Portuguese belongs to Romance languages and it started its development with the Romans’ arrival at the Iberian Peninsula in the 3rd century BC. Although the first evidence of Portuguese as a distinct language had been found in Latin texts since the 9th century, it was recognized in 1290 after Portugal’s independence and the foundation of the first university in Lisbon. However, the language’s global expansion began in 15th – 16th centuries with Portuguese colonialism when the country was able to create one of the longest lived commercial empires. As a result, in the present day, Portuguese is officially spoken in ten countries, including Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, East Timor, Guinea-Bissau, Macau, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Equatorial Guinea. Due to Brazil that constitutes more than a half of South America’s population, Portuguese is currently among the most spoken languages all over the world. Taking into consideration speakers for whom Portuguese is a second language, the total number of people who speak it exceeds 250 million across the globe.
I chose Portuguese because of its status and development that indicate its significance. Among European languages, Portuguese is the fastest-growing one after English even if less than 5% of its speakers live in Portugal, the country of its origin. As a result, it is possible to consider Portuguese as worth learning for traveling and communication. Although European Portuguese and Latin American Portuguese have some differences, both of them are accessible for the speakers of European languages, especially Spanish and other Romance languages. The similarities are determined by political, economic, and social interactions between countries. As a result, Portuguese absorbed multiple words from French, Italian, English, and especially Arabian. The latter penetrated into Portuguese in the result of the Moorish invasion of the 8th century.
Portuguese is worth learning due to a heart-warming and welcoming nature of its speakers as well. For instance, although a considerable number of Brazilians do not speak foreign languages, they are always ready to help a person who tries to speak Portuguese. Finally, it may be simply regarded as a very beautiful language. Similar to other Romance languages, it has a particular smooth flow, melody, and various intonations making it pleasant for listening.
There are several techniques that may be useful for a person who decided to learn Portuguese. First of all, it is highly essential to address an educator who will be able to provide the basis of the language’s grammar, vocabulary, and syntax for subsequent individual learning. In turn, for people who have a general perception of the language, it is recommended to use a language learning application and flashcards for better memorizing, read books, and train their ears with music, films, TV series, and online videos in Portuguese. In the beginning material may be very simple and subtitles may be used, however, with time, it will be easier to understand. For speaking skills, it is possible to speak with native speakers or one’s self if they are not available. In Portuguese-speaking country, for a beginner, these phrases may be beneficial to receive help or simply establish a contact.