4 Great Sites to Learn Business Portuguese Reading the News

Thanks to artists like Caetano Veloso and Amalia Rodrigues, you probably knew that Portuguese is the official language of Brazil and Portugal. But did you know that it is also spoken in 8 other countries and territories such as Mozambique, Angola, and Guinea-Bissau? Did you know that, in fact, Portuguese is more widely spoken in South America than Spanish?

If you’re a language lover, knowing Portuguese is a must. The fact that it’s not as widely taught as Spanish means that learning this language can look very good on your CV, as there are many Portuguese-speaking tourists and residents all over the globe for whom it’s hard to find someone who understands their language. Plus, countries such as Portugal and Mozambique are excellent choices for travelers and people looking to relocate to a different country.

If you do happen to visit a Portuguese-speaking territory, you will need to do two things. First, you’ll have to familiarize yourself with the language. Yes, you might know a few words or useful phrases from songs, but in order to make the most of your time there, you’ll need to start working on your comprehension skills. Second, if you are committed to taking this experience as a learning opportunity that will enrich your knowledge of the people and the culture that you will encounter in your travels, you will need to get acquainted with the socio-political aspect of the place you’re visiting.

 

So why not do both things at the same time?

 

Below, you will find information on how to learn Portuguese while visiting some of the most important news websites in this language.

RTP Notícias – Portuguese News

Rádio e Televisão de Portugal is the state broadcasting organization of Portugal. It operates four public television channels and three national radio channels, as well as numerous satellite offerings.

The first thing you see when you open the RTP website is a list of the most relevant news stories at the time, so the home page is a perfect summary of what is going on in the country. The great thing about this kind of resource is that, because headlines are meant to be clear and specific, telling the reader what the story is about with simple language, beginner learners of the language can be up-to-date on the most important Portuguese news just by reading the titles. Also, because we are dealing with current stories, headlines are useful for practicing the present simple tense. For example, you will find phrases such as:

 

Tribunal de Contas avisa para subavaliação dos gastos com pandemia

Court of Auditors warns of understatement of pandemic spending

 

Crianças perdem mais de um terço do ano letivo devido à pandemia

Children lose more than a third of the school year due to the pandemic

 

 

Embaixadora UE. Santos Silva espera que o Governo de Maduro recue

EU Ambassador. Santos Silva expects the Maduro government to back down

 

Sometimes, however, headlines do not refer to current events but to recent ones. These can be announcements about important dates, inaugurations, elections, or any other past event that has present results. In that case, you will also encounter instances of the past tense, in headlines such as:

 

3500 portugueses voltaram a Portugal com programa Regressar

3500 Portuguese returned to Portugal with the Return program

 

Donald e Melania Trump receberam vacina em segredo

Donald and Melania Trump received the vaccine in secret

 

All in all, with RTP, you can get the best Portuguese news while you improve your language skills.

Agencia Brasil – The latest news from Brazil

If you find yourself in Brazil, the best way to be up-to-date with everything that’s going on regarding the global Covid-19 pandemic is by checking Agencia Brasil on a daily basis. On this Portuguese news website, you will find breaking news with clear, catchy headlines and useful subheadings which summarize the main ideas from the articles.

For those who prefer to hear the news rather than read them, this website also features many public radio stations such as Nacional FM, Nacional de Brasilia, and Nacional do Rio de Janeiro. This is a very handy resource for busy travelers who want to be informed but lack the time to sit down and read a newspaper. With Agencia Brasil, you can listen to the latest news from Brazil while you commute to work, take an excursion, or even sunbathe on the beach.

Although it’s true that this resource might be more helpful to advanced speakers of the language, beginner learners should not feel left out. On the “TV Brasil” section, there are lots of YouTube links where you can watch Brazilian Portuguese news. For those who are not very fluent in the language yet, the visual support is bound to be a huge help. Plus, they come with a summary of what the video is about, so no matter which is your strongest skill – reading or listening, you are covered either way.

O País – News from Mozambique

Grupo Soico, the media company that owns this publication, is the largest private media group in Mozambique, offering television, newspapers, radio stations, and a wide array of cultural events and conferences to bring the latest Mozambican Portuguese news. Founded in 2000, the Group has become a national reference in the media sector through cheeky journalism, multimedia content production, live shows and corporate events. With an innovative editorial line and a strong focus on culture and technology, the Soico Group has played a crucial role in placing Mozambique among the most plural and interesting Portuguese-speaking territories.

O País, in particular, has a prestigious and cultural supplement that travelers and new residents can resort to if they want to soak up the artistic life of Mozambique. A few weeks ago, for example, the cover artist was the South African cantora Wanda Baloyi, who was quoted in the headline saying that “a música é uma voz que fala para todos” (music is a voice that speaks to everyone). Interesting quote, right?

This wonderful section of O País is ideal for Portuguese enthusiasts that like to explore the cultural aspect of languages and find motivation for learning in art and music. It also goes to show that modern newspapers are so eclectic that no matter what your interests are, you’re bound to find something that you care about. Whether you are into politics, finance, or culture and entertainment, the best thing to do is find the right section for you and learn Portuguese through articles that you would enjoy reading anyway in your own language.

Websites from Angola and Guinea-Bissau

If you like to read interesting discussions on current topics, you’ll find Journal de Angola to be an invaluable resource. It has a rich entrevista (Interview) section where, instead of reading the Angolan Portuguese news in impersonal prose, you get to see what important people from this country have to say about current issues.

Reading interviews in Portuguese is very useful for people who want to learn the language because they are transcripts of oral discourse, which means you get to see the kind of connectors and expressions that people use when talking to one another in real life:

Meanwhile, O Democrata, from Guinea-Bissau has a comprehensive classifieds section that you can use to learn language related to jobs and professional skills. Who knows? You might even get a new gig!

The NGO Shelter for Life, for example, is currently recruiting a diretor(a) adjunto(a) para o projeto (an assistant director for an unspecified project).

The requisites are:

Carta de Motivação – A letter of interest

CV destacando a experiência passada em projetos semelhantes – A CV that highlights relevant past experience

Referências de trabalho – Work references

 

Isn’t it impressive how much Portuguese you can learn by opening a digital journal?

If you were to check out one of these Portuguese news websites, which sections would you turn to first?

Though reading newspapers and watching Portuguese news channels is a useful way of supporting your learning process, remember that if you really want to achieve fluency you will need to take a course with a qualified teacher. At Language Trainers, we create personalized courses to fit your needs and your current skills so that you will improve your speaking abilities as fast as possible. Send us a quick inquiry now and we’ll get right back at you with more information.