Learn Portuguese with In-Context Materials. 

Your Portuguese skills will flourish the more you engage with in-context materials (aka comprehensible input), especially when those materials are developed for language learners.

In-context materials – ICM henceforth – are contextualized fictional or nonfictional texts or audio snippets (or both) that the reader can easily understand and relate to. Stories and audio drills available at Portuguesepedia would be good examples of ICMs.

Before I lay out my arguments in favor of ICMs, I must say that I am all for a plural approach to language learning – there’s no right or wrong approach as we all are unique and have different preferences.

While some people love grammar and invest considerable time drilling it, others favor a more organic approach. Stick to whatever works for you, WHILE it works, of course. This last point is relevant. What works for you today will change over time as your language skills progress. 

Above all, remember that it doesn’t need to be either-or. In my experience, learning strategies drawing from both a conventional textbook-like approach and organic exposure seem fit for most learners. You just need to find your sweet spot on that continuum.  

With that said, I now want to focus on the virtues of prioritizing ICMs, i.e., the advantages of a learning strategy that leans more toward the organic approach.

ICMs’ Advantages

Motivational Uplift

Stories, for example, have plots and characters and convey tensions that we can easily relate to and make sense of. 

In the face of compelling writing or listening, we are no longer learning a language only. Now we are also enjoying the learning material for the sake of it. We genuinely WANT to read or listen on. The same thing surely can be said of nonfiction materials provided the topics are of personal interest.

This increased enthusiasm leads to greater exposure to your target language because now you are voluntarily spending more time with it, which in and of itself accelerates the learning process considerably.

Improved Word Retention and Natural Feel

This eagerness stimulates your brain so much that newly learned words stick more easily. That is why students exposed to ICMs learn vocab with less effort (compared with students relying more heavily on traditional learning approaches).

Not only do ICMs improve vocab retention but they also help you develop your feel for the language. See, ICMs are often written in an informal style and packed with idioms. Idioms, as you may know, are challenging to spot and learn (since their meaning transcends their word constituents). 

But because ICMs give you a wider context, you will now be more likely to succeed at decoding these idiomatic expressions and integrating them in your semantical repository, which is vital for anyone aiming at achieving conversational fluency.

Learning Grammar Without Studying It

Last but not least, ICMs allow you to learn grammar effortlessly. By engaging with ICMs, you naturally assimilate the grammar rules governing Portuguese. The implications of this are astounding: you can learn grammar without studying it. 

One big advantage of acquiring grammar this way is that it helps you achieve conversational fluency more easily. See, I’ve spotted a pattern throughout the years, namely, students relying too heavily on learning grammar and becoming too self-conscious when they talk. As a result, their brains constantly run grammar checks as they speak to see if they are breaking any rules. That, of course, undercuts their ability to express themselves with ease and good flow. 

Pick the “Right” ICMs

But wait! There’s a caveat. For all the amazing virtues of ICMs listed above, it would be unrealistic to suggest that language learners (let alone beginners) could benefit from just any ICM.

See, there’s a sweet spot as to how difficult or advanced the ICMs should be and that will vary greatly depending on where on the learning curve you are at any given moment. 

As a rule of thumb, aim for materials one or two notches ahead of your current language skills as that puts you in a keep-pushing mode thus helping you grow faster. But! If you go over the board picking stuff way above your current skills, you may as well become disheartened and quit.

So, the ICMs you are practicing on should feel challenging enough to push your skills ahead, but not TOO difficult to the point they will overwhelm you causing you to drop out. This is a fine balance act that you want to pay attention to.

Luckily, reads/audios designed for language learners are normally graded according to CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference), which helps a great deal in choosing suitable ICMs.

For instance, if you’ve just started, look for ICMs within the A1 range (beginner level) – these reads will typically cover day-to-day, concrete topics and are written in short sentences and plain language. As you enter the intermediate arena, aim at the A2/B1 range, and so on.

Again, check out Portugesepedia’s stories to find adequate ICMs for your current level. Besides, they come with voice-over, transcript, English translation, and comprehension quizzes.

Here’s a piece of advice that will help you make the most out of ICMs and their features (you don’t have to follow this exact sequence or always go through all the steps):

1. Listen only. Start listening without the transcript. Aim to listen a couple of times through. If the audio is far beyond your current level and you struggle to understand it, consider reading the English translation first. This will give you a general idea of the content. Then, go back and listen to the audio again.
2. Play copycat. Use the audio to work on your pronunciation. Put meaning aside and concentrate solely on the sounds. Shadow the speaker, mimicking their sounds, rhythm, and intonation as closely as possible.  If you encounter sounds that trip you up, pause and work on mastering them. As you try to replicate the sounds, pay close attention to how your mouth moves – your lips, jaw, and tongue. The more aware you become of these physical movements, the easier it will be to produce the sounds correctly.
3. Read the transcript. Now with the text in front of you, you can fill in the gaps. Don’t rush to look up new words in the dictionary or look inside the English translation. Instead, try to figure out their meaning from the context as this leads to better word retention. On the other hand, use the English translation to help you figure out idiomatic expressions.
4. Listen one last time. Take a short break before this final step. Listen to the audio one final time. Everything should sound clearer now. Don’t forget to celebrate the progress you’ve just made. Parabéns!