portuguese lessons

hancockshalfhour · Post by **hancockshalfhour** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 4:52 pm

have been trying to find some Portuguese lessons in Leicestershire with no luck,courses not restarting untill October anyboby know someone that might be able to help?

Karen Ann · Post by **Karen Ann** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 8:29 am

I think Portuguese must be the hardest language to find in local colleges. I have been looking around for a long time, I have tried the tapes and books and i have picked up some while spending time in Portugal, but what I need is classes.
It was suggested to me that when over in Portugal book an hour a day with a Portuguese tutor. This is what I am planning this year.

blue · Post by **blue** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 10:15 am

I looked for Portuguese courses for years before we moved out here, every year the Surrey University would advertise a course, I'd put my name down & pay, then about 2 weeks before start date it would be cancelled due to low numbers, this happened 3 years running. Our local college ran Portuguese courses but were only once a week & ran over 2 years, I wanted something more intensive.
I seem to have accumultated every book ('Portugese In Three Months' is very good, though I think I really need 'Learn Portuguese in about 25 years'

), cd & dvd going, unfortunately I don't have a talent for languages. I found the 2 courses I did at the language school in Lagos very good & I believe they run summer courses.

hancockshalfhour · Post by **hancockshalfhour** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 2:17 pm

Thanks for the replys glad to hear its not just me looking in wrong place!
does seem almost impossible but idea of pre booking for when we are in portugal sounds like a good idea,although I know I would then get frustrated when I get back home and cant continue, but at least id get a bit of ground work that might then help with cds etc.

suziebear · Post by **suziebear** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 5:57 pm

Hi

we had the same problem and over the years have accumulated so many tapes, cds and books all collecting dust rather nicely on our book shelves. Then the good old daily mail did cds (4 in total) and a work book called PDQ Portuguese and I have found these really good and useful, were all using them now. Im sure if you went onto the DM website you could find out if they still had them? Also, I bought a book called Portuguese in 10 mins a day - think i got it in waterstones (although a few words and pronunciations are brazilian) it is good and you can do as little or as much as you want, its a workbook, its got flash cards and stickers to put around your house and we like it.

Also, for our daughter, who starts school out there in sept. I was walking around our local tesco and heard these two ladies talking away in Portuguese (rather bizarre i know) to cut a long story short, she comes to teach our daughter twice a week now and is great! (For the lady who lives in Manchester, she attend uni in manchester)

Kristal Wild · Post by **Kristal Wild** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 2:52 pm

Hi there

Protuguese lessons in greater Manchester area (uk): I provide them
give us a call 07894692670
Many thanks
G

Avvie · Post by **Avvie** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 4:30 pm

We too did the tape and books bit before we came over here to live and then did some lessons with a local Port. Teacher who was excellent. Now we are part time back in Scotland, and can't find any classes there. Does anyone have any details of classes available in the Central Scotland area?

suziebear · Post by **suziebear** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 3:30 pm

Hi

Can recommend Kristal Wild - she teaches my daughter! Nice lady!

carolynb · Post by **carolynb** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 3:03 pm

Avvie

Glasgow University runs courses (evening classes ) if that is anywhere near you. (Think Edinburgh University does it too).

http://www.gla.ac.uk:443/departments/ad ... Portuguese

Unfortunately the course runs from October to March so just finishing latest course. I know some colleges and university run a 'summer school' so might be worth asking the question.

I have attended this course myself couple of years ago (stage 1 and then stage 2 following year.)

It is quite good and really does help you with the basics of the language but you do really need to put more work in at home as well to keep up with the class.
Has definitely improved my understanding of written Portuguese but still hopeless at understanding spoken Portuguese, which I think was meant to be the whole point of the course. But then that just might be me

Carolyn

pato · Post by **pato** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 10:20 pm

hancockshalfhour wrote:Thanks for the replys glad to hear its not just me looking in wrong place!
does seem almost impossible but idea of pre booking for when we are in portugal sounds like a good idea,although I know I would then get frustrated when I get back home and cant continue, but at least id get a bit of ground work that might then help with cds etc.

Don't worry about it, I've been visiting my house for 18 years and can still only order drinks in Portugese, when I do, they repeat it as 2 pints of beer and a large scotch with still water and no ice, I find you'll get along fine as long as you've got plenty of Euros and tip well.

suziebear · Post by **suziebear** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 2:05 pm

I think its good to try and learn the language, yes its difficult and yes it does get frustrating - but at least it keeps the grey matter churning away. Where we go (praia grande), Zea has threatened that if I dont know a little more portuguese by the time we go at Easter, then she will not talk to me in English Ha! That could be fun. Just go and plug my earphones in again.