My Journey to Learning Brazilian Portuguese

Learning Brazilian Portuguese has been an incredible adventure for me. From the vibrant culture to the rhythmic language, I’ve loved immersing myself in everything Brazil has to offer. With over 215 million speakers, I knew that picking up this language would open doors to exciting connections and unforgettable experiences.

One of my biggest challenges has been mastering the pronunciation. For example, the nasal vowels in words like pão (bread) or mão (hand) were hard at first—I had to train myself to let the sound come through my nose naturally. And then there’s the Brazilian "r." I can’t tell you how many times I tried saying arroz (rice), but it came out as “a-HOS,” much to my own embarrassment. Luckily, Brazilians are incredibly warm and forgiving, and they always encouraged me to keep trying.

Of course, not every mistake was so easy to brush off—some turned into hilarious moments I’ll never forget. Once, I confidently asked for coco (coconut) juice at a café but accidentally pronounced it as cocô (poop). The waiter burst out laughing, and so did I once I realized what I’d said. It was embarrassing at the time, but now it’s one of my favorite stories to share.

I started learning with apps like Duolingo and Babbel, which helped me build a solid foundation. But what really brought the language to life for me was listening to Brazilian podcasts, singing along to samba music, and diving into telenovelas. I also used Tandem and HelloTalk to chat with native speakers, who were patient, encouraging, and sometimes eager to teach me slang. What really turned things around for me was spending 6 months in Sao Paola, where I was lucky enough to attend school with other international students who were just as motivated as I was. Looking back now, I can see how much that experience helped me to solidify a lot of the language I still use today.

The more I’ve practiced, the more I’ve learned to laugh at my mistakes, celebrate my progress, and enjoy the process. Brazilian Portuguese has become more than just a language—it’s my connection to a culture I’ve grown to love.

John Moran, English teacher at ABC