Thursday, January 23rd
2025 Portuguese Lesson Reviews
Rocket Languages
- Free guest account, no signup required
- $149.95 one-time payment or $27/month for 6 months
- Promo pricing may offer discounts
- Brazilian Portuguese
- Free guest access
- 60-day money-back guarantee
- Lifetime access with your one-time payment
- Beginner to intermediate level
- 140 hours of lesson time
Rocket Languages has been around for a long time, often trusted by large corporations to deliver real-world conversational fluency to their employees. For over 20 years, Rocket's lessons in Spanish, Russian, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, and more have been a solid way to work on beginner to intermediate levels of language ability.
Try it for free, no account necessary
We love that Rocket Languages lets prospective students try the lessons out for free (like most of the services on our list do), but without requiring any kind of sign-up. When you click to access the platform with a guest account, you'll be invited to enter your name, email address, and desired password; this lets you save any progress you make as you try it out, get exclusive discounts, access extra free lessons, and use your account on Rocket's mobile apps. But, you're also welcome to click "Maybe Later” and enter the Portuguese lessons without revealing your identity (how mysterious!).
74 lessons across Audio, Language, and Culture
That will take you to the Intro Module, which lets you explore the different lesson types offered in Rocket Languages. There are 74 lessons in total, typically divided into Audio Lessons and Language & Culture Lessons. Look at the little circles underneath each lesson title to see how you've progressed through the components that make up your study for that topic: flash cards, listening, writing, speaking, and a quiz to test your mastery.
Topics include Numbers and Survival Kit
Topics include basics like introductions and numbers, grammatical explanations of prepositional pronouns and irregular verbs, and situational lessons about going shopping and booking a hotel. There's also a series of lessons called Survival Kit, to help you talk about your body (if you're traveling and want to know how to get help if you're sick), food (so that you can eat all of the delicious things you spot while you're out and about), and so forth.
You'll need to be able to listen carefully and record yourself
As you get started with Rocket Languages, it's important that you choose a relatively quiet learning environment. Why? There's a strong audio component to the lessons here, which usually start with a 15- to 40-minute conversation in Portuguese between Paulo and Tereza. Not only will you need to be able to hear what's being said, but the platform's Rocket Record will give you the opportunity to match your spoken Portuguese with a native accent. (We've had mixed results with using Rocket Record; sometimes it's accurate, and other times, not so much. Your mileage may vary.) We do love that Rocket Languages accesses all modalities to help you start to learn the language, and that it's not inundated with "hints” (*cough* Bird App *cough*) that could effectively negate all of your practice by giving away the answers as you write, listen, read, or speak.
Some features aren't used very often
Just don't come to the Rocket platform expecting a lot of bells and whistles. Yes, there is a leaderboard to comparing your progress against other Portuguese students, and a forum where you can ask questions. But, given how many forum topics had a "most recent” comment dating back more than a decade, we think it's safe to say that people aren't really using that feature very often. And, on the leaderboard, it was rare to find anyone with a streak of more than a few days; that looks like a bunch of people trying it out, not necessarily committing to long-term use of Rocket Languages.
One-time cost is a plus, but don't expect content updates
Another slight drawback, related to those we just mentioned, is that this is a very static option for learning Portuguese. You won't find anything about current events, modern slang and idioms, or anything other than the basics of the language and culture over the long run. The upside is that you're only making a one-time payment here (regularly priced at $149.95, but almost always with a "limited time promo” price of $99.95), and you can use Rocket Languages as long as you like. And, even that comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Great option as low-stress Portuguese lessons for beginners
In general, the word we would use to describe Rocket Languages is "comfortable”. You'll have no worries about auto-recurring subscriptions that you forget to turn off, no pressure to study every single day, and no deadline to "make the most out of your learning”. Once you've paid for Rocket's lessons, they're yours forever. If you're just looking for a well-rounded introduction to Brazilian Portuguese, Rocket is a fantastic choice. But, if you're looking for regularly-updated content, the ability to move to more advanced levels of fluency, or super-gamified apps that motivate you to do just one more lesson, Rocket Languages won't be your best match. These lessons earn a respectable score from us.
More Portuguese Lesson Reviews
The 11 Best Portuguese Lessons
Where Can You Find the Best Portuguese Lessons?
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.
Portuguese Lesson FAQ
Continued from above...
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:
- Levels offered. Consider your current fluency level and what you're hoping to accomplish. Do you need to start from zero, or do you have a background in Spanish or another Romance language that will give you a head start into a more intermediate difficulty level?
- Mode of instruction. How do you learn best? Is it with lots of audio files with native speaker accents for you to imitate, direct grammatical instruction in English, total immersion from the get-go, or a combination of all that and more? Are you looking for classroom-style lectures or a fun app to keep you motivated? You'll find all of that and then some in today's most popular online Portuguese lessons.
- Cost. What will you pay to access the Portuguese lessons you need? Many services give you something for free, with the hope that you'll buy or subscribe later. Pay attention to monthly vs. annual billing, automatic recurring subscriptions, and charges that may apply after you sign up for a free trial.
- Effectiveness. How well will you be able to speak, read, write, and understand Portuguese after putting effort into the lessons? What do other students say about their fluency levels after using the program?
- Satisfaction guarantee/refund policy. If you pay for access to the Portuguese lessons and wind up not liking them, can you get your money back? Is there a time limit to requesting a refund?
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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