When I first started learning how to speak Portuguese, I was excited about taking on the challenge of tackling a new language. As a native English and Spanish speaker, I welcomed the idea of the learning process. New vocabulary, phrases and a dialect that was foreign to me. It all sounded so fun!
Though, as my language skills grew, I realized my confidence remained frozen in place. In a job I once had, I encountered a lot of foreign tourists passing through including those from Portugal and Brazil and found myself stuck when trying to speak Portuguese with them. It’s like I could understand the native speakers and knew how to say the words in my head, but fear would force me to revert to speaking English instead – a language that feels like a comfort zone to me.
Finding the confidence to speak in a foreign language is an obstacle that language learners will surely encounter in their journeys. How does one get over that hump, break out of the safe place of their native language(s) and flex the fact that they can speak the language they’re working so hard to learn? I’ll let you take a sneak-peek into my Portuguese learning journey.
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How Do I Speak Portuguese With Confidence?
You might be wondering, “How can I improve my language speaking skills?” Like the old saying goes, practice makes perfect! That definitely rings true when trying to learn a new language. Confidence is built up as your language skills get better and better. The only way to improve is to continue doing and the only way to continue doing is to begin in the first place! Don’t worry, it’s totally normal to have jitters at first because you think your skills are mediocre, but in no time you’ll speak Portuguese like a local.
Interacting with the language you’re trying to learn every day, even if it’s just for 10 or 15 minutes at a time, is a wonderful way to keep yourself immersed in the language. In my case, an easy way to do that was by consistently checking into a language learning app, like the Ling app!
Through the Ling app’s Portuguese lessons, I stayed committed to the learning process and got into a routine where I would make speaking Portuguese part of a daily habit. This way, I could practice perfecting the Portuguese dialect and ensure confidence in my pronunciation and vocabulary selection should I ever encounter a native speaker. By using the Ling app every day, I thought, “If I’m learning Portuguese, I want to be able to do it properly to build confidence!”
Can Language Apps Improve Speaking Abilities?
Is a language app all it’s cracked up to be? I’m sure you might be wondering if it’s too good to be true that using an app every day will get you sounding like a native speaker. While a language learning app is the way to go for starting to learn a new language, it should be considered as a supplemental tool for improving your speaking skills.
Language apps will provide a backbone to your language learning, but you’ll have to do a bit more legwork if you want to truly become fluent. According to a study conducted by Columbia University, language apps were identified as having three main weaknesses: “First, apps tend to teach vocabulary in isolated units rather than in relevant contexts. Second, apps minimally adapt to suit the skill sets of individual learners, and third, apps rarely offer explanatory corrective feedback to learners.”
That being said, while language apps have their few faults, they do help give you the push you need to get started. Deciding to learn a new language being such a huge decision, taking the first step in just downloading an app is a fantastic way to begin and show to yourself that you can take on a challenging task! Woohoo!
Does Ling Language Learning App Enhance Fluency?
The Ling app will definitely help you get your foot in the door with starting your language learning journey. It’s got all the characteristics and must-have features needed for a language app to be effective in feeding your brain what it needs to maximize your potential for acquiring new words and phrases in your chosen language.
The Ling app is home to things like gamified learning lessons, progress tracking, and even daily reminders to complete the lessons. All of the above are important factors that contribute to a language app that will help you to succeed by making it an enjoyable place to come back to every day to get your language learning on!
Daily Reminders For Daily Lessons
We are all busy people and as much as we want to ensure never missing a day of our routines, we can be forgetful! This is where language apps, like the Ling app, come in. Language apps have the exceptional capability of reminding you, like via push notification, to complete a daily lesson.
After all, a huge part of building fluency is consistently interacting with the language you’re trying to learn. With the help of a daily in-app lesson, like those offered by the Ling app, the perfect foundation of acquiring a new language can definitely begin just by firing up and completing a quick 15-minute learning session every day.
For me, that notification is a life saver that reminds me to tap in to my daily lesson and has so often rescued my streak from being snapped! When it dings, I always make sure to take a bit of time out of my day to slow down, relax and speak Portuguese with an educational and fun tool.
Vocabulary & Grammar Lessons
It’s super important for students to understand how to apply words and grammar in their sentences instead of just simply blindly memorizing a laundry list of vocabulary.
In the Ling app, you’ll find the vocabulary lessons and grammar lessons (for some languages) themselves take an extra step to ensure teaching is done with future application in mind. What do I mean? Remember when we touched on the study conducted by Columbia University that found language apps tend to lack in actually offering “explanatory corrective feedback to learners”? The Ling app is a cut above the rest in that regard, offering exactly that for language learners!
In one user review, Hungry Domo from the United States said: “I think [the Ling app] do a great job in the presentation of material and recently added a grammar explanation feature at the end of each lesson. Unlike Duolingo that doesn’t teach you anything explicitly and expects you to pick things up via getting questions wrong or right.”
Games Make Learning Fun!
“Learning through play isn’t a new concept, but it’s still relevant, especially when it comes to contending with tiredness and, let’s admit it, occasional boredom,” shares Jelena Ciric, Content editor at BG Electrical & Air Con. Jelena has been an enthusiastic language learner with a background in linguistics. She further shares, “If you have a learning partner, you can play language games with them. If you’re learning alone, you can set daily goals for yourself or use apps to do it for you. Achieving those goals can be motivating and encourage you to push harder.”
That’s why the Ling app prioritizes making learning a joy with the help of gamified learning lessons, a rewards system that hands out points and a handy progress-tracking feature that keeps track of your learning streak so you can eventually show off to your friends that you’ve been learning for a hundred days straight!
In the Ling app, the mini games turn lessons from the usual bland and boring things you’d find in a school textbook to something fun and interactive you can swipe, tap and screenshot for accessibility wherever you are! From matching words to pictures to listening and writing challenges, the Ling app has entertaining lessons that will keep you hooked. You’ll forget you’re even learning!
Is Ling Language App Effective For Speaking?
As I’ve personally used the Ling app for practicing my daily Portuguese lessons and keeping the language fresh in my mind, I’ve found that my confidence in my speaking skills improves. I rarely come into contact with native Portuguese speakers nowadays, so the Ling app helps me exercise speaking the Portuguese language. This way, I am able to keep the Portuguese language floating around in my mind at all times!
The Ling app has this awesome Chatbot function that uses AI to simulate real conversations, which is great at helping you practice. I love it for speaking Portuguese especially if I have nobody to practice with which is often! Remember, you’ll never be alone on your language learning journey with fellow language learners on the Ling Discord community.
What Features Help With Pronunciation?
In order to build fluency with Portuguese, I made sure to (and still do) hold myself accountable with practicing communication every day. To learn Portuguese means to practice Portuguese speaking, of course!
The Ling app is an effective tool for doing exactly that, especially with the “Speaking” section of its lessons curriculum which gives you a phrase or word for you to say and then tests your ability to repeat it. There’s a function that allows you to slow down the word being spoken so you can really hear the letters get sound out to nail the tricky pronunciation to speak Portuguese words!
Frequently Asked Questions About Learning Portuguese
1. How Can I Speak Portuguese Confidently?
Without a doubt, it takes a lot of practice to speak Portuguese confidently. Repetition will be your best friend when it comes to learning Portuguese. Practice Portuguese by writing, speaking and reading a handful of the same words and phrases every day until you can memorize them easily.
By drilling vocabulary into your mind with a few at a time – perhaps with a thematic structure, too, like greetings or words related to food – you can gain a handle with how to speak Portuguese by becoming familiar with the language that native speakers interact with constantly.
2. What Is The Difference Between Brazilian Portuguese And European Portuguese?
The difference between the two is that generally, European Portuguese dialects tends to have a more guttural sound and Brazilian dialects can be described as emphasizing a nasal sound. Additionally, European Portuguese tends to shorten vowel sounds while Brazilian Portuguese tends to elongate them. With consonants, some of them are pronounced differently. Take the letter T for example – in Brazilian Portuguese, the pronunciation can sound like a “CH” sound, while European Portuguese has a pronunciation akin to the English way.
The Portuguese spoken in Brazil and Portugal is similar to where natives of either country can get by with understanding each other, though there are some variations with vocabulary, much like how Spanish branches out into its own subcultures within Spanish speaking countries.
3. What Should I Learn – Brazilian Portuguese Or European Portuguese?
If you’re wondering whether it’s Brazilian Portuguese or European Portuguese you want to learn, you can’t go wrong with your choice! No matter which dialect style you decide on, it’s cool to join the millions of Portuguese speakers out there and, looking to the future, perhaps be on your way to take a trip to any of the fabulous Portuguese speaking countries and confidently show off your language skills with the locals!
4. How Do You Say Basic Portuguese Phrases?
The most basic Portuguese phrase is Oi, Tudo bem? which means, “Hi, how are you?” Now, let’s take a look at a few basic Portuguese vocabulary words and phrases that will help you get the ball rolling to speak Portuguese.
| English | Portuguese | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Good morning | Bom dia | Bohm JEE-ah |
| Excuse me | Com licença | COMB lee-sense-ah |
| Thank you | Obrigada | Oh-bree-gah-dah |
| Please | Por favor | Pour fa-vore |
| Hi | Oi | O-yee |
| How are you? | Tudo bem? | Too-dough bay-m? |
| I’m fine | Estou bem | Esh-toe bay-m |
| Good afternoon/night | Boa tarde/noite | Bow-ah tar-JEE/noitch-EE |
| Bye | Tchau | Chow |
| And you? | E você? | Eh vow-seh? |
| Nice to meet you | Prazer | Prah-zehr |
Enhancing Portuguese Speaking Skills With Ling Language Learning App
Now that we’ve reached the end of this post, hopefully you’re ready to begin your deep dive to learn to speak Portuguese! Consider using the Ling app as your personal Portuguese tutor.
We’ve covered how the Ling app can help with all your Portuguese learning needs and with just a click away, you can begin learning in a snap! Check it out on the App Store or Google Play Store today.
