Motivation when studying Português

#21

Hi everyone

I guess what keeps me motivated is setting short-term goals for each week or month.
It’s important to set only realistic ones and actually write them down. It’s very rewarding when you tick them off your list…:slight_smile: And it gives me this structure and motivates me more then a long-term goal of speaking fluent Portuguese.

For example for one week my goals are:

  • listen to 2 podcasts
  • have a chat with somebody in Portuguese
  • read a piece of news in Portuguese
  • practice verbs on PP for at least 5 mins
  • practice for a few minutes every day vocabulary using one of the apps
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#22

Hi dorville 1!

I like your choice of descriptive language! I always enjoy colorful thoughts. It is okay to use words like “big mouth” and “social animal!” Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise!

You have run into the same problem I have with Portuguese, namely, poor pronunciation. People who grow up in Portugal learn everything from the ground up. Those of us who visit, don’t have those advantages. So we struggle.

I use a few tools to help me out, but listening to fast language is out. It is useful to see if I have improved any, but does not help with understanding.

I recently acquired a language buddy. It was a surprise, but he is a good fit. We will see how it works! We started with the weather forecast, which is useful. Next will come restaurant conversations. In other words, I am structuring my learning to fit and help me! have no intention of doing social stuff. Too complex!

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#23 
Cristina Magazine.

https://dailycristina.com

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#24

That’s her! That link is actually to her blog, which she also manages on top of her printed magazine. She has to be the most popular woman in Portugal at the moment.

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#25

Hey folk don’t despair. Yes trying to understand some spoken Portuguese is hard (impossible?) but I press on.
I have been a regular in most parts of Portugal for holidays for 30 years and my understanding of the language has grown year by year. But to quote Paige “I still feel like a toddler” sometimes even though the Portuguese are kind about my efforts to speak their language.
As an example we were bothered by a mentally challenged individual in one of the remote mountain towns. Could I remember anything else except “Nao”…No. Of course “vá embora” came back to me 10 minutes after the event!!
I spent the last few days speaking Portuguese (or a version of it) to my hosts, their retired parents and some workers in the tiny sitio of Cruz de Baixo. I joined them in their vines to start the Colheita de uva and was rewarded by lunch with the family, workers and neighbours who were helping. It was lovely. My language improved when we moved to the cevada laced with the local aguardente!!
They were very kind. “English people don’t speak other languages”, they said. “You do very well”. Untrue of course but that was some motivation!
Trying is so rewarding. Be proud of your own efforts. There are English folk living in the Algarve for 40 years who can’t even order a draught beer in Portuguese!!

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