Portuguese lessons with Ana PT

More than knowing about grammar, including pronouns, articles and conjugations of verbs, teaching   is an act of putting yourself in the place of others and being aware of the vulnerabilities, fears, doubts, difficulties, interests and motivation that each person has. It is about being receptive to all this and finding a way to overcome the difficulties that each one faces when learning a new language. Often, I also have doubts when teaching, and that makes me want to learn more about how to teach better and better. In addition to the language lessons, I'm happy to share what I know about the history, culture and Portuguese traditions.

I had gained fluency in English by 2012, and thus decided to start teaching Portuguese to the foreign community where I lived, in Gois. The need arised from communication difficulties that we all experienced during meetings, and the need of speaking one common language. I also felt the difficulties that the foreigners had in communicating with locals, whilst shopping, buying property, or just in obtaining informations… The gap between the foreign and the local community can be quite big and frightening for both sides. Meeting my need to work and the community's need to learn Portuguese, combined with my pleasure to teach, went all in favour of the start of this project. It was an opportunity not to be missed. When I returned to Cascais, my hometown, I continued to support my old students' language learning process and also their integration, finding that lessons on Skype were the best way to do this. I really enjoyed the experience and I am motivated to continue.

In 2010 I become interested in learning more about permaculture, and soon after I said goodbye to my job and decided to leave for a new adventure. I moved to the mountains in central Portugal, where homeschooling was the common project in the local, open, multi-cultural community. Each family had its land and we were all building our homes at the same time.

T he Portuguese language is difficult and as with any other language, learning it requires perseverance, dedication and willingness to communicate. Communication is an act of free will and the way one approaches another influences how each will respond and react. At first it may seem like an impossible task but with time you will feel more confident. The greatest difficulty is to get to a place, to try to start a conversation but not one word gets out of our mouth. Even when knowing what the words mean in Portuguese. We feel stupid, dumb and it's frustrating because we feel apart. But because the effort that one does by communicating is recognized when it is genuine, do not hesitate to ask for help, to ask to speak more slow, to repeat or to translate if you have difficulties in communication in Portuguese. Investing time in building relationships with locals may seem like an overwhelming task, but it is an effective way for successful integration, that only can be rea

The vulnerability that comes in hands when moving to a new reality is itself an act of courage. There are inner and outer transitions, and a whole world between them. And neither are easy. Moving from one place to another involves taking some luggage with us, being physical or emotional. We can choose to take a lot of luggage, or to go light, but the desire to have nothing, anything, or a lot sometimes leads to difficult choices. So, before making choices, it is essential to be totally aware of the reasons why we think any other place is better than the place where we are at right now. The dream of a new life can be a distant utopia when confronted with everyday life, and facing reality can surprise us in a positive or negative way. Learning to accept all this may be a good way to overcome change. Portugal presents some difficulties, be them cultural, social, linguistic, or other, so be prepared.