Language lessons across the USA and Canada

Call us! 1-877-566-9299 / 1-416-800-9242

PORTUGUESE classes near you: at home, at work, or online

Portuguese Lessons in New York

New York City’s streets are filled with life, noise, and languages. According to the 2020 census, among the more than 800 languages you can hear in New York’s metropolitan area, one of the most commonly used is Portuguese, with over 100,000 speakers that come from countries like Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde. The influence of these communities can be seen in many neighborhoods across the city, where you can find bars, restaurants, and institutions that celebrate these cultures.

 If you want to get closer to any of these communities, learning Portuguese is the best way to go. Although there are many different variants spoken in the nine countries where Portuguese has official status, the two most commonly used around the globe are the European and Brazilian ones. No matter which one you choose, learning this vibrant language will change the way you experience the city for the better, as you’ll be able to appreciate the various lusophone communities that you can find in New York more deeply. On top of that, learning such a widespread language will make you more employable and will turn you into a citizen of the world.

Why Study Portuguese in New York?

Learn Portuguese for Work and Travel

If you live in a multicultural city like New York, learning a second language is one of the smartest things you can do to become more employable. Learning a widely spread language like Portuguese will open many opportunities for you in the city and giveaccess to unique positions that include Portuguese Speaking Data Scientist for Dataiku, Brazilian Portuguese Speaking Language Manager for Whatsapp, and Portuguese-Speaking Sales Development Representative for Shutterstock.

What’s more, learning Portuguese will allow you to get around more easily in many of the lusophone countries like Brazil, Mozambique, and Sao Tome and Principe. These countries have beautiful destinations where native English speakers can find lots of jobs, but being able to communicate in Portuguese is key to really connecting with the locals, especially if you visit small towns and villages.

Learn Portuguese for Social

Anyone who wants to learn about Portuguese culture in Brooklyn should visit the Luso-American Cultural Center. Located at 619 Henry St in a former St. Paul's Lutheran Church, this great organization holds many events that showcase Portuguese music, food, dance, and art. Some of their past events include live Fado music, forró dance lessons, and fundraisers where attendees can enjoy incredible traditional Portuguese food like Caldo Verde, Bacalhau com grão de bico, and Castanhas assadas.

Another great place you should check out is the Ipanema Restaurant, a wonderful place to enjoy traditional dishes from Brazil and Portugal. The restaurant is owned by a family that comes from both of these countries and offers traditional food that has been passed down for generations. When you dine here, you’ll feel part of their family, and get to enjoy the relaxing atmosphere filled with Portuguese and Brazilian music, art, and people. The restaurant is located at 3 W 36 St and has vegetarian and gluten-free options, so it has something for everyone.

Learn Portuguese for Culture

If you’re interested in Brazil, The New York Brazilian Portuguese Meetup Group is just what you’re looking for. They host events that celebrate Brazilian culture like samba and forró lessons, movie screenings, live music events, and bate-papo, which are light conversations in Portuguese. Their events are completely free and they take place online and in private locations around the city, so if you want to attend any of them, you should join their virtual group. On the other hand, if you’re interested in a language exchange where you can boost your Portuguese skills with other learners and native speakers, the Portuguese Conversation Club is a great language group that holds monthly events that are perfect for intermediate and advanced learners who want have conversations in Portuguese. Hosts pick different topics for every meeting, which will help you expand your vocabulary and learn new phrases. 

Where to learn Portuguese in and around New York?

No matter what your learning style is, you’ll find many useful resources in the New York Public Library, located at 476 5th Ave, that can help you become more fluent in Portuguese and learn about the different lusophone cultures. Not only will you find learning materials like Portuguese grammar books, dictionaries, and grammar books, but also films and music that will make you fall in love with the different cultures where Portuguese is spoken. If you are interested in traditional folk music, Anthology of Portuguese music will transport you to the Trás-os-Montes and the Algarve regions in Portugal with their incredible sounds that feature a multitude of haunting a capella recordings of harvest songs, sung prayers, secular ballads, and unique instruments that are used in the area. If you want to explore Brazilian music, you’ll also find many Bossa-nova albums at the library, as well as recordings by some of the most influential Brazilian singers from the 20th century like Carmen Miranda and Francisco Alves.

As helpful as these resources and materials can be, if you truly want to work on your Portuguese and become fluent fast, there’s nothing as good as a language course. Although there are many good places in New York City where you can study, the best choice is Listen & Learn. Our language courses stand out from the rest because each of them is completely tailored to our students’ interests and language goals. If you’re not sure how good your Portuguese is and you want to find out before starting a course, we offer free level tests on our website you can check out. After you get a score, simply send us a quick inquiry now and one of our team members will pair you up with one of our Portuguese native teachers in no time!

The type of courses we offer:

Face-to-Face 1-to-1 (Individual) General Portuguese

These Portuguese lessons are more general in nature and are targeted at students with a whole range of different needs. While all beginners level students can expect to cover Survival Portuguese - required for short visits to a country where English may not be spoken and/or the intention is to make good contacts with the local population, students then generally progress in different directions depending on their needs. Typical students include those buying property overseas, spouses of overseas nationals, people about to set off on that long-awaited world trip, Portuguese culture enthusiasts and those who are keen to pass a particular Portuguese examination. Inquire now about our Portuguese Courses or Take A Free Portuguese Level Test

Face-to-Face 1-to-1 (Individual) Business Portuguese

Portuguese lessons of this type are aimed towards those that need to learn Portuguese to aid them with their employment. For those just starting out, it is integral to learn basic greetings and business etiquette; and reading and writing can be adopted once the simple precepts are out of the way. Success has come from students who are involved in import/export, international negotiations and acquisitions, those seeking jobs in multinational companies, and those working with foreign colleagues, academia and bureaucracy. Just our most basic beginners lesson will have the student finishing the lesson with basic telephone/e-mail skills in Portuguese, as well as survival Portuguese should a short stay in the country be needed. Inquire now about our Portuguese Courses or Take A Free Portuguese Level Test

Face-to-Face Closed (Private) Group General or Business Portuguese

If there are 2 or more of you with the same level of Portuguese, the same targets within the language, and be able to study at the same time and location, then you'll be happy to know that these Portuguese lessons can also be made available for Two-to-One Portuguese Lessons or Small Group In-Company Portuguese Lessons. Listen & Learn do not generally recommend classes of more than 6-8 people, although Taster lessons in Portuguese can run with up to 12 people. Bookings must be made for all participants at the same time. Inquire now about our Portuguese Courses or Take A Free Portuguese Level Test

Skype, Google Meet or Zoom Online 1-to-1 (Individual) General or Business Portuguese

Our native-speaking qualified Portuguese teachers can guide you and your group  at your work or at home, at a time convenient to you. Classes can take place on any day of the week - even weekends - morning, afternoon or evening. If needs be, if meeting at your office or home is not suitable, you can take your lessons at the trainer's office. Study materials are supplied for you. Inquire now about our Portuguese Courses or Take A Free Portuguese Level Test

Skype, Google Meet or Zoom Online Group (Closed or Open) General or Business Portuguese

The Portuguese lessons are also available for 2 or more people studying together (Two-to-One Portuguese Lesson or Small Group In-Company Portuguese Lesson). All participants must have the same level, the same business or general language needs and be able to study at the same time in the same location. The booking must be made for all participants at the same time. Listen & Learn do not recommend group classes of more than 6-8 people although In-Company Taster Portuguese Lessons can be run with up to 12 people. Inquire now about our Portuguese Courses or Take A Free Portuguese Level Test

Top Tips For…

portuguese Songs

Image

Garota de Ipanema- Jobim & Moraes

This is one of the most well-known Brazilian songs of all time. Garota (girl) from Ipanema has very easy-to-follow lyrics and a beautiful rhythm that makes it a great learning resources for Portuguese students of all levels. For instance, beginners will practice regular verbs that end in -ar (like passar), -er (prencher), and -ir (existir). For more advanced students, there irregular as well, verbs like vir, ficar or estar. There’s even an English version of the song by Frank Sinatra, so it’s a great idea to listen to both to compare the (very different) lyrics! Dance to the rhythm of this catchy song!

portuguese Songs

Ja Sei Namorar- Tribalistas

Tribalistas is a highly popular (though short-lived) Brazilian group. They produced only one record, of which Ja sei namorar was the first track. It became so famous that it was chosen as the main theme of the FIFA video game in 2004. Listen to this song to brighten your day while putting your Portuguese skills to use! Learn how to use the infinitive and present tenses and pick up some words related to falling in love, such as namorar (make someone like you), beijar (to kiss), and sonhar (to dream). Click here to listen to the song!

Construção- Chico Buarque

Construção is a very popular song by Chico Buarque, a great bossa nova singer with a pleasant voice. The song was composed during the military dictatorship that took place in Brazil decades ago and talks about difficult topics, like censorship, persecution, and death, by telling the story of a man who goes to work and never returns home. The song is most suitable for intermediate or even advanced learners of Portuguese, as it features complicated tenses like mixed conditionals and informal vocabulary like quatro paredes sólidas (4 solid walls) or um pacote flácido (a bland package) that won’t be understood by beginners. Dance to the rhythm of this catchy song!

portuguese Youtube Channels

Image

5inco Minutos

Run by actress Kéfera Buchmann, this is one of the most popular Brazilian YouTube channels today. It focuses on funny vlogs and parodies of famous Brazilian programs and artists. Even though the channel name translates as “5 minutes,” this YouTuber uploads content that is much longer! As the videos feature famous artists from Brazil, you will get familiar with Brazilian Portuguese pop culture and slang. This channel is best suited for advanced students due to its speed of delivery and use of colloquialisms. Subscribe to 5inco Minutos and you will learn Brazilian Portuguese while having fun learning about the things you enjoy. Watch these videos here!

portuguese Youtube Channels

D4rkFrame

If you love conspiracy theories and crazy experiments, and would like to combine this with learning Brazilian Portuguese, you should definitely subscribe to D4rkFrame’s YouTube channel. From trendy craft projects to car explosions, you will find eccentric content that caters to every preference. For example, he is always playing jokes on his wife, so you will learn vocabulary used to refer to a loved one, such as “minha namorada.” And the best part is that it includes English subtitles, so you will be able to understand what the Youtuber is saying, even if you only know Portuguese to a beginner level. Watch these videos here!

AulaLivre

If you would like to level up your Brazilian Portuguese skills while learning something new, AulaLivre is the channel for you. The owners upload weekly content related to culture, science, arts, linguistics, and more. The videos are well suited to advanced language learners, as the channel has no subtitles and most teachers speak really fast and use a lot of slang. Fortunately, you will also find content related to the learning of Portuguese, which you can watch regardless of your proficiency level, as these videos feature tips on writing and pronunciation, punctuation, word order, and more! Watch these videos here!

portuguese News

Image

R7

Do you want to keep up with what is going on in Brazil while practicing your Portuguese? R7 is a website that publishes daily news articles about sports, entertainment, lifestyle, and current affairs. The articles are very short (less than 300 words) and use simple vocabulary, so are great resources for beginners to practice reading real-life materials. Some of the words used are quite similar to their English counterparts, too; terms like proposta (proposal), apresentada (presented), or autorizado (authorized). But others are more advanced, making this website a great place for Portuguese of all levels. Watch R7 for free here!

portuguese News

Globo News

Globo News is the most famous news channel in Brazil. If you are based in Brazil, you can tune in to watch the daily news on TV (Jornal Nacional). But don’t worry if that’s not the case for you: they run an online live stream daily, and you can read what is going on in their articles, as well. Further, You will see plenty of William Bonner, the iconic newsreader who has been with Globo for over 20 years. If you are interested in specific cities, you can check out regional Globo news, too. Watch GloboNews for free here!

Noticias ao Minuto

Noticias ao Minuto is one of the most well-known news outlets in Portugal. Its website features news articles categorized by topic, such as culture, tech, celebrities, economy, and more. The focus is Portugal, though it also has a lot of articles related to Spain, its neighbor. Most of the materials here are short and simple (under 400 words) and the most relevant news is accompanied by videos, so they can be easily understood by intermediate-level students. They publish an impressive number of articles per day (more than 20 per category), so you will never run out of material to read. Watch the news for free here!

Testimonials

From our clients all over the world

"The Portuguese lessons are going really well. Elisabete is a really nice and good teacher."
Enrico Massala

Portuguese course in Online.

"All is going well. Bela has been fantastic! I'm having a lot of fun!"
Felipe Albuquerque

Portuguese course in Phoenix.

"The lessons are going very well. My instructor is fantastic and a very good ambassador for Listen & Learn."
Shannon de Souza

Portuguese course in Online, Compressors aiR Us Inc..

"I got in touch with Listen and Learn through somebody who is using your services to learn Slovenian via Skype. Also, my teacher is very nice and knowledgable."
Jan Eberhardt

Portuguese course in Kitchener.

"Our teacher has shown passion in her work and is flexible. Now, I can speak with colleagues and send emails in Portuguese and have confidence to test my skills."
Jose Mendoza

Portuguese course in Houston.

Client case studies

Have a look at successful and satisfied clients.

Client photo
Karen Ahola Finnish in Calgary
There are many language learning companies on the Internet. Listen & Learn was the only one that met my criteria

Our Clients Include

From our clients all over the world

Elsevier Masson
Language learned: English in Philadelphia.

The McDavid Group
Language learned: Portuguese in Tampa.

Voith Paper Fabric & Roll Systems Inc
Language learned: German in Raleigh.