Portuguese is a Romance (evolved from Vulgar Latin) language of the Indo-European language family that is the official language in 9 countries such as Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique and others. It has approximately 250 million native speakers and is listed as the most spoken native language in South America. Learning Portuguese can open a host of exciting opportunities to enhance your travel experiences in South America, make new friends, learn new cultures and even expand your career – if you plan to stay!
However, finding a good online Portuguese language course is not as easy as we’d like to think. With so many outdated and boring learning resources that do little to keep you interested nor help you learn effectively, it can be tricky to find reliable and engaging Portuguese language teaching solutions. That is why we’ve curated and selected the 18 best online courses to learn Portuguese, so that you may look no further. We’ll show you the cool language learning sites we’ve found, their prices, their pros and cons and give you a breakdown of their unique features. But first we’ll discuss some of the key differences between European and Brazilian Portuguese and some top tips on how to get the most out of your Portuguese lessons – so that you can become a Portuguese pro in no time!
Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese : What is the difference?
There are two main types of Portuguese language: Brazilian (spoken in Brazil) and European (spoken in many countries in Europe, including Portugal). While they do share some similarities, there are some key differences in pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar and intonation. Firstly, European Portuguese derives its words from its Latin root words and keeps the original spelling intact, whereas Brazilian Portuguese takes the word from American English and ignores its Latin root words. “Media” (English) is ”media” in European Portuguese and “mídia” in Brazilian Portuguese.
Pronunciation has the most significant difference between Brazilian and European Portuguese languages. Brazilians speak vowels longer and wider, while Portuguese pronounce the words without pronouncing the vowels as emphatically. For example, the pronunciation of some consonants is different, especially with the “S” at the end of a word. In Brazilian Portuguese, an “S” at the end of a word is pronounced as “SS”; in Portugal (European Portuguese), it is pronounced as “SH”.
So which one should you start with? Well, statistically, Brazil has 200 million speakers of Portuguese while Portugal has million – so you could say Brazilian Portuguese is more common. However, it is important that you consider your purposes for learning Portuguese and see which one you lean towards more; maybe you’d like to travel and experience Portugal instead of Brazil – in which case you’d be more inclined to learn European Portuguese instead. The decision is entirely up to you to make.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Online Portuguese Classes
When signing up for your online Portuguese class, it is important to make sure you get the best out of it. This means maximizing your potential to get the best results possible. There are a few ways to achieve this:
- Set Goals
Setting goals and targets can keep you motivated to continue learning, even when the going gets tough**.** It is important that you have objectives that you can work towards to make each lesson meaningful and provide you with a sense of accomplishment to keep you going.
- Create an optimal learning Environment
Making sure your learning space is free of distractions improves your concentration and ability to learn at full capacity. Learning online and from home can be convenient, but it can also cause distractions if your learning environment is not properly established. So make sure your learning space is conducive to exactly what its for – learning!
- Time Management
Setting a schedule and timetable is a great way to keep yourself on track and keep your online course on steady pacing – as you would in an in-person class. This will help you stay focused and make sure you make good progress in each lesson.
18 fantastic Online Portuguese Courses you must know
1. Amazing Talker – Best for 1-on-1 learning
Source: Amazing Talker
Visit Amazing Talker
Type of Portuguese: Brazilian and European Portuguese
Level: All levels
Price: Starting from $6 – $15 for a 25 minute lesson – varies per tutor
Description: Amazing Talker has a great range of diverse tutors that offer both European and Brazilian Portuguese across all proficiency levels, from beginner to advanced. The tutors set affordable rates per lesson and the website’s AI tutor matching system will make sure you are paired with the best tutor that meets your learning needs.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Affordable prices set by tutors with cheap trial lessons | May not be for you if you are do not learn well through video-chat |
| Flexible options to accommodate students’ times | No supplementary materials provided in lessons |
| Lessons are tailored to match the students’ requirements |
Conclusion: Amazing Talker has a superb line-up of tutors that ensure all language learning boxes are ticked. Whether Brazilian or European Portuguese, and Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced – you are sure to find the best match for you. The pricing is cost-effective, with cheap trial lessons giving you a low-risk solution to try out a tutor and see if they are the right fit. The AI tutor matching system combined with the tutors creating custom lessons just for your learning needs, will make sure that you have the most personalized experience in learning Portuguese.
2. Berlitz – Best for structured learning experience
Source: Berlitz
Visit Berlitz
Type of Portuguese: Does not specify upfront
Level: All Levels
Price: Not available upfront
Description: Berlitz offers a healthy balance of different lesson styles for you to choose from such as Online Group, Online Private and In-Person Private Portuguese classes. It has a great student portal to help you manage your lessons, schedule and keep track of your progress. There are even self-paced study options as well, to make things palatable for you and your lifestyle. Berlitz provides a well-structured and quality education system that takes language learning seriously.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Variety of class styles to choose from – versatile lesson plans | Prices not available until you submit an inquiry form |
| Great lesson management system to keep you on track | Portuguese type not specified until you submit an inquiry form |
| Flexible scheduling of lessons makes it easy to sign up when you are available |
Conclusion: Berlitz offers a professional language learning platform with a good variety of lesson types to help you find a class that matches your needs. Whether it is private or group, online or in person, Berlitz has a teaching method that is sure to meet your requirements for learning Portuguese. With their great student portal, you have more power and control over your Portuguese learning path, keeping you motivated and staying on-track. While their pricing and Portuguese type is not shown upfront, they encourage you to contact the team so they can provide you with personalized offers based on your needs.
3. Babbel – Best for Beginners
Source: Babbel
Visit Babbel
Type of Portuguese: Brazilian Portuguese only
Level: Beginners
Price: Subscriptions cost $14.27 (monthly), $32.92 (quarterly), $52.66 (half yearly) or $78.96 (annually).
Description: Babbel is a tried and tested language learning app that has earned a good reputation due its delivery of comprehensive, bite-sized teaching to beginners in various foreign languages. They teach Brazilian Portuguese, covering vocabulary and grammar basics with conversations that you are likely to hear in daily Brazil life. They use memorization and repetition techniques to help you learn and practice Brazilian Portuguese fundamentals.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Affordable subscription plans | Can become repetitive and boring over time |
| Good focus on basics to make a solid foundation for beginners | |
| Personalized experience from their questionnaire at the start |
Conclusion: Babbel provides a great learning experience for beginners who want to try out Brazilian Portuguese with manageable lesson sizes and good coverage of the language basics. It offers affordable subscription plans and takes a step further to personalize your learning by tuning deliverables your needs and goals. While this method of memorization and repetition can become boring over time, it is good to help lock in fundamentals of the language before advancing to higher proficiency levels of Brazilian Portuguese.
4. Preply – Best for Specialized lessons
Visit Preply
Type of Portuguese: Brazilian and European Portuguese
Level: All levels
Price: Prices of tutors range from just $3 to $78 per hour
Description: Preply is an online language education platform that commits to providing students with quality teaching, engaging learning and flexible accommodation. They incorporate the cultural elements of the Portuguese into lessons while preparing you for practical situations where you would need to use these skills – such as business situations and other daily conversations. This makes them a specialized teaching platform and can provide you with lessons to help you use Portuguese in specific situations.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Affordable course rates | Saturation of Tutors on the platform makes decision difficult |
| Flexible classes to accommodate the schedules of students | |
| Good diversity of Native and Specialist Language teachers available |
Conclusion: Preply offers a great list of tutors that balance out in native and specialist speakers as well. The tutors offer affordable hourly rates that make sure you get that bang for your buck, with lessons being tailored to reach whatever Portuguese language goal that you have set yourself. While so many tutors on the platform may feel like an overload, there is a comprehensive filter system that is easy to use so that you can find the best matching tutor for you.
5. Mondly – Best for lesson variety
Source: Mondly
Visit Mondly
Type of Portuguese: Brazilian Portuguese only
Level: Beginner
Price: Starts at $9.99/month to $47.99/year for one language.
Description: Mondly offers a variety of lessons and courses in Brazilian Portuguese through its easy to use and great looking language learning platform. They use fun and engaging exercises, games and quizzes like word-picture association to help challenge you to practice your language skills and knowledge that you have learned. Their use of speech recognition is a great tool to help you develop fluency in spoken Portuguese.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Fun quizzes to challenge your language knowledge | Courses are not well structured |
| Affordable subscription plans | Can become boring and repetitive over time |
| Great amount of vocabulary covered |
Conclusion: Mondly is a decent language learning app that is a good resource for learning Portuguese vocabulary and also fluency with its speech recognition features. While there aren’t really any structured courses, there are still engaging exercises to help you practice what you have learned – which may become boring over time. Still, it is a good resource to use to practice your Brazilian Portuguese while you learn the fundamentals through other means.
6. Udemy – Best for course variety
Source: Udemy
Visit Udemy
Type of Portuguese: Brazilian and European Portuguese
Level: All levels
Price: Varies greatly, but starts from a minimum of $10 for a course with discounts or specials.
Description: Udemy offers over 40 various courses in Portuguese ranging from all proficiency levels, between Brazilian and European Portuguese and for different specializations as well. With their frequent sales and specials, you are always likely to get a course discounted to around $10 or so – making it a very affordable and accessible platform to learn Portuguese. They have courses dealing with Portuguese vocabulary, culture and even music.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Variety of different courses for different levels, purposes and specializations | User-created content does not guarantee quality courses |
| Cheap courses thanks to frequent sales, discounts and specials | Timed specials and sales may pressure you to purchase impulsively |
| Unlimited access to course materials once you purchase them |
Conclusion: Udemy has become a stock-standard learning platform on the internet. Its always offering a course for someone and in the case of Portuguese, it offers all proficiency levels and both Brazilian and European. There are a variety of lesson topics and coverage like culture and the language fundamentals. It is important to keep in mind that while these courses are affordable and provide you with access to materials, it is user-created content. This means that the quality of the courses offered may vary and not be assured consistently.
7. Practice Portuguese – Best for learning from Native speakers
Source: Practice Portuguese
Visit Practice Portuguese
Type of Portuguese: European Portuguese only
Level: All levels
Price: $12 per month
Description: Practice Portuguese is a well-known language learning site for those who have aspired to start learning Portuguese. While it does only offer European Portuguese, it is dedicated to providing detailed lessons that is loaded with content and resources to make sure that you learn effectively. There are over 400 lessons to help you practice grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Provides a wealth of learning materials and resources | The same format can get repetitive over time |
| Free podcasts available with transcripts and quizzes to help you | |
| Price is affordable and well worth the amount of content provided |
Conclusion: Practice Portuguese provides reliable lessons and material that makes it a strong and well-known teacher of European Portuguese on the internet. At such an affordable price, you are receiving a large amount of supplementary resources, a free podcast with transcripts and quizzes plus detailed course content and materials. While the same format cross 400+ lessons can become a bit repetitive over time, it is still a very solid language learning platform that offers a lot for a little in return.
8. PortuguesePod101 – Best for Listening Comprehension
Source: PortuguesePod101
Visit PortuguesePod101
Type of Portuguese: Brazilian and European Portuguese
Level: All levels
Price: $8 – $47 a month depending on the account you choose and how long you purchase it for.
Description: PortuguesePod101 offers 1180+ audio and video lessons, including detailed PDF lesson notes and transcripts to help supplement your learning. It has lessons with a good progression route that increases in challenge as you move from Beginner to Advanced, with the intention of helping you become fluent in Portuguese.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Good learning curve and progression path through levels | The platform might be a bit confusing to use |
| Wide variety of topics and content covered | |
| Cultural elements of Portuguese explored in lessons |
Conclusion: PortuguesePod101 is a great language learning platform that gives you a host of lessons and topics covering the spectrum of Portuguese fundamentals and culture. It is a really good tool for learning Portuguese vocabulary, grammar and culture. It has a steady pacing and learning curve designed to help you grow through proficiency levels and become fluent in Portuguese. There is a large amount of content here, with supplementary materials to help boost you even further on your language learning path.
9. Mango Languages – Best for Beginners
Source: Mango
Visit Mango Languages
Type of Portuguese: Brazilian Portuguese only
Level: Beginner
Price: $7.99 (monthly) or $79.99 (yearly) for a single language. $17.99 (monthly) or $179.99 (yearly) for all languages.
Description: Mango offers an affordable variety of lessons for Brazilian Portuguese aimed at helping beginners improve their listening, reading and pronunciation skills with flash-card learning and learn-incontext methods. These are done through the use of drill exercises, pronunciation comparisons with native speakers including in-depth cultural and grammatical notes as well.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Includes reading and listening skills development | Audio lessons can become lengthy sometimes, with long explanations that become tiring to listen to |
| Comparison of your pronunciation with native speakers to increase fluency | |
| Insight into cultural and traditional Portuguese elements |
Conclusion: Mango is a great all-rounder that focuses on reading, listening and pronunciation skills with a balance of audio and written notes and resources. They deepen your understanding of Brazilian Portuguese by exposing you to native pronunciation and cultural insights, giving you an intimate understanding of the language and its origins. For an affordable subscription, it is a great language learning solution for beginners.
10. Portuguese Lab Academy – Best for Structured Learning
Source: Portuguese Lab
Visit Portuguese Lab Academy
Type of Portuguese: European Portuguese only
Level: Beginner and Intermediate
Price: $35 (monthly) or $350 (annually).
Description: Portuguese Lab Academy is a well-designed platform with step-by-step structuring of its courses and content. It has great depth in its teaching that makes it ideal for beginners and sufficient for even intermediate learners of European Portuguese. The courses are of good quality with a natural progression design, as they are taught in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. It is taught by Susana Morais, who is a renowned Portuguese teacher.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Well-structured course and system | Pricier than other options online |
| Great supplementary resources | |
| Wide range skills are focused on such as reading, writing, pronunciation, vocabulary |
Conclusion: Portuguese Lab Academy is a quality language learning platform that is designed provide detailed European Portuguese teaching and useful additional resources for both beginners and intermediate learners. The courses offered do a great job at enhancing a variety of your language skills, making it a decent all-rounder. However, this higher standard of education does come with a higher price tag.
11. Rocket Portuguese – Best for Beginners
Source: Rocket Portuguese
Visit Rocket Portuguese
Type of Portuguese: Brazilian Portuguese only
Level: Beginner
Price: $99.95 (one-time payment) with options to pay $19.00 (monthly) for 6 months
Description: Rocket Portuguese teaches you Brazilian Portuguese through structured lessons, interactive audio lessons and survival lessons with various topics. They also offer you challenging games and quizzes to help you practice what you have learned while giving you points to keep you motivated and keep things fun. It has a nicely designed interface that makes your experience on the platform refreshing and simple.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Good design and interface make it easy to use | Can be come repetitive and monotonous |
| Sets goals and points to earn which keeps you motivated | |
| Lifetime access with a one-time payment |
Conclusion: Rocket Portuguese is a great course for beginners who would like some structure and guidance while they learn Brazilian Portuguese. The use of their repetitive lesson format may get boring over time, but it lets you focus on developing your language skills consistently. The use of games and quizzes to test your knowledge in conjunction with their points and goal system, keeps you motivated and engaged in learning. The price may be a bit more than other platforms, but a once off payment can make this platform your life-time language teacher.
12. edX – Best for accredited learning
Source: edX
Visit edX
Type of Portuguese: Brazilian Portuguese only
Level: Beginner and Intermediate
Price: Not available upfront
Description: edX offers courses designed in partnership with leaders in the field of language learning such as Harvard University’s CitiesX courses. They offer European and Brazilian Portuguese learning courses for the language itself, as well as other courses related to Portuguese culture and literature. edX provides a very robust and higher level of education in Portuguese that is aimed to expand more than just your Portuguese language skills, but also your experiences and opportunities.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Accredited language learning from renowned institutions | Prices and course list not available upfront |
| Variety of courses for Portuguese language and specialized courses on culture and literature |
Conclusion: edX is a language learning platform that is suitable for students who want to learn the Portuguese language receive guidance on an institutional level. They offer more than just teaching you the language, but also to teach you about Portuguese culture, literature and more – to provide you with an expansive understanding of it all.
13. Cactus – Best for fixed-term learning
Source: Cactus
Visit Cactus
Type of Portuguese: European Portuguese only
Level: All levels
Price: $264 per course (5 or 10 week courses) for 2 hours twice a week
Description: Cactus Online Portuguese Courses offer the same experience as face-to-face courses with a virtual classroom experience. Their online Portuguese classes are taught by the same qualified and experienced teachers as their face-to-face courses. They have a well structured offers 5-week and 10-week Interactive Portuguese Courses From beginner to advanced, delivered by their qualified tutors in the UK and online.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Structured course curriculum and lesson frequency | Times are more restricted and not flexible |
| Experienced tutors that are bi-lingual and native speakers | Pricy course plans |
| Small class sizes |
Conclusion: Cactus offers a more structured and rigorous approach to learning European Portuguese. While this may not help students who are looking for more flexible options, it will help those who need the guidance and fixed schedule of commitment to learn the language while staying focused. Their course plans may be more expensive, but the learning experience is of higher quality – with small class sizes taught by qualified and native speaking tutors in European Portuguese.
14. City Lit – Best for Schedule Flexibility
Source: CityLit
Visit City Lit
Type of Portuguese: European Portuguese only
Level: Beginner and Intermediate
Price: Average of $209 per course
Description: City Lit offers a variety of courses across a diversity of subject areas, with a dedicated online language learning section that includes the European Portuguese language. Accommodating the busy schedules of their students, their courses run during the daytime, evenings and weekends to offer a great level of learning flexibility to students. They offer a diversity of Portuguese modules that cover beginner and intermediate levels and also specialized courses in Portuguese literature and culture.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| High quality course content and education service | Expensive courses |
| Great flexibility with their courses and scheduling | |
| Specialized courses offered |
Conclusion: City Lit offers language education at the level similar to a tertiary institution, with structured courses and modules for students wishing to learn European Portuguese at beginner and intermediate levels. However, this high standard of education comes at a much higher cost. They have great options in terms of course variety and flexibility, so if money is not an issue for you, then this is a good platform to invest in.
15. Pimsleur – Best for Speaking skills development
Source: Pimsleur
Visit Pimsleur
Type of Portuguese: Brazilian and European Portuguese
Level: Beginners
Price: European Portuguese – $21.95 (per 5 lessons) or $119.95 (per full level, which includes 30 lessons). Brazilian Portuguese – the cost is $575.00 for a complete course (levels 1 to 5) or $150.00 (per level).
Description: Pimsleur is a good language learning tool for beginners to develop their listening and speaking comprehension and language proficiency in both Brazilian and European Portuguese. With the use of their trademark “Dr. Pimsleur’s method”, you’re able to learn on all aspects with the sole focus of speaking the language efficiently and without rules nor boring drills of memorization or repetition. This is because of their aim to help you learn the phrases and words you would most probably need in daily conversations and situations. Using this, they help develop your vocabulary, grammar, and native-like pronunciation with each audio lesson. This includes vocabulary, greetings, common phrases and expressions you would need when talking to native speakers.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Practical teaching on contextual situations and application of speaking skills right away | Does not focus on reading, writing and grammar skills |
| Incorporation of cultural aspects into lessons | |
| Flexible scheduling options to accommodate students with apps on Android and Apple devices for better accessibility |
Conclusion: Pimsleur is a great platform to help you develop your listening and speaking skill right away, with challenging practical guidance in the usage of Brazilian and European Portuguese through daily conversations and situations. Pimsleur has a goal of helping you learn the most important and relevant vocabulary and phrases first, so that you are prepared for most situations. However, with this focus on speaking and listening skills comes the neglect of reading and writing skills. This platform is intended for beginners who want to get right into speaking the language and that is what it does best.
16. Lingodeer – Best for Beginners
Source: Lingodeer
Visit Lingodeer
Type of Portuguese: Brazilian only
Level: Beginner
Price: $11.99 (monthly), $29.99 (quarterly), $55.99 (yearly) or $99.99 (lifetime).
Description: Lingodeer teaches Brazilian Portuguese by using a variety of exercises, activities and challenges for practicing the language. The lessons are delivered in manageable chunks that are not too much nor too little. Their interface is really well-designed and customizable to make your user experience smooth and easy. They have detailed explanations of concepts during their lessons, which are a great resource to help develop your grammar and vocabulary in Brazilian Portuguese.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Great variety of engaging and challenging exercises | Not helpful to intermediate and advanced learners |
| Intuitive and customizable interface making it easy and fun to use | No speaking practice |
| In-depth explanations in grammar and vocabulary | |
| Affordable pricing |
Conclusion: Lingodeer provides an affordable and engaging language learning interface for Brazilian Portuguese beginners. They provide great insight and content in their explanations of the fundamentals in the language. While their detailed break-downs of grammar and vocabulary are excellent, they have not given attention to helping students practice their speaking skills. This is a great option for beginners only, as there is not much catered for intermediate and advanced learners.
17. Glossika – Best for Intermediate students and Speaking skills development
Source: Glossika
Visit Glossika
Type of Portuguese: Brazilian and European Portuguese
Level: Intermediate
Price: $30 (monthly) or $299.88 (annually) for access to all **languages.
Description: Glossika is an AI-based language learning platform that is structured around speaking skills and listening comprehension, where you listen to sentences by native speakers and repeat what you hear. This is geared towards more intermediate language students of both Brazilian and European Portuguese, as it offers challenging exercises to test your language skills. It’s focused on enabling students to naturally learn the grammar points, pronunciation, vocabulary, and language structure.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Good audio quality and use of native speakers | Costly subscription options |
| Great balance of audio and text lessons and exercises | |
| Good for challenging you and making you develop your proficiency |
Conclusion: Glossika is a great platform for intermediate students of Brazilian and European Portuguese to further develop their language proficiency through structured listening and repetition learning methods. It provides a suitable challenge with a good mix of text and audio content, ensuring a balanced experience. While the price tag may be higher than other options, you will receive high quality native speaker’s audio for your listening comprehension practice.
18. Rosetta Stone – Best for immersion approach
Source: Rosetta Stone
Visit Rosetta Stone
Type of Portuguese: Brazilian only
Level: Beginner
Price: $35.97 (for 3 months), $119.88 (for a year), $167.76 (for two years) or $199 once for access to all languages.
Description: Rosetta Stone is a commonly known language learning site that is good for beginners. It introduces you to the basics of Brazilian Portuguese such as basic vocabulary and pronunciation. Their immersion approach removes translations from their teaching, throwing you in the deep end to learn the language without this assistance. While this may help certain students, the lack of English explanations/translations can provide limitations to those who may struggle to understand the basics without the translation guidance – especially when you are entering as a fresh beginner.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Lessons help to practice all skills – reading, writing, listening and speaking | Lack of translations make it significantly hard for beginners to learn |
| Comprehensively structured lessons for beginners | The same lesson structure get repetitive and boring |
| Powerful immersion approach for students who can work with it |
Conclusion: Rosetta Stone has become a household name in the language learning community for both good and bad reasons. While they have well structured lessons covering all language skills in Brazilian Portuguese, they have been known to have expensive pricing. However, they have recently introduced their new subscription plans which are comparatively affordable. It is a decent option for beginners who learn well with their translation-free immersion approach, but it is not for everyone.
Have you found your ideal online Portuguese course?
By now, you should have found the online Portuguese course that meets your needs. With the various levels of proficiency, types of Portuguese, price ranges and pros/cons of each site – we’re sure you have ample knowledge to make an informed decision about which language learning platform offers you the best match and solution.
Come on over to AmazingTalker and see more of our Portuguese courses and tutors that are waiting to help you start your language learning journey today.
