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Intermediate B1

This intensive course is for language learners striving toward the B1 level. The language of instruction is Portuguese. I will speak in English only if need be.

CEFR Scale

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My suggestion for these two weeks is to focus on*:

  • Conversation
  • Listening comprehension
  • Reading comprehension
  • Compound tenses (Ter auxiliary) / Personal Infinitive / Imperative Mood / Present Subjunctive
  • Prepositional usage

*There's always room to adjust the course according to the group's preferences:

After this course, you'll have come closer to the B1 level and have the tools and strategies to get there and beyond.

Not sure if you should enroll in the A2 or B1 course?

Take this placement test

Any questions?
Inquiry

Beginners A2

This intensive course is for language learners striving toward the A2 level. The language of instruction is English/Portuguese typically in a 30/70 ratio. (I always speak with you in Portuguese as much as possible.)

CEFR Scale

Learn more about the CEFR scale

My suggestion for these two weeks is to focus on:

  • Listening comprehension
  • Oral interaction
  • Past tense (Perfeito vs. Imperfeito)
  • Prepositional usage
  • Any other aspects according to your preferences as a group

After this course, you'll have come closer to the A2 level and gained the tools to take it further all by yourself.

Not sure if you should enroll in the A2 or B1 course?

Take this placement test

Any questions?
Inquiry

Beginners A1

This intensive course is for language learners striving toward the A1 level. The language of instruction is English/Portuguese typically in a 60/40 ratio. (I always speak with you in Portuguese as much as possible.)

If you've just started your learning journey, it may be that you will find this course a bit challenging. Nothing wrong with that. However, if you want to take it easy, consider enrolling for the Clean Slate A0 instead (if available).

CEFR Scale

Learn more about the CEFR scale

This is an all-round course, which means that we’ll work on all aspects of language learning according to the A1 level*:

  • Pronunciation
  • Listening comprehension
  • Reading comprehension
  • Conversation
  • Grammar

* There's always room to adjust the course according to your preferences as a group.

After this course, you'll have come closer to the A1 level and gained the tools to take it further all by yourself.

Not sure if you should enroll in the A1 or A2 course?

Take this placement test

Any questions?
Inquiry

Clean Slate A0

Geared toward Absolute Beginners, this course gives you a solid start and foundation to build upon. The language of instruction is almost entirely in English.

CEFR Scale

This is an introductory course to the Portuguese language as spoken in Portugal. Throughout the course, we will focus on the Portuguese sound system and basic Portuguese grammar.

You will also learn how to introduce yourself and day-to-day, useful phrases. Finally, we will discuss learning resources and strategies to support your learning journey.

After the course, you will have a basic understanding of European Portuguese pronunciation and grammar. You will also be capable of engaging in simple, short oral interactions. Last but not least, you will be aware of a variety of learning resources and strategies to help you succeed at learning the language.

Any questions?
Inquiry

Can't you attend any courses this season? Fill up this form and I will keep you posted on upcoming Intensive Courses.

In-person Intensive Courses Upcoming

Portuguese Intensive Courses to Get You on Track Toward Fluency

  • East Algarve
  • Levels A1–B2
  • 2 weeks, 3 hours/day
  • Teaching materials included
Upcoming courses/dates

A Holistic and Flexible Approach

These courses follow an all-round approach, that is, they cover all relevant aspects of language learning.

By not being rigidly planned at the outset, these courses allow the group to focus more on certain activities according to the participants’ preferences.

For the same reason, you are not required to have any specific textbook to join in. To keep it flexible and tailored to the group, I will be providing ad hoc materials for each live session.

Here’s a list of possible activities making up the live sessions (according to class level and preferences):

Oral interaction (Topical prompts followed by e.g. roundtable discussion, debate, or conversation in pairs.)

Grammar focus (Grammar briefings followed by exercises.)

Pronunciation (Briefings and exercises focusing on the Portuguese sound system.)

Listening comprehension (You listen to a piece of audio and answer related questions.)

Reading comprehension (You read a piece of text and answer related questions.)

Idiomatic awareness (You learn idioms, set phrases, fillers, and other idiomatic aspects of Portuguese.)

Portuguese culture (We watch/listen to video/audio clips related to Portuguese culture.)

Learning strategies (Discussions on how to push ahead your language skills and become more self-reliant.)

Digital Archive

All materials used in class (worksheets, cheatsheets, texts, audio files, etc.) are also uploaded to the group’s Google Classroom for your reference.

You’ll get access to your class’s Google Classroom about two weeks before the course starts. Your access to this platform extends to two years after the course is complete.

A Stimulating Learning Environment

Class activities range from learning pronunciation and grammar to practicing reading and listening comprehension to drilling conversation.

What the courses exactly look like for each class depends on the level and the group’s needs. In other words, these courses are not rigidly planned at the outset and there’s plenty of room for ad hoc adjustments.

You can expect a stimulating and challenging learning experience.

Online access to handouts

All materials used in class (worksheets, cheatsheets, texts, audio files, etc.) are also uploaded to the group’s Google Classroom daily.

You’ll get access to your class’s Google Classroom about two weeks before the course starts. Your access to this platform extends to two years after the course is complete.

Upcoming courses

! There are no scheduled courses for the time being.

Clean Slate A0
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  • Oct 2 – Oct 13 (2 weeks, 40 hours)
  • Mon-Fri | 1 pm – 5 pm
  • € 395
! Closed
Beginners A1
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  • Oct 16 – Oct 27 (2 weeks, 40 hours)
  • Mon-Fri | 1 pm – 5 pm
  • € 395
! Closed
Beginners A2
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  • Oct 30 – Nov 10 (2 weeks, 40h)
  • Mon-Fri | 1 pm – 5 pm
  • € 395
! Closed
Intermediate B1
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  • Nov 13 – Nov 24 (2 weeks, 40h)
  • Mon-Fri | 1 pm – 5 pm
  • € 395
! Closed

• open • few places left • waiting list • closed

Placement Test A1🗲A2
Placement Test A2🗲B1
Stay tuned for upcoming Intensive Courses
Online version instead?

The biggest challenge for me is to understand what the Portuguese in Portugal say. It’s fast and you can’t look up expressions and sayings on the fly. With the intensive course, you live with the language every day. Pedro is clear and sensitive to the different difficulties and needs of his students. As students, we have access to a wealth of digital materials to help us revise and continue learning at the end of the course. Moreover, because Pedro is entertaining, knowledge is retained much faster than with a conventional course.

Heidi Bauer - Testimonial - Portuguesepedia
Anne

I can highly recommend the intensive course with Pedro! After a couple of weeks I was able to understand so much more and my talking became more fluent. The class was always well prepared, adjusted to the group’s needs and also fun 😊 It was a great split between theory and practical exercises with the group. If you’d like to improve your Portuguese in a great setting this course is a fantastic opportunity! Thank you.

Heidi Bauer - Testimonial - Portuguesepedia
Christina

I can I have taken Pedro’s Portuguese classes in Tavira two years in a row, and I really enjoy them. His classes are definitely intense and challenging—but never cross the line of being unmanageable or overwhelming. Pedro manages to make class time positive, interesting and pleasant, and is very good at listening and adjusting the level to those who are taking part. As a Portuguese person living in Sweden, while also being fluent in English and Spanish, Pedro has the context and ability to explain the differences between cultures and languages. He will understand your struggles with verbs and prepositions, and will find unique ways to explain and support your learning.

Heidi Bauer - Testimonial - Portuguesepedia
Pia W.

I very much enjoyed the intensive B1 course. Taught entirely in Portuguese it had a great mix of speaking, grammar, and listening. The atmosphere was relaxed, the venue charming and Pedro is a charismatic teacher. Highly recommend.

Patty Perry - Testimonial - Portuguesepedia
Marc

A great course! Pedro created a friendly, allowing atmosphere in the class. No question was too silly. Every day, everyone was invited to speak at their own pace. Ordinary life language and topics, many dialogues, and a bit of relevant essential grammar. After this course, Portuguese is no longer an impermeable stream of alien sounds. And we had a lot of fun too. The Google Classroom with its countless suggestions for language learning tools helps us to continue to get Portuguese into our brains and hearts. And to use it in our daily life.

Janne Sieben - Testimonial - Portuguesepedia
Anna

Everybody says Portuguese is a difficult language to learn. I’d agree. Before this course, I had already read Portuguese for four semesters (10 weekly lessons throughout each semester) without ever feeling any breakthrough when it comes to speaking. However, the intense course with lessons every day unlocked the language barrier for me. It made me begin to speak more freely and better understand the natively spoken Portuguese you hear on the streets. Now I will continue on my own with the rich study material added to our virtual classroom.

Naomi Brown - Testimonial - Portuguesepedia
Esther

It has been a true challenge to study a new language while not being young anymore. That is of course the case for every new language, but Portuguese in particular since it is not very similar to my mother tongue Swedish. Thanks to an ambitious and language gifted teacher, Pedro, it has been possible to handle the above-mentioned challenges. With the intensive course as a baseline I have a foundation to continue my learning path in the Portuguese language.

Heidi Bauer - Testimonial - Portuguesepedia
Gunilla

I joined the course in November 2022 for three weeks, 4 hours a day. We were a small group, about 12. It was intensive, of course, but that was the point: getting as far as possible with “hands-on-portuguese”. Being a former teacher myself, I liked the way Pedro did it. We talked, read, got tasks to solve on your own, with your neighbour and all together. There was always time for any question. And I appreciate having the materials and my notes to repeat for myself. Pedro made us feel comfortable and the atmosphere was very nice. And we ended up with a lovely lunch-party. Muito agradável!

Heidi Bauer - Testimonial - Portuguesepedia
Håkan

After living in Tavira for more than 4 years, I felt that it was about time to learn to speak Portuguese. When I saw that there would be an intensive course in Tavira, I signed up immediately. Portuguese is not an easy language and I needed to get help to understand how the language is structured.
It takes time to be able to speak Portuguese, but it is important to try to speak it even if you make mistakes. After the course, we decided (the participants) to meet once a week to maintain and improve our Portuguese.
We have already received the tools from Pedro and now we can continue to work at it!

Heidi Bauer - Testimonial - Portuguesepedia
Pia

Boa tarde Pedro! Estou e muito agradecido pelo curso de Português. I am a late “bloomer” and have an issue with being a perfectionist. This restrained me from starting to talk. Since I live in a tourist area it was even more difficult because only the “workers” spoke Portuguese and I rarely interacted because I never needed to. Then I started to work with a Portuguese cleaning lady who ONLY spoke Portuguese. That was key. I did not want to lose this lady. I took this course and it became a life changer. Thank you so much for being tolerant and funny. Miss you already.

Heidi Bauer - Testimonial - Portuguesepedia
Ann

For me the biggest challenge is to create my own sentences and the intensive course gives more practice in a short time than a regular course. Having never studied Latin languages before, I benefit greatly from the fact that Pedro speaks clearly. This way, I get the melody of the language. The lessons are fun, not burdensome, and I look forward to new courses.

Heidi Bauer - Testimonial - Portuguesepedia
Christian

The most difficult thing for me is to understand spoken Portuguese. In these intensive courses, Portuguese is spoken most of the time and the teaching, in small groups, is very dynamic. You will work with anything from advanced texts and pronunciation to basic grammar. You also get access to various tools that can be used during and after the course, which I value very highly. Last but not least, Pedro is an amazing teacher and we had so much fun.

Heidi Bauer - Testimonial - Portuguesepedia
Ingela

I was feeling very stressed about my Portuguese language exam (CIPLE). I’m an older English woman and do not speak any Latin language! Attending two weeks with Pedro helped me relax and enjoy the learning process. I learnt quickly and easily with Pedro. I enjoyed the mix of how he teaches. His exercises prompted us to speak with each other; listen to real Portuguese native speakers; learn grammar as well as enjoy the Portuguese music and culture. Learning in Tavira also helped – it’s the most adorable town to stay in! I highly recommend this course and experience.

Heidi Bauer - Testimonial - Portuguesepedia
Megan

Apply • Fall ’23

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