Intensive Training Program in European Portuguese

Welcome to my Intensive Training Programs

Accelerate your learning and become more self-reliant going forward.

Holistic approach

Consisting of 10 class sessions spread out over 3 weeks, these programs follow an all-around approach thereby covering several components of language learning.

The training comprises not only our class sessions but also home assignments (implying continuous work throughout the program). The goal is to help you advance your Portuguese as much as possible in a relatively short period.

Here’s a list of possible activities making up our class sessions and home assignments (it varies according to program level and group preferences):

Oral interaction (Topical prompts followed by discussion/conversation in small groups.)

Grammar focus (Presentations and grammar drills.)

Pronunciation (Presentations and drills focusing on the Portuguese sound system.)

Listening comprehension (We listen to audios and answer related questions.)

Reading comprehension (We read texts and answer related questions.)

Idiomatic awareness (We focus on Portuguese idioms, set phrases, fillers.)

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

Learning strategies (We discuss and share our experiences on how we learn best and push ahead our language skills.)

Adaptability and learning materials

Not being rigidly planned at the outset, these programs allow the group to focus more on certain activities according to its participants’ needs.

To keep it 100% flexible and tailored to the group, I will be providing ad hoc materials for each session. (You are not required to have any specific textbook to join in.)

Participants get home assignments in between sessions and are expected to work continuously throughout the program.

Proficiency levels

Each program is graded according to the CEFR scale of proficiency, namely, A1 through B2.

When in doubt about the level that suits you best, you can take a placement test (click on the “Learn more” button in the “Upcoming Editions” section below).

Other practical info

Sessions run on Google Meet. In addition, Google Classroom* is used for off-class communication, document archival, and home assignments.

Joining our class sessions on Google Meet** is user friendly and accessible to anyone. It is nonetheless required that you use a computer/laptop (no phones/tablets) and sit in a quiet environment. To avoid any noise or connectivity issues, make sure to use earbuds or a headset and be on a stable internet connection.

* You need a Gmail account to join Google Classroom. If you don’t have it already, it is easy and free to create one. You’ll receive an invitation to join your Google Classroom a couple of days before the course starts

** Couples should attend the class sessions on separate devices.

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.

Christina

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.