In my first post, I explained a little bit about why I'm learning Portuguese, but I'm gonna restate it and elaborate on some things. I take Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at a UFC gym, and a good portion of the class, as well as the instructors, speak Portuguese. So I thought it would be a good idea to learn Portuguese so I can communicate with them in their native language, which is fine and all but, why Brazilian Portuguese? Why not European Portuguese? It comes down to personal choice and convenience. Because I live in America, I have a higher chance of coming in contact with someone from Brazil than from Portugal, and on top of that my Jiu-Jitsu Professor (Jiu-Jitsu title for Sensei) and an instructor are from Brazil. Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese are different dialects of the same language, but they have different pronunciations, slang, and even vocabulary in some cases (Ex: Trunk in American English and Boot in British English).
Another reason for choosing the Brazilian dialect is because of the way it sounds. Yep, that's right Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese sound different. They are mutually intelligible but pronounce words differently. I just happen to prefer the way Brazilian Portuguese sounds and find it the easiest to learn and pronounce. That's a tip I have for anyone learning a foreign language. Choose the foreign language and dialect you like and are comfortable with. It's hard to learn a language if you're struggling to pronounce its words. If, you need to learn a foreign language that you find difficult to pronounce, then don't focus on the pronunciation at the beginning, it'll just slow down the learning process. Learn the vocabulary, grammar, and spelling first and then work on your pronunciation. There are plenty of videos on YouTube that could help you as well!
Also in my first post, I promised an update on how my language learning journey is going, and as promised, here it is! I'm doing pretty well, I'm currently using a free language learning tool called Duolingo (link below). With several foreign language courses to choose from, Duolingo is a great resource for learning the basics of a language, and it has more foreign languages being added every day. I have recently taken to plastering my families apartment with sticky notes labeling things in Portuguese, and I'm considering making some flashcards. I have mastered most of the basics such as "água" for water and "homem" for man etc. I practice as much as I can with my Jiu-Jitsu instructors before and after class.
It's that time again! Thanks for reading and have a great day! Tchau!
Links:
https://www.duolingo.com/