Portuguese lessons Seattle

Is Portuguese worth learning?  

Yes! Learning Portuguese is a great skill. Learning another language improves your mind and your communication skills at all levels. Learning Portuguese can open the door to many different cultures, not just Portugal and Brazil. And learning and speaking another language will improve your chances to find a job quicker since bilingual people are in demand today.

Another benefit of learning Portuguese is the fact that you get to expand your pronunciation skills. For example, if you are an English speaker, learning Portuguese can introduce many different new sounds to your range. This can come in handy when you are interested in learning other languages, or at least you will start recognizing these sounds in other languages. Soon you will see that languages have several common points between them.

Finally, learning Portuguese can be the first time you are learning a language, and learning a  language is, in a way, a skill of its own. If you feel like adventuring in learning another one in the future, you will be equipped with the already gained experience of having learned Portuguese, and you will know what works for you and what does not.

What is the difference between European and Brazilian Portuguese?

When it comes to words, vocabulary, pronunciation and expressions, someone from Brazil should understand about 95% when having a conversation with a Portuguese speaker from Portugal, and vice versa.

Pronunciation can be a bit different. Brazilian Portuguese tends to stretch vowels while European Portuguese tends to shorten them. Some letters are pronounced differently in both accents, such as the letter T.

Here is a list of words and expressions that are different in both accents:

Breakfast: Café de Manhã in Brazil, Pequeno Almoço in Portugal.

Cool: Legal in Brazil, Fixe or Giro in Portugal.

Place: Lugar in Brazil, Sítio in Portugal.

Cell Phone: Celular in Brazil, Telemóvel in Portugal.

Girl: Menina in Brazil, Rapariga in Portugal.

Bus: Ônibus in Brazil, Autocarro in Portugal.

Train: Trem in Brazil, Comboio in Portugal.

Comic Book: História em quadrinho in Brazil, Banda Desenhada in Portugal.

Subway: Metrô in Brazil, Metro in Portugal.

This last one has a different pronunciation; The European accent emphasizes the first syllable while in Brazil they separate both syllables.

These differences are not very significant, but if you already speak French for example, you might be able to relate more to the expressions from Portugal, while if you already speak Spanish, you might feel closer to the expressions in the Brazilian accent.

Can a tutor help me advance in Portuguese?

Certainly! If you learn with a Portuguese private tutor in Seattle, you will be able to bypass most of the struggle of not knowing where to start. A Portuguese tutor can assess your level of the language and create right away a method that is tailored to your interests and needs, considering as well your challenges and the areas that you would like to improve.

Wondering how I can get a Portuguese teacher near me. If you are searching for a Portuguese teacher in Seattle, visit Superprof, enter the skill you would like to learn as well as your location and a long catalog of teachers based in Seattle will appear for you.

Each teacher’s ad provides you with all the information you need to make the best decision. Finding the right teacher is crucial. Each ad gives you information about the teacher’s fee, background, method of learning, lesson format, which means via webcam, in person or at the student’s place. Commuting fees and sometimes videos are also in each ad.

Visit Superprof and find the best Portuguese tutor in Seattle for you!