10 YouTube Channels for Portuguese Language Learners

There are several media you can use to learn Portuguese and YouTube is one that’s definitely worth trying.

Below you’ll find a list of 10 YouTube channels specifically conceived for beginners and intermediate language learners of Portuguese.

Before jumping right into it, I want to leave you with a few thoughts that may help you figure out which YouTube channels might suit you best.  

I am a language learner myself and one thing that I look for when searching for a YouTube channel to help me with my target language is an affinity with the content creator (their presence on camera, voice pitch, communicational and pedagogical style, etc. All these things matter.)

See, when you click with the video creator you stay motivated to consume their content on a regular basis. That ties into the bare bones of any serious language learning approach, that is, continuity and consistency.

Secondly, and connected with the previous point, I want to find a YouTuber who publishes content on a regular basis, for instance, once a week.

Last but not least, what’s most dear to me is not the video’s topic itself – be it grammar, pronunciation, or idiomatic usage – but the exposure to my target language in its spoken form. 

The latter, of course,  presupposes that the video content is mostly in my target language. 

It also requires that the creator is sufficiently skilled and knows how to speak to an audience of beginners and lower-intermediate language learners (curated subtitles in the target language is also something desirable). 

Now, it goes without saying that these are my preferences and language learners are not all created equal. I know many students who shy away from language immersion at the initial stages of their learning journeys. Fair enough.

In the suggestions below, you’ll surely find variability regarding the parameters that I’ve just mentioned. I encourage you to give each and every YouTube channel a try and pick those that work best for you.  

Here we go.

! The following YouTube channels specifically concern European Portuguese. Learn more about how the European and Brazilian standards compare: European vs. Brazilian Portuguese – How Different Are They Really?

1. Portuguese Dips

Portuguese Dips is a YouTube channel created for Portuguese language learners. Its topics straddle from idiomatic usage through grammar to pronunciation. 

2. Portuguese Lab

On Portuguese Lab you’ll find playlists ranging from short stories and dialogues to vocabulary and grammar. 

This is not a talking head YouTube channel – either you listen to short stories (only audio and no subtitles) or slideshow-based grammar lessons (the instruction language is English).

3. Talk the Streets

The YouTuber behind Talk the Streets is Liz, a non-native Portuguese teacher based in Lisbon. 

Her content covers Portuguese grammar and idiomatic usage, and there are a number of outdoors/interview videos as well that highlight Portuguese popular culture. For the most part, Liz teaches in English. 

4 . Portuguese with Leo

If exposure to your target language is what you are looking for, then this  Portuguese with Leo channel fits the bill.

Leo speaks with clarity and at a forgiving pace. There are videos on Portugal’s history and popular culture, as well as on Portuguese grammar and idiomatic expressions.

5. Portuguese with Carla

Many of the YouTube videos on Portuguese with Carla are repurposed episodes from a podcast with the same name. In general, the content is pedagogically sound. It is evenly bilingual. You’ll get a decent amount of exposure to Portuguese, though you’ll often hear English as well. 

Speaking of podcasts! They can be a great help to learn a language. Here’s a read for you:  16 Podcast Shows to Nurture Your Portuguese Language Skills (and Get to Know More About Portugal).

6. Practice Portuguese

On Practice Portuguese you will find a wide variety of content, from pedagogic podcast episodes to videos about grammar and idiomatic expressions. This channel gives you exposure to your target language along with Portuguese subtitles.

7. Learn European Portuguese 

Learn European Portuguese has a short video (under 1 minute) that comes out once a week and is entitled “Word of the Week ” – pretty self-explanatory, don’t you think? 

If you are an absolute beginner, you might want to spend some time browsing this channel. You’ll get image slides with simple phrases around the weekly word accompanied by a clearly spoken voice-over.

8. Mia Esmeriz Academy

Youtuber Mia Esmeriz explains the grammar and idiomatic usages of Portuguese in a pedagogically sound fashion. Mia normally speaks in English, though lately, she has been producing content entirely in Portuguese (with Portuguese subtitles).

9. Learn European Portuguese Online

Learn European Portuguese Online covers a wide variety of topics such as grammar, pronunciation, language learning tips, and Portuguese culture. 

Sandra is the YouTuber behind this channel and, for the most part, she uses English to convey her teachings.

10. Speak Portuguese Like a Native

On Speak Portuguese Like a Native, Tatiana explains different aspects of the Portuguese language, be it grammar or idiomatic usage. Her teachings are mostly in English.

Bonus tip: Portuguese Fairy Tales

Although Portuguese fairy tales is not a YouTube channel specifically created for Portuguese language learners, I thought it was worth mentioning. 

It offers an extensive collection of classic tales for children, many of which you might be familiar with. There are versions in both Brazilian and European Portuguese (normally indicated on the video’s thumbnail). The videos usually come subtitled in English. 

Reading tips! Looking for inspiration on how to go about learning a second language? Read these:

• Mindsets and Strategies to Learn Portuguese the Best (or any other language)
• Here’s How to Push Through and Improve Your Portuguese Speaking Skills