10 amazing resources to learn Brazilian Portuguese

Learning a new language can be quite a wild ride, right? As a polyglot, I know there are days when you feel like you've made a lot of progress and days when you feel like you aren't getting anywhere. I've been there, done that! Ever since I went there and did that, I've learned that autonomy is an important part of the process of becoming fluent in a foreign language.

It doesn't matter what you call it — "intrinsic motivation" or "curiosity," for instance — it plays an important role in this process. That's why, as a tutor, I always assign tailored homework and I encourage students to try different resources. This helps them immerse themselves in Brazilian Portuguese according to their levels and interests.

As you might know, there's a whole world of resources out there, and finding the right ones for you is super important. Here are 10 resources to dive into:

1. Apps: Duolingo, Babbel, Memrise, Mondly, Busuu, Pimsleur, FluentU, LingoDeer, LingoPie, Linguno, Ouino, Speechling, among others.

These are some options that will help you learn vocabulary, phrases, and conversations in Portuguese. Ideally, they'd be the whole package - help language learners with reading, listening, writing, and speaking, but they can't organically do that because they are AI.

I've tried them while learning the languages I study. Some of them are pretty expensive, others make you repeat the same unreal sentences over and over again.

All shade aside, for you to filter what works for you, it is important that you are aware you won't get fluent only by using one of them. As I said above, you should combine different resources to reach your fluency goal.

2. Podcasts: Português pra fora, Coffee Break Portuguese, Carioca Conversation, and Speaking Brazilian Podcast

These podcasts are amazing. They share their episodes on Spotify weekly. They are great for you to improve listening skills, pick up new vocabulary, and learn about Brazilian culture. Their format also enables you to run errands while you learn, which might sound great to you in case you're a multitasking junkie (aka ADHD-diagnosed) just like me.

3. Youtube channels: Easy Portuguese, Português com Márcia Macedo, Vou Aprender Português, Speaking Brazilian Language School, Plain Portuguese, Português com Camila, Decoding words with Andrew, Uncle Brazil, Portugués con Philipe Brazuca, and my youtube channel, Oibrazilianportuguese

These channels are just as amazing as the podcasts I mentioned above. They'll also help you improve your listening, pick up new vocabulary, and sometimes they even explain some grammar topics. If you're a visual learner, it's a better choice than podcasts.

4. Meetups: Mundolingo, Polyglot clubs' meetups, Hilokal, Tandem, Hellotalk, and Fun Brazilian Portuguese Hangout

Local and virtual meetups are great for you to meet different people. Mundolingo, Hilokal, Tandem, Hellotalk, and polyglot meet-ups aren't specific for those who are learning Portuguese, but you'll likely be able to meet Brazilians there. Fun Brazilian Portuguese Hangout is a free and monthly online event I organize in which Portuguese learners are encouraged to interact with each other by playing games like Bingo, Scattergories, etc. Students have multiple levels and everyone is welcome to take part in it. If you're interested, click here.

5. Brazilian Portuguese simple texts: Bilinguator.com, Greengodictionary, Jornal Joca, Recreio, Folhinha, Jornal da Criança, Lingua.com and my blog

These simple texts are great for picking up new words and improving your reading skills. Since they show real-life language, they're super useful. But, because all the materials, except for the last two, weren't made specifically for learners, they can be pretty tough to understand, especially if you're just starting out. On the other hand, Lingua.com and my blog are specifically focused on teaching and learning.

6. Music: Lyric videos, Lyricstraining game, my Spotify playlist

These are fun ways to learn the language. They help you pick up new vocabulary, improve pronunciation, and get a feel for the rhythm of the language. However, song lyrics can be tricky because they often use slang, poetic language, or regional expressions that might be tough to figure out, especially if you're a beginner. My playlists consider that, though.

7. Role-play games: The Sims, Influent, The Witcher 3, Minecraft: Education Edition

Those are great for learning Brazilian Portuguese in a fun way. They let you practice words and phrases by using them in real situations. But keep in mind that some of the language can be tricky, with gaming terms or complex dialogues that might not always match everyday conversation, making them a bit tough for beginners.

8. Netflix or YouTube + Language Reactor

Watching Brazilian TV shows with subtitles can help familiarize you with day-to-day Portuguese. Language Reactor is a freemium Google Chrome extension that integrates subtitles from series and makes it easier for you to learn vocabulary, and improve your listening and pronunciation skills.

9. AI: ChatGPT, Google Bard, TandemGPT, ParlAI, Talkpal

AI can be pretty good for practicing Brazilian Portuguese, especially if you're shy. They let you chat, ask questions, and get quick feedback, which is super helpful for learning. Just remember that sometimes their responses can be a bit formal or off, and they might not always catch the subtleties of real conversations, which can make understanding everyday language a bit tricky.

10. Oibrazilianportuguese: I can walk you through all those resources in a personalized way. The way I see it, we learn way more effectively when we take control of our learning process and have more autonomy to choose how we want to learn, which is why my teaching approach is the one that works for you. You will learn at your own pace, with the resources you're interested in, and I will be thrilled to guide you in that journey!