Portuguese is a Romance Language that is spoken in Portugal, Brazil, and other Portuguese colonial and formerly colonial territories.
Portuguese is the second Romance language after Spanish in terms of speakers – largely due to its position as the language of Brazil, wherein in the early 21st century some 187 million people spoke.
Unlike Spanish, Portuguese is hardly ever taught as a foreign language in schools in India. It’s taken up by very few people, most of whom seem to have already studied Spanish.
But here I’ll give you 4 reasons why I learned Portuguese before even looking at Spanish.
Portuguese is spoken by about 252 million people in the world which brings it to the top 10 most spoken languages of the world.
There are many words in the English language with Portuguese origins, including banana, breeze, embarrass, and cobra which made it easier for me to learn and understand.
Portugal is a predominantly Roman Catholic country with a close-knit family ethic. Its rich culture results from many influences. It’s like you name it, they have it.
- The Portuguese have a deep-seated appreciation of art. They have many museums and smaller municipalities have their own collections.
- If you’re fond of reading then there’s literature available for you. Many Portuguese authors have won the Nobel Prize for literature.
- Portugal never developed a great dramatic theatre tradition because the Portuguese are more passionate about lyric or humorous works than dramatic art.
- Fado and Folk music along with dancing are Portugal’s most important forms of musical expressions. There exists a variety of folk music and dance styles. Even the smallest town in Portugal has a square, often by the church for presentations of regional folk music and dance.
- Though I’m a vegetarian, Portuguese cuisine is commendable. The national snack is the custard treat, pastel de nata, and rice pudding topped with cinnamon is a favorite dessert. Also, there will always be a bowl of olives on the table to start with.
- Whenever it is the festive season, all the Portuguese people come together and celebrate it. Be it Carnaval, Halloween, Saint Martin’s Day, Christmas, or New Year the spirit of joy never dies.
The enticing image of rhythm and color, with its expensive beaches, rainforests, exotic plants and wildlife, vibrant culture of music, dance and football, and its beautiful people is the reason I have been to Brazil twice. It’s like you can’t get enough. Meet-ups and house-stays via Airbnb are something everyone should experience at least once.
By learning Portuguese, you will be setting yourself apart from everyone else which will initially bolster your resume and improve your job prospects. In the past decade, the Brazilian economy has become the 9th largest in the world in terms of GDP. Now is the great time to do business with Brazilian companies and speaking Portuguese will give you an advantage over competitors.
So, this is why I chose Portuguese over every other foreign language. It is a beautiful language spoken by an array of countries with rich cultures. The language has certainly left an impact on global history too.
