Also read the Correio da Manha every day. You will be surprised what you can work out from just skimming the words, look up any you don't know, and by guessing the content you can sometimes work out what the in between words mean.

G

Hi
we currently live in NE Brasil (moving to Portugal next year ), and arrived here several years ago with just 7 words in the bag.

The key for us was making Brazilian friends, none of whom spoke a word of English and this helped us immensely. Nothing like wanted to truly get to know your buddies as a motivation factor. We always carried a little notebook and noted down ( or got them to write ) new words, just a few a day.

There are basically two types of language learner ( I teach English here sometimes ), those who hear and remember, and people like me that need to see it to remember it.

IE ........... you can repeat new words or expressions to me all you like and its gone 5 mins later despite repeating and repeating. But if I see it written, I need to see it just once and can bring it back, spell it, use it.

If you know which is your stronger method of assimilating the language, maybe you could try watching films in English, so you are relaxed, and have the PT subtitles on the go. If you pick up just one word or phrase per film its a winner. We sat down and watched lots of series like Greys anatomy ( hooky downloads ) with subtitles as they were in short bites of 45 mins.


Good luck !!!! We were fluent inside 6 months with formal study of only 3 hours per week plus an hour of homework per week. It neednt be a barrier !