Speak, read and write Portuguese with our three-part beginners course. Perfect for total beginners, you’ll build a solid understanding over a year.
No starting dates
-
Starting date to be confirmed
- Duration: 30 weeks (non-consecutive) (unconfirmed)
- Fees: £599 (unconfirmed)
- Location: Online (unconfirmed)
Portuguese Beginners (Full Syllabus) Course overview
Explore this beautiful language and the vibrant culture with our 30-week online Portuguese Beginners course. This practical course provides the tools needed to communicate confidently in everyday interactions.
You’ll learn basic introductions and become familiar with the Portuguese alphabet and numbers. You’ll then learn to talk about your family, hobbies and your weekend activities, using verbs in the perfect tense.
As you build up a base of knowledge, you’ll be able to express your preferences, give and defend an opinion and make comparisons. You’ll talk about subjects using past tenses and learn to use direct object pronouns.
The focus of the course is to learn Brazilian Portuguese, although it can still be useful for European Portuguese.
After completing the full three terms, you’ll be proficient in beginners Portuguese, or CEFR A1 level of language learning.
Who is it for?
This course is suitable for total beginners who want to build skills over a year.
Find out more about our Portuguese courses
Timetable
The full beginners syllabus includes 60 hours of learning and is taught across three terms, starting in October and finishing in July.
October – December (part 1)
One evening per week (two-hour lessons) for 10 consecutive weeks.
Christmas Break
January – March (part 2)
One evening per week (two-hour lessons) for 10 consecutive weeks.
Easter break
April/May – July (part 3)
One evening per week (two-hour lessons) for 10 consecutive weeks.
Missed the October start date? We have other beginners options in January or in April/May.
Benefits
- Build your skills over a year to reach A1 CEFR level of Portuguese
- Learn the full beginners syllabus at the best price
- Taught by language tutors, skilled in interactive learning techniques
What will I learn?
Throughout the year, you’ll learn to
- introduce yourself, talk about your family and respond to requests for personal details
- master the alphabet and Portuguese pronunciation
- use numbers, ask for and tell the time
- order a drink and a snack in a bar
- ask for information
- express preference, desire, doubt, happiness, unhappiness
- give and understand directions
- make complaints
- describe objects and make comparisons
- talk about the daily routine
- describe people
- express taste, likes and dislikes, desire, worry
- talk about health
- give and defend an opinion
- offer help and give advice.
Grammatical structures
- regular verbs -ar/-er, ser, ir, poder, ter, gostar de, estar and querer
- feminine and masculine nouns
- personal pronouns
- possessive pronouns
- demonstrative pronouns
- preposition + article
- future in ir
- regular verbs -ir, fazer, preferer
- past simple of regular -ar/-er/-ir, ser, estar, ir, ter, fazer, querer, poder, dar
- possessive pronouns dele/a
- comparatives
- prepositions of place, prepositions of time
- direct object pronouns
- verbs ver, ter que, precisar, por, vir, vestir, vestir-se
- past imperfect including routine in the past, description in the past, simultaneous actions in the past, background action
- future tense
- conditional tense.
Assessment and certificates
You will be awarded an official City, University of London certificate on completion of the course if you attend over 70 per cent of the classes. The course is not formally assessed or accredited.
Assessment
Any assessment will be informal to help you evaluate your own progress.
Teaching
Using audio and video clips, we’ll introduce you to elements of Portuguese culture, including film, music and dance. Classroom learning will be fun and interactive thanks to a range of activities:
- role-playing
- classroom discussion
- pair and group work
- work on pronunciation and intonation
- grammar in context.
Your homework will include more comprehensive grammar exercises and reading texts.
Eligibility
This course is intended for those who have no prior learning.
Already know a little? Skip the very basics and enrol onto part 2 or part 3 of the Portuguese Beginners course.
English requirements
You will need a good level of spoken and written English to enrol on this course.