Each year,a few months before my Carvoeiro holiday,I promise myself that I will learn more Portuguese .As Ive been visiting regularly for over 10 years I should be fluent--but am I ? Course not--reason?Because Im lazy with it and because Im English.
Ill probably get blasted for this last comment,particularly by English people who have taken the trouble--to them I apologise. But,on talking to many of my fellow coutrymen/women,I find it is a common failing in us,that we expect every other nation to speak the queens English.
When I lived & worked in Algarve for 2 years,I did find it much easier,living as we did,right in amongst Portuguese people,to learn the language.The people were (and still are of course) very kind and patient with us,helpingus a great deal>I can "get by" in Portuguese but i should be much better!
In saying all this,I do try,as much as possible to learn at least some of the language of countries I visit> My French is quite good and Im teaching myself German as well as Italian > personally I think it Good manners &common courtesy to at least try.I dont always get accent right but Ive never yet been laughed at inAlgarve for trying--mind you,i often put wrong words in wrong places&but we laughed with each other,my dear friend Maria & I.
My son,whos been teaching English in Holland has made a good effort to learn some Dutch (not an easy language)and made many friends.
When he taught English in Egypt, his colleague,the deputy head of college,spoke 7 languages including fluent Arabic, some of which he passed onto son. But even this expert on language gave up one day,when trying to get rid of chap trying to sell them a "camel", ended up using 2 very old Anglo Saxon words which he said were known internationally!
Ill leave you to guess what words as they are unprintable here!
I hereby declare that from tomorrow I am embarking on a full course of Portuguese language tapes--course i am!
Hope the suns shining in Carvoeiro--it is here--till tomorrow apparently.
Have a nice weekend.Elle.

Totally agree with you about us English expecting everyone else to speak our language . laziness I guess and also foreign languages are taught earlier in the rest of europe.

Hi, I have been trying to pick up some Portuguese by means of a tape and instruction book. And I thought I was doing really well, alas if you don't have opportunity to practise with well meaning Portuguese friends you are kinda lost. And even though I am not British I find it just too easy to use English and get what I want. It is a lot of fun though to try your few words when you are outside the tourist areas, and the wonderful people just adopt you because you have a smattering of their language. You just gotta love this country.

Totally agree with Ian Wortho about teaching our children much younger --especially the languages of our closest neighbours in Europe. I believe schools here have started French inlast year at primary(10yr olds )but in my opinion this is'nt early enough -the younger the better really.Children will very quickly pick up language. Also agree very much with Heini;that the best way to learn is to get amongst the people of the country as tapes & books can get very"boring" --she is so right.You need to use it every day when possible.
Welcome to Heini in Alberta ,Canada--is this your first visit to the forum?
Is your first language German--if so then willkommen-or maybe youre Scandanavian? In that case I dont know the word!
Youre also right Heini about it being easier to use English and when Im in Carvoeiro so many Portuguese youngsters use English so I end up being lazy(again!) and just use Obrigada & faz favor>>But i intend to do better by time i come out end August(once more!).
Dont get me wrong-I love my language-to me its a beautiful one-its the language of Chaucer-Shakespeare- Milton-Wordsworth(youre not far from his terratory Ian;Lake District)Dickens-Thomas Hardy-the list is endless andthe vocabulary is ever expanding. I admire the people of other countries who have learnt English-I think maybe its the hardest,with all our different spellings and meanings.It astonishes me how people of Scandinavia & the Low countries speak it so well &fluently and often better that our own folk! A Danish friend of mine In London spoke it without a trace of her own accent.Wonderful and I wish we would make the effort here inUK.
One of the saddest things is to see a language die out and it could happen here with our Celtic neighbours . I heartily support the Welsh/Irish/Scottish and our Cornishmen inkeeping their mother tongues alive.
An elderly couple I knew,lived in Spain for "30" years! When I first met them,I said "You must be fluent inSpanish now". They said " No,we have 'nt bothered,we just know please andthanks!"
Oh well.They'll always be some! Ellie.

Thanks for the welcome Blondelle. I have been visiting this site and the forum for many years and signed up right away when this new format was introduced, which I love by the way. My husband and I then spent Jan/Feb/Mar in Carvoeiro, and I didn't have much opportunity to access the internet. But now that we are back in Canada, and Spring seems to be slow in coming I check in here every morning, and imagine myself being back at the square and Smiler's again. Cheers

Nice to hear from you Heini --- how nice that you spent the early months in Carvoeiro.Know exactly how you feel.Know Smilers well,used to have breakfast there quite a lot when we lived there (10 years ago ).We visit regularly now as holiday makers --we were there for 5 weeks last new year for the "Euro" celebrations--we felt a bit left out though as Britain hadnt joined. Eat quite often at Colombos(next to Smilers),nice people inthere.
Yes its great to have this forum isnt it ,to keep in touch with our favourite place. From what you say,I gather Canadas still chilly!
Weve had lovely weather here inUK for a few weeks now--perfect English spring weather--can it last though? Usually snows around Easter from what I recall!
Anyway Happy Easter to you whatever the weather! Elle.