What Are Good Reads to Learn Portuguese and How to Make the Most Out of It 

Are you looking for reads like short stories to help you develop your Portuguese skills? Sure thing. It is more fun (and more effective too) to learn a language with compelling fiction than plowing through traditional, boring textbooks. 

But there’s nonetheless a catch. These reads should be thought out and written with the language learner in mind. Otherwise, chances are that it will be too difficult and that’d throw you off. 

In what follows, I will show you important aspects you might want to consider when picking your reads and suggest a few tips for you to make the most out of it. Read on.

Short is king

Concerning reads’ suitability for language learners, short is king, plain is queen – short sentences, short paragraphs, short chapters, plain syntax, and plain structure. The more beginner you are, the truer this is.

If you get hold of materials that follow the short-and-plain principle, you will follow the threads more easily while keeping your motivation sky-high. This will keep you asking for more and really is a virtuous circle you want to get into.

Another advantage of short-and-plain reads is that you can have a shot at more advanced materials – compared to your current level – thus pushing ahead harder without feeling overwhelmed by the gap. Put differently, since you are taking it in smaller doses, you’ll still be able to digest it even if the content is denser than with what you’d feel comfortable otherwise.

Narrative vs. Dialog

I suggest you be aware of two genres, namely narrative and dialog. Consider giving priority to dialogs at the beginning of your learning journey. Why? Because dialogs are effective in helping you develop basic skills to interact with people in day-to-day life (that’s what you do then – you dialog with people). 

Stories and narratives, on the other hand, become very helpful by the time you start grappling with the Portuguese Past tense and its nuances, namely Perfeito vs. Imperfeito, which is usually an issue for most learners. Having said that, if you can get hold of both styles do it and read as much as you can.

Level grading

Any reputable publisher or author specializing in stories for language learners will grade their books according to a proficiency scale. A well-established standard in this domain is the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) whose language proficiency grading spans from A1 (Beginner) through C2 (Advanced).

This is of utmost importance because it allows you to gauge what’s right for you according to your current proficiency level. For example, if you are a beginner, you want to choose reads graded A1/A2. Pick A1 if you want to take it easy. If you want to push ahead harder, go for A2, and so on. 

Beyond Text: Other Desirable Features

Voice-over

One thing worth considering is whether the read comes with a voice-over. If so, you can also improve your listening comprehension and pronunciation skills, which is a huge plus. 

Idiomatic highlights

Reads for language learners should be written in a day-to-day language like the one you hear in the streets. This casual register is usually packed with idiomatic expressions, that is, expressions you won’t understand by analyzing words on their own. Instead, you have to learn their meaning contextually. Thus, quality reads for language learners should be idiomatically rich and highlight and explain idiomatic expressions.

Translation

Should stories come with translation? Well, I see it as a plus. While I’d discourage my students from back-and-forth comparisons between the Portuguese text and the translation, having access to a translated version of the original text (hopefully not a literal translation but one that accurately captures the spirit of the original) is advantageous. 

For instance, it allows you to approach more advanced materials (compared to your current skills) thus accelerating your progress. Accordingly, you can read the translation in one go to get the gist of it, and then tackle the Portuguese text. 

4-step Method for Reads with Voice-over

Provided that you have both text and voice-over, here are a few suggestions for you to make the most out of your reads (you don’t need to take all the following steps in one practice session or follow the same order):

1. Listen only (Focus on listening comprehension)

Listen to the audio in one go and see how much you can grasp. It’s perfectly fine if you miss some words or even full sentences. It’s supposed to be challenging. Do it several times.

2. Play copycat (Focus on pronunciation)

Listen again and focus on pronunciation (forget about semantics for now). Mimic the sounds as you hear them (aka Shadowing).

Pay special attention to any sounds that you are not familiar with yet. Pause the recording at your convenience to drill those “thorny” sounds and words. Spend as much time as you need with it. 

Keep in mind that pronunciation is a physical phenomenon. Pay close attention to what your lips, jaw, and tongue are doing while you’re making the sounds. 

3. Read (Focus on reading comprehension)

Read the text in one go and see if you could get the gist of it (you should be able to do that provided that the material is adequate for your current level). 

Read it once again. This time around, spend some time with it to fill in the gaps. But! Never get fixated on understanding every single word or expression. 

Last but not least, don’t rush to look up words in the dictionary. Instead, try to figure them out from the context as this leads to more effective word retention.

4. Listen one last time (Celebrate your progress)

Take a short break before this final step. Play and listen to the audio one last time. Everything should sound clearer to you now. Celebrate your progress. Well done!

Take it even further

Here are a few more suggestions if you want to squeeze it all out: