Learning a new language is a life-enriching experience. Yet if you have ever tried, you know it can be fun and daunting in equal measure to step out of your comfort zone.
It’s a great personal challenge that many claim to want, but not everybody can spare the time or the money to attend regular classes. Not everyone can afford one-to-one tutors for concentrated learning.
That’s why we now have online language learning through your smartphone, tablet, and another mobile smart device. Thankfully, there are many great language apps to learn Portuguese.
This post is part of our Globetrotters Recommend series
Why Learn with a Language Mobile App?
With all the wonders of modern technology for education, every year, thousands of people across the world choose a language mobile app for Portuguese online language learning and many other languages besides:
- They are great informal learning methods, allowing learners to do so at their own pace. The ability to take a short lesson during a work lunch break or an evening commute on the metro is quick and easy.
- Not everybody can commit to a formal course of 8, 10, or 12 weeks or longer. Missing one lesson due to a family emergency or personal illness feels like money wasted and vital lessons they can’t get back.
- Some adult learners report the formal process of classes and even one-to-one tutoring as daunting and even intimidating. Self-consciousness, especially for those who have been out of the education system for a long time, tend to prefer apps to learn Portuguese coupled with self-motivation.
- The natural processes of swipe, screen tapping, and tutorials mean you will pick up the technology faster than investing in specialized software.
We recommend you choose one of the apps to learn Portuguese here for the best and most effective experience.
Why use a Language Mobile App to Learn Portuguese?
Why would you want to learn Portuguese instead of another language? Aren’t there more widely spoken languages?
Yes, there are many others you might choose from the more common Romance languages of Italian, Spanish and French. Don’t overlook Portuguese as a lesser spoken Romance language; it’s considered one of the easiest for English speakers to learn.
Despite sounding phonetically similar and having the same common ancestor, Portuguese and Spanish are different enough to make it a challenge worth taking while feeling familiar. If you already know some Spanish, you may find you pick up Portuguese quickly.
The more Romance languages you understand, you will have a good enough grounding to adapt to Portuguese quickly.
Portuguese is most spoken in its native Portugal, but the country exported the language all over the globe.
- Brazil, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Mozambique, as a first language for a significant majority
- As a significant second language in Macau, East Timor, and Indonesia
- Former Portuguese colonies still have some populations who speak the language primarily, such as Goa
Travel in the Far East is becoming popular among younger people. While you are not guaranteed to encounter speakers in any great numbers, learn a little Portuguese in case you need to engage with official services should you need them.
Apps to learn Portuguese are particularly useful while you travel because you can use them in your hotel room, on the flight, and any other time you have spare to do so.
So long as you have an internet connection, online language learning is a simple, cost-effective, and flexible way to learn.