A few months before I moved to Portugal in 2019, I started looking for the best way to learn to speak Portuguese.
Before I decided to leave Belgium, during my various stays in Portugal, to facilitate communication with the locals, I had used the DuoLingo application.
It certainly allowed me to familiarise myself with the basics and common vocabulary, but the application offers an introduction to Brazilian Portuguese, with pronunciation and terms that are sometimes quite different from Portuguese spoken in Portugal.
After benchmarking the various existing solutions, I opted for ISTA - Instituto de Artes e Letras de Albufeira, in the Algarve.
This language school also offers tutoring for schoolchildren in various subjects and music courses for all ages.
ISTA's assets :
Choice between group courses (in small numbers) or "one to one" formula.
Dynamic teachers who are very attentive to the needs of learners; many thanks to Maria, my teacher who became a friend, for her patience, her good humour and her teaching which enabled me to learn the language at great speed.
Quality of teaching: ISTA is an extracurricular educational institution recognised by the Ministry of Education of the Portuguese Republic. At the end of the course, it is possible to obtain an official certificate attesting to the number of hours completed and the level reached.
The school is managed by the very sympathetic Sérgio Felício.
The prices are very competitive with the existing offers on the market in the Algarve.
Almost 3 years after taking my last course at ISTA, I am now fluent in Portuguese, but I have not forgotten that it was the solid foundations I acquired at this school that allowed me to quickly adapt to the country.
Whether you are a complete beginner or already have some basic knowledge, do not hesitate to contact ISTA ⤵️ :
📍The address : Av. do Ténis 13, 8200-011 Albufeira (near the dolphin roundabout for those who know the area).
💻 Their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/istalinguas/