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Portuguese is the sixth most spoken language in the world, with over 260 million speakers spread across several continents. And with today's technology, there are a number of online resources and platforms available for learning Portuguese. These range from interactive apps to comprehensive language courses tailored to different proficiency levels, from beginner to advanced.
For those who seek a more immersive learning experience, tutoring sessions with native speakers can be arranged through live video calls. These give you the opportunity to practice speaking and listening skills in real-life situations. Learning Portuguese online gives you the ability to learn the language in all of these ways.
Saturday, November 9th
If you've listened to radio ads or podcasts, you've likely heard of Babbel, offering over 225 hours of Portuguese lessons with proven effectiveness. Although their Live lesson service isn't yet available for Portuguese, the self-study lessons cover A1 to B1 levels with structured and topic-based lessons, interactive activities, and diverse review methods. Babbel also offers podcasts, games, and a magazine, and the Toucan browser extension enhances your vocabulary building. Pricing starts at $17.95 per month, with discounts for longer subscriptions and a 20-day money-back guarantee. Despite a small handful of customer service issues, Babbel's practical, well-rounded approach to learning and its affordability continue to make it our top choice for Portuguese learners, even without live lessons yet.
Memrise, founded by a group of Oxford friends passionate about neuroscience, offers an engaging and effective platform for learning Portuguese spoken in Brazil or Portugal, utilizing both traditional memory techniques and innovative language methods. With a user-friendly interface, you can freely navigate through Words, Videos, and Conversations, selecting the themes and difficulty levels you want to use. While practicing, Memrise doesn't waste your time on known content while tracking your progress, ensuring more efficient learning. Although community-created content was removed in 2024, Memrise has compensated with AI-powered Conversations and authentic video snippets. The platform offers a free version and a Pro plan starting from $8.74/month, providing ad-free access. If the 50% discount on the lifetime Pro plan isn't available, it's worth waiting for, especially around holidays. Overall, Memrise stands out as an entertaining and valuable tool for improving Portuguese skills, offering tons of real-world content and practical learning experiences. We'd say Memrise is "otimo” and enthusiastically recommend it for Portuguese lessons.
italki offers a unique language learning experience by connecting users with real Portuguese-speaking tutors through personalized one-on-one video calls, suitable for learners of all levels. With over 400 tutors available, students can easily find the perfect match using filters based on their specific learning goals and schedule preferences. Whether seeking structured lessons from Professional Teachers or casual tutoring from Community Tutors, italki provides ample opportunities for immersive language practice with affordable trial lessons ranging from $5 to $18. Periodic Language Challenges offer extra motivation if you need it, while Group Classes and Courses offer the opportunity to dig deep on a particular topic with other students. While italki may not be everyone's favorite way to learn a language, it's a definite win for improving Portuguese proficiency, fostering cultural understanding, and building connections with native speakers.
If you're eager to learn Portuguese, Ouino offers a comprehensive platform designed to give you a strong core base in the language. Ouino equips you with grammar, vocabulary, and verb conjugation skills, while also encouraging practice through various activities like reading, listening, writing, and speaking. You can fine-tune your pronunciation with self-graded exercises and customize your learning experience according to your pace and preferences. Ouino's transparent approach allows you to explore literally all of its resources for free before committing to flexible subscription plans or lifetime access options, all backed by personalized support from its creators and support team. With glowing user reviews and affordable pricing, Ouino provides a promising path to fluency in Portuguese, earning an enthusiastic rating from us.
Portuguese Pod 101 has a lot to offer. These lessons meet you wherever you are in terms of fluency, with content ranging from "starting from scratch” to "I can listen to and understand real-world videos and articles” (total beginner to advanced levels, in other words). There's a ton of free content you can use to preview how these Portuguese lessons work, and several tiers of membership that include various tools to help you progress. The Premium+ service actually gives you an assigned teacher, to grade assignments and make recommendations for your learning. Your biggest challenge here may be avoiding overwhelm as you sort through all of your options.
Rocket Languages is a great choice for beginning learners of the language. These Brazilian Portuguese lessons can effectively teach you how to read, write, speak, and understand basics like introducing yourself, going to a restaurant or hotel, and conjugating verbs. You can try out the platform with a guest account, and there's never a subscription required: for a one-time payment of under $100 (with promo pricing), you'll have access to all 74 lessons forever. This isn't a good fit if you already know a decent amount of Portuguese, but we can easily recommend these lessons for anyone starting from scratch and looking for a comfortable, well-rounded way to learn without the pressure of a gamified language app.
Busuu offers Portuguese lessons ranging from beginner to upper intermediate levels of fluency. Acquired by Chegg in 2022, this platform makes novel use of other learners to give you corrections and feedback on your written and spoken Portuguese (while inviting you to do the same for people learning English), but you can also get a good start on your language journey with free content that doesn't require you to play nicely with others if you're not comfortable with it. We like that Busuu takes an active approach to teaching grammar, not relying on you to pick up on verb conjugations or other topics by intuition alone. However, some users have noted that the vocabulary presented via Busuu is very business-related, and that content tapers off the higher you get in fluency. It's not a bad option among Portuguese lessons, but you'll want to take advantage of all of the free content before you decide whether or not it's worth it to pay for a subscription.
Rosetta Stone aims to teach you Brazilian Portuguese naturally by immersing you in the language, similar to how you learned your first language as a child. But the problem is just spending an hour a day with it isn't anything like studying in Sao Paulo or vacationing in Rio, and guessing at meanings isn't the best long-term way to gain fluency. Plus, some parts, like the stories, could be frustrating if you can't understand all the words. There's also no free trial, so you'll have to pay for a Rosetta Stone subscription and use the 30-day money-back guarantee if you wind up not liking these Portuguese lessons. Despite being one of the most well-known names in language learning (at least back in the days of bright yellow boxes of CD-ROMs sold from mall kiosks), Rosetta Stone falls a little short with the immersion it claims.
Can Duolingo's Portuguese lessons help you get fluent in the language? Probably not, but that doesn't mean you can't use this free-forever app to get in some practice, have fun competing with friends and strangers, and maybe pick up a few new words and phrases. You'll only pay to use Duolingo if you want to get rid of ads and have unlimited practice; otherwise, you'll get 5 mistakes before you're locked out for a time. You'll have the opportunity to read, speak, and listen to Portuguese, with some limited writing practice, so it's not the worst option out there. Just don't expect to get a ton of real-world skills here, even with a streak lasting hundreds (or thousands) of days. Duolingo earns a mid-tier rating.
Mondly is a language app where you can track your progress and do interactive Portuguese lessons on your phone or computer. With Mondly's free Basic plan, you can try out some beginner activities, but to unlock the full range of fun stuff like chats and more lessons, you'll need to go Premium. However, even though it's beginner-friendly, Mondly lacks detailed grammar lessons and might get a bit boring for advanced learners. And, there's been some changes lately since Pearson bought Mondly, which makes us wonder about future updates and support. So, while Mondly isn't a bad way to start your Portuguese studies, you might want to look into other options if you're serious about learning.
Considering Fluenz for Portuguese learning? It's a program tailored to help English speakers grasp Brazilian Portuguese by mapping it onto what they already know. With a one-time payment, you gain access to up to five levels, each focusing on different language skills, from basic conversation to more advanced topics like internet discussions and storytelling. Fluenz' structured approach includes videos and exercises to keep you engaged, though it may feel a bit formal. While it stands out for its clear explanations and English support, it lacks trial options and recent reviews, so you'll have to rely on the 30-day money-back guarantee if you don't like it after you try it out. And, some users find it falls short of delivering true advanced fluency, especially compared to newer language learning platforms. Fluenz isn't doing much to stay current, and our rating reflects the limitations of these Portuguese lessons.
One of the primary reasons for learning Portuguese is its importance in international business and trade. Brazil, with its rapidly growing economy, is a major player in global markets, making Portuguese a valuable asset for professionals seeking opportunities in sectors such as finance, agriculture, technology, and energy. Additionally, Portuguese proficiency can open doors to cultural exchange programs, academic research opportunities, and international collaborations.
Another compelling reason to learn Portuguese is its rich cultural heritage. From the captivating rhythms of Brazilian samba and bossa nova to the haunting melodies of Portuguese fado, the Portuguese-speaking world boasts a diverse tapestry of art, music, literature, and cuisine. Learning the language provides a deeper understanding and appreciation of these cultural treasures, allowing learners to engage more fully with Portuguese-speaking communities around the globe. Why not order feijoada in fluent Portuguese when you visit Rio?
Learning Portuguese can be an enriching experience for various reasons, including its cultural significance, global relevance, and the potential for personal and professional growth. Portuguese is the official language of Portugal and Brazil, of course, but did you know Portuguese is also spoken in Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, and Sao Tome and Principe, with cultural importance in regions such as Macau, East Timor, and Goa?
Ready to get to it? Muito bom! Let's take a look at some criteria you can use to choose the right Portuguese lessons for your learning style and fluency goals:
Whether for business, travel, or sheer curiosity, acquiring proficiency in Portuguese opens doors to a vibrant and dynamic world, enriching the lives of learners and fostering connections across continents. To help you on your language journey, the experts at Top Consumer Reviews have tried and ranked some of the most popular Portuguese lessons available today. Boa sorte!
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