Many thanks to by Leslie Smith for this fabulous insight 🙂

Recently I was contacted by an American expat who intending to write the Portuguese B1 exam
soon. A California native, this professional woman now lives with her husband in a beautiful
Portuguese surfing town where she takes Portuguese lessons.

Still, Catarina (not her real name) was uneasy that her level of Portuguese might not be up to
par for the exam. She had not taken the easier A2 level exam, and needed to obtain the B2
level certification before she could work as a licensed professional in her area. She had already
mastered another language, and as a professional, clearly understood organization, dedication
to study, and how to pass exams. Not only that, but she is immersed in the Portuguese
language, having moved to this pretty coastal town many months before.

Understandably, she needed to move through the levels as quickly as possible. But things were
lagging a bit.

So what is Catarina’s problem?

“Everyone speaks English.”

Despite Catarina’s best efforts, nearly everyone she meets is either an English native speaker
or confident enough in the language to speak it instead of using Portuguese.

Casual conversations begun in Portuguese quickly shift to English, leaving Catarina wondering
what she said, or if her linguistic skills are lacking.

As a Canadian anglophone, I sympathize with Catarina’s plight. Here, everyone learns French
from an early age in school, all labels and government documents are in French and English
and we have many choices of radio, television, books and social media in both official
languages. But somehow many of us anglophones seem to tune this out and operate in our
own all-English language bubble, despite having the easiest access ever to our other founding
language. Similarly, conversations begun in French regularly switch to English (known here as”Le Switch”) in the same way and for the same reasons as in Portugal.

Because most Canadian francophones, and many Portuguese, also speak English well, this
leaves the learner with mixed feelings, just like Catarina:

What did I say wrong? Did I make a mistake? Am I not good enough?

The answers are….

a) it really doesn’t matter.

b) maybe….

c) and absolutely not!

Often, your interlocutor is trying to be polite or help the conversation along. It may be that
accomplishing a certain task — getting a prescription, buying a loaf of bread, paying your
parking ticket or whatever — is just easier in English or whatever the common language may be.
It is necessary to be firm in your intention to continue to speak in Portuguese. But this comes
with the added pressure of needing to understand what the person you are talking to just said.
People may speak rapidly, with a regional accent, with a speech impediment, use
colloquialisms, or just not be into talking with a foreigner.

What to do?

Start small: Get comfortable with small, frequent interactions in Portuguese. Order your bica
and doce in Portuguese. Ask the names of the different styles of coffee (and not just
“americano”) and sweets. Try them. Read the discarded Portuguese newspapers in the coffee
shops…who knows, you might attract some casual comments from the other customers.

Think up random questions to ask locals. Stop someone in the street to ask for directions, even
if (or especially if) you already know the way. Ask the cashier at the check out if it will rain
today. Compliment someone on their dog and ask if it is “pura raça.” You may receive an
enthusiastic description of the dog’s pedigree, especially if it is one of the six varieties of
Portuguese pharaoh hound (trust me, this works…I now know all about pharaoh hounds).
Get comfortable with the small stuff, and then move on to longer conversations.

Top conversation spots
Avoid areas where there are likely to be English-speaking people. Don’t go to the expat bar, for
instance. Head for the back streets or parts of town where locals are likely to be. Think of
travelling to areas where there are fewer tourists and a vibrant local culture, such as a local
festa.

Take public transit and don’t wear ear buds. Start thinking in Portuguese and listen to how
people interact, specially while using colloquialisms, while riding the train for instance.

Eavesdrop, in other words.

Go to the laundromat and talk to clients waiting for their clothes to dry.

At the pharmacy, ask the staff in Portuguese for a remedy for something or what kind of vitamins
you should take.

Inquire at the Câmara about something….ask for zoning details of an apartment you are thinking
of buying, find out about permits needed for repairs, or anything administrative, and look up
specific vocabulary you might need beforehand.

Open a bank account or inquire about details of your bank account at your local branch.

Go to a museum and ask about an exhibit. Be sure to get the Portuguese brochure, and read
only the display plaques that are in Portuguese.

Sit on a park bench beside an elderly person, or volunteer in an old folks home.

Attend a hands-on learning class given in Portuguese. Though yoga classes are often inEnglish, there are Portuguese-language alternatives or other activities available. An activity that
combines “doing” with “learning” will facilitate your language skills. Check for classes at
universities, private colleges or freguesias.

Go shopping for clothes, local crafts or furniture and ask questions about the products.

Insist…politely

Is the switch still happening?

Don’t be afraid to continue on in Portuguese, and to say that you prefer to speak Portuguese as
you are learning this wonderful language.

Ask for an explanation of words you don’t understand that may crop up in the conversation.
Inevitably, you will find many Portuguese people love to instruct others about their language and
are willing to help, and give praise.

And above all….embrace your mistakes!