese with Carla & Friends, we blend top-notch educational software with science-proven techniques, like spaced repetition. Students worldwide learn Portuguese through our course, The Journey. In it, we use interactive lessons to help you connect with Portuguese culture on a deeper level.
Beginner and advanced learners benefit from a guided path that includes audio examples, written practice, and comprehension quizzes. Besides, in your personal learning studio, you have full independence and support. The course is self-paced, and our small but mighty team is ready to support. Click HERE to learn more about it!
10 Ways to Learn European Portuguese
After learning about these three steps, you can move on to more specific strategies. What can you do right now that will get you closer to achieving fluency in Portuguese?
Look into these 10 strategies that will easily fit into your adult life.
Switch Your Phone & Apps to Portuguese (Portugal)
Switching your smartphone’s default language to European Portuguese is a power move. You will struggle for the first few days. However, you will be easily impressed by how fast you will absorb daily-use vocabulary and structure. When all of your menus, notifications, and settings are in Portuguese, you have no other choice but to learn it.
Listen to European Portuguese Podcasts Daily
Podcasts help you get used to rhythm, accent, and idiomatic speech. Since you can usually listen on the go, they help you get exposure without being heavy on your routine. Besides, they are one of the most effective ways to boost your listening skills.
You can explore different subjects according to your interests. Or you can choose a Portuguese learning podcast to get specialized content on the language. Try the Portuguese with Carla Podcast and tell us your thoughts!
Watch Portuguese Series
Movies and series are powerful because they merge visual context with authentic language. They also give you extra motivation with new episodes added regularly. Instead of watching translated shows, try searching for original Portuguese shows. Try keeping the subtitles in Portuguese for faster progress.
Platforms like RTP Play and Netflix have several shows you can watch. Remember that you can adjust the speed controls if you struggle to understand at first.
Read Short Articles from Portuguese Media
Reading gives you exposure to natural structure and phrasing. It is an effective way to explore different types of speech with little effort. It also helps you increase your vocabulary in specific topics. For example, for current news, you can read newspaper articles from Público, Observador, Expresso, or Diário de Notícias.
Play Games in Portuguese
If you love to play games, you have an incredible opportunity to learn dialogue flow, tone, and expressions. Unlike other methods, gaming requires you to interact. It also speeds up your thought process and helps you build a proactive approach to language.
You can change the language to Portuguese and use translated subtitles if you are a beginner. When you move to a more advanced level, you can switch to Portuguese subtitles. Eventually, you will be able to drop the subtitles altogether.
Talk to AI in Portuguese Every Day
With AI, you can simulate a real conversation anytime. You can ask the tool to deliver feedback and continue the conversation with you. Many tools support European Portuguese, and even ten minutes of daily chat can have a huge impact.
In The Journey, you get access to AI Amália. This exclusive chatbot was created and trained for European Portuguese only. It delivers immediate feedback and helps keep the conversation going for however long you want to chat. It also has cultural knowledge, so you can discuss any topic you want while practicing Portuguese.
Immerse Yourself in Portuguese Music
Songs teach pronunciation, rhythm, and slang. Besides, music is one of the most fun ways to learn a language. You can listen to the songs, read lyrics on Letras.pt or Musixmatch, and sing along. This is also an incredible way to explore Portuguese culture. Learn more about this topic in: Tune Into Fluency: Learn Language Through Music. Plus, access our Portuguese Hits (Curated for Learners) playlist on Spotify!
Shadow Real-Life Speakers
Mimicking authentic speech improves pronunciation and fluency. In fact, The Journey includes many mimicking exercises to help boost your pronunciation and speaking. Try finding channels about subjects you already know and love. And here is a tip: repeat immediately after short phrases to match rhythm and accent.
Localize Your Digital World to Portugal
We are surrounded by free digital information, and you can use that to your advantage. Subscribe to Portuguese YouTube channels, podcasts, and newsletters. Doing so forces your brain to process Portuguese naturally.
Keep a “Portuguese Life Log”
Writing daily reinforces thinking in Portuguese. Each night, write five sentences about your day in Portuguese. Use a free grammar checker to correct any mistakes. If you have an active yearly subscription to The Journey, you can write directly to AI Amália, and it will give you instant feedback. Additionally, you can also read your entries aloud to practice pronunciation.
Take The Next Step!
Yes, it is possible to reach your learning goals before the end of the year! With these ideas, you can easily practice Portuguese and include different study methods into your routine. By consistently sticking to bite-sized lessons, you can go beyond basic greetings and random words. To help you out, we have created a list of exposure resources you can download for free! Click HERE and get it delivered straight to your inbox!
Are you serious about learning European Portuguese? Then, check out The Journey. This interactive course will have you interacting with Portuguese people in just a few months. It includes step-by-step lessons, real-world insights, and unique challenges.
You will also get other features included in your plan. For example, with your annual subscription, you will get instant access to an AI partner that allows you to practice Portuguese anytime, anywhere. You will also have your own Portuguese flash cards to practice vocabulary and idiomatic expressions.
The Journey goes beyond any other language learning app. It is the ultimate site, where you can learn Portuguese with nothing but good internet access. Click the button below to give it a go!
Learn European Portuguese the Instinctive Way!
For the last decade, we’ve been working on putting together the best possible European Portuguese course. After much research, feedback from our students, and several iterations, we think we’ve got it! 😉
At the base of it all is a sound conviction that languages are better learned instinctively, so the process needs to be engaging, varied, and enjoyable. Throughout, we used scientifically proven techniques to help you master pronunciation, phrase construction, oral understanding, grammar, and all the necessary bits to get you to fluency. And still, the whole thing is presented as an adventure. It’s a course like no other. Click the button below to see for yourself!
