Have any of you done a true language immersion in person, in Portugal which made a big difference in your speaking ability? Not talking about language classes or Practice Portuguese which is super helpful, but rather some situation where you were obliged to speak Portuguese–perhaps some volunteer work, interest clubs with strong participation by locals, or some such. Please let me know your suggestions or specific recommendations. Thanks!
1 Like
Interest clubs are hardly a thing here, except perhaps for motorcycles or hunting.
When I first came to Portugal and got annoyed by all the people speaking English to me, I moved to the worst neighborhood in town to get away from them. It was great. Hardly anyone spoke English, but they were far more proud of their country than the “better class” elsewhere in the city, and many people in the neighborhood, from shopkeepers to drug addicts and drunks in the park made a real effort to help me learn the language and use it. I also accompanied a bunch of them for their methadone pick-ups, a walk of several kilometers where some felt the need for a bodyguard (me), so I had a lot of time to chat doing that. Blessed are the poor, for they do a much better job of accepting and integrating those damned foreigners 