Portuguese language?!?!?!?

Question

i was born in brazil , i lived there for 3 years , i didn't learn to write there then i moved to london and english became my main language , i still live in london and am still going to stay for schooling etc. i go to brazil over the holidays except my portuguese ( brazilian) i quite bad , i cant understand some things my friends say and i cant pronounce some words , some times when i want to find a word , i cant( this happens quite often ) and i cant write properly ( with all the accents and etc.)

should i take portuguese(brazilian) language classes ?

what should i do?

i desperately need my portuguese to get better

Answer 1

Olá, "Beijo Cor-de-Rosa" :)

No, I don't think that you need to take Portuguese language classes. Not unless they are specifically tailored to your situation, ie, "Portuguese for Native Speakers with Limited Proficiency." (I used to teach Spanish--as a Second Language--in Texas; occasionally, I'd get native speakers with limited proficiency in my class, but their problems are totally different from the non-native speakers.)

To increase your proficiency, you need to increase your vocabulary, improve your writing skills, increase listening comprehension, and work on pronunciation.

The best way to do the first two (work on vocabulary and writing) is to read. Build up your vocabulary (as well as your reading comprehension) and pay attention to how things are spelt, how the diacritics (accent marks) are used (and how they correspond to the spoken word). Then start practicing your newfound knowledge and write. That step is very important for reinforcing what you've learned; plus, it helps you express yourself.

For the latter two (listening comprehension and pronunciation), the best thing to do is to practice listening. What you listen to depends on your interests, but there are lots of resources on the net, from TV shows, to music, to news radio, to children's stories. (Don't laugh. Children's stories are great for learning!) The same goes for what you read.

I moderate a group for people who want to learn and practice Portuguese:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/awfulportu...

We have an excellent mix of people, from absolute beginners to native speakers (some like you, with limited proficiency; others have professional proficiency and are linguists or teachers).

One of my jobs in the group is to track down all sorts of (free) resources on the web. So we are a repository of learning materials!

If you need more info, email me or just join the group. Serás bem-vinda!