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That's totally true because Portuguese is a very nasal language.When you compare written Portuguese to written Spanish, it's like 80-90% identical. Where Portuguese differs and becomes a challenge is when you listen to it, words at times sound completely different than hor they're written. For anyone learning Portuguese, your biggest challenge will be to get familiar with the sounds. What helped me big time with this, was listening to Brasilian music all the time. Not only is the music among the best, if not best IMO in the world, but it does help tremendously in training your ears to the sounds of the language.

Another thing I did while learning Portuguese was to chat every day with Brasilians both on MSN, via email in Portuguese. I woudl write in my basic portuguese and they would correct me and they would write to me in Portuguese. Also reading Brasilian sites online every day helped me a lot. Over time, using MSN chatting, I built a good network of contacts in Brasil and I would speak to them over MSN or skype daily with them. Needless to say that helped big time in learning the language.

Of the 2, I found Spanish the easier to understand but hte hardest to learn as the grammar and conjugaison of verbs is a lot more complex in Spanish. Verbs and the way they conjugate is a lot more straight forward in Portuguese.

If you're looking for a course, the best I found has been the Pimsleur lessons. Not cheap but well worth it. Or just get them for free either from your library or from the torrent sites.

Doing the above, I went from not speaking a word of portuguese to conversational in 12 months and now, I'm almost fluent. It's a matter of really wanting to learn it and you will learn it. Dont do it just for the girls (even tough they'll be a big reason) I learned it as I love Brasil, the cultulre, the music, the football and now, with the economy booming like crazy, it is an awesome place for biz and or career.

Any questions about Portuguese or Brasil, post them here and I'll do my best to assist as well, time permitting.

(12-28-2011 04:23 PM)alchemist88 Wrote:  

(12-28-2011 04:21 PM)alchemist88 Wrote:  

(12-28-2011 04:11 PM)misterstir Wrote:  

1. How long does it take to learn portugese with a decent level of fluency, if your learning on your own
2. Is it better to learn spanish or portugese first and why if you intend to learn both?

I learned portuguese on my first trip to Brazil at one their universities over the summer. A 6week intensive course for about 4-5hrs 5days a week plus living their and thinking/speaking in Portuguese really helped.

I have friends who were studying their for 1 semester or 1year and they said they were pretty damn fluent already which impressed me but my professors even said studying there even for 6weeks living there is more like 1year because your using it more. I can read and make almost everything I read, hearing it back I pick up words here and there but I really need much more practice, at this point I am just basic conversational

a lot of portuguese speakers tell me they can understand spanish and most of what they say but spanish speakers cannot understand the portuguese as well as them