Portuguese in 3 Months: Yup.
Goal: I want my nickname to be Codie the Carioca
They call people from Rio Carioca's. #funfact
So the real goal is: Portuguese Fluent (B2 level proficiency) in three months. If you think I'm crazy, you might be right. But I also am impatient and have used this same strategy with Spanish and shared it with dozens of others who have used it to gain fluency without the pain of highschool Spanish re-runs.
Timeline: 13 weeks - To small bathing suits & coconuts
Before I engage in any activity I also start with the why behind it. Let's face it big goals are hard to accomplish. It's easy to push them off and even easier to start and quit. If you don't remember why it is so important to you to learn you never well.
And then you'll wake up one day and life will have passed you by. And so will Rio.
So my why is:
Why: I want to push my mind to grow in all ways, I want to open the world of opportunities, cultural experiences, insights into local countries, get over my fear of speaking poorly, increase my brain function and retention.
Ultimately I want to be trilingual because that sounds PDR: Pretty Damn Rad.
FUN FACT FOR YOU: Every single step I have in this guide, works for every language. It's how I learned Spanish and now run an international business in Latin America in 3 months. And I have the memory of a Goldfish. If I can do it, you can too.
“It’s how I learned Spanish and now run an international business in Latin America in 3 months. And I have the memory of a Goldfish. If I can do it, you can too. ”
Daily Actions, Tasks and Resources
✓Learn most frequent words first (around 200-500) - use Anki (app) for most frequent words flashcards.
✓Cognates search and memorize - To find common words with the language you are learning, simply search for “[language name] cognates” or “[language name] English words."
✓Listen and read Portuguese - TuneIn.com, Alexa’s ranking of top sites per country, watch and listen to Brazilian news and podcasts.
✓Learn general phrases - http://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/portuguese_br.php
✓Use italki.com and speak with another 1 hour a day.
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.”
THIS ONE IS IMPORTANT:
✓Have a list of topics you would like to discuss and bring them up. For example: your hobbies, hopes for the future, dislikes, what you will do on your vacation, how to pick up chicks, no judgement.
IF you don't pick your topics...
They are going to make you talk about groceries and dogs and cats and things that honestly I glaze over even pondering in English. Keep it relevant, fun and keep yourself awake for the love of all the is holy.
The more fun you can make this exercise, the better. I go to a cafe that's beautiful while I learn. I treat myself to an amazing coffee and dessert. I dress up for it and meander around afterward.
It's the best part of my day. That is the secret.
My Favorite Topics:
☑︎Explain to me your country, your city, your town, your culture, what is it like?
☑︎What do you do for a living, what do you wish you did, what do you do for love/passion
☑︎What is your favorite part of Portuguese culture
☑︎Where are you from or where are you staying? So we can ahem, netflix and chill?
Você gosta de surfar?
Do you like to surf?
Free services to use:
Because why pay for things when they give them away for free?
►The Foreign Service Institutes’ varied list of courses.
►The Omniglot Intro to languages
►BBC languages’ intro to almost 40 different languages.
►About’s language specific posts that explain particular aspects of languages well:
► Most common words in Portuguese.
These apps and website are game changers. I literally can't imagine why anyone goes to a traditional college for language anymore. Waste of money.
“I literally can’t imagine why anyone goes to a traditional college for language anymore. Waste of money. ”
1 - readlang.com - this website lets you read papers, articles and stories in different languages. The best part is if you don't know a word or phrase you can click on it and it will give you the translation. You can then put that phrase into a notecard to be reviewed later.
2 - memrise.com - a site that I think is better than duolingo, gives you similar exercises but they are not all rudimentary like duolingo.
3 - fluentu.com - takes real world music videos, commericals, etc and turns them into learning exercises, lets you learn REAL WORLD language skills, not old outdated phrases.
4 - Youtube channel This is for Portuguese as well.
Progress Goals:
Peter Drucker says what gets measured gets managed. I believe him. So I write out my goals and then I track them on my Way of Life App.
💡 I will speak the language daily
💡 I will read study and watch Portuguese daily
💡 I will write Portuguese daily
Game Plan: (2 hours daily): That was my plan, the reality is that one hour is more reasonable for me.
🏆 One hour Italki call 5x a week
🏆 Duolingo Daily for 3 lessons.
🏆 Rotate in one additional activity daily -aka flashcards, general phrases, listen or watch movie in it (dealers choice)
🏆 Track in wayoflifeapp
Varying Actions I Can Take:
One hour italki call daily
Do Duolingo daily
Use Anki for most common words
Listen to Brazilian news, podcasts, movies etc
Learn and use most general phrases link
Use BBC, foreign service or about posts to learn
Explore the culture through activities
Commit two hours a day to Portuguese
Read the books given to me in Portuguese
Use Learn Portuguese for Spanish speakers book
Write daily Portuguese journal
How to Measure Success:
☞ Carry on a conversation with a stranger related to introduction, who am I, how is my day going, where am I from, what do I do, how do I like Brazil, and ask them the same questions. Not rocket science but if I can do that I feel comfortable in a language.
☞ Take the TOEFL exam and hit an intermediate proficiency level. This one is for you animals like me, you status quo breakers. This ain't an easy test. Good for you if you go after it.
Reward:
Sticks and carrots are very powerful tools. If I'm going to work hard at something I like to treat myself afterwards so I plan on doing just that!
🇧🇷If I follow the game plan and hit goals by my end date and I will go to carnival and dance samba on a float.🇧🇷
NO BIG DEAL... this WILL BE ME.
I'm amazed at what we all can accomplish when we set a goal, quantify it, use the resources available to us and stick it out on average for 30, 60 to 90 days.
Obrigada,
Codie