PORTUGAL - LISBON

As someone who has always been fascinated by other cultures and languages, I decided to take on the challenge of learning Portuguese. I was drawn to the melodic intonation of the language and the use of vowel sounds, and I was eager to immerse myself in the culture and history of the countries where it is spoken. So, when the opportunity came up to study in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, I jumped at the chance.

At the beginning of my journey, however, I quickly realised that Portuguese was not the easy language I had initially thought it to be. Grammar was a significant obstacle for me. In addition, the personal infinitive and the subjunctive verb forms were entirely new to me, and I struggled to understand and use them correctly.

I remember feeling overwhelmed by the language on my arrival in Lisbon. The accent, the teacher's pace and the grammar complexity made it difficult for me to follow the people. But as the weeks passed, I started to get the hang of it. My listening and speaking skills improved, and I could communicate better with the locals. But, of course, I learned best when immersed in the language, so I tried speaking Portuguese with my classmates, professors, and strangers on the street.

Also, English doesn't have accent marks to indicate the stress of certain syllables, which makes it difficult for me to pronounce words correctly. The Portuguese spoken in Portugal and Brazil differs in terms of vocabulary, accent, and slang, which made it even more difficult for me to communicate effectively in both countries. However, my stay in Lisbon helped me to understand better the Portuguese language spoken in Portugal.

In addition, the diversity of the Portuguese vocabulary was overwhelming. The language has been heavily influenced by Arabic and other languages throughout its history, resulting in different words and expressions that I was unfamiliar with. This made it difficult for me to understand the language and communicate effectively. However, as I was exposed to different Portuguese-speaking cultures, I learned new words, phrases and sentences that helped me communicate more effectively.

Since Portuguese is a tonal language, which means that the pitch of the voice can change the meaning of a word, it was more difficult for me to understand and communicate naturally. However, I found that I improved my understanding and communication by practising listening and paying attention to intonation.

Despite these challenges, I have not given up on my journey to learn Portuguese. I know that it will take me Blog_2 Moritz Graf 2 time, patience and perseverance, but I am determined to master the complexity of the language. I believe it will be worth the effort because the rich culture and history of the countries where Portuguese is spoken make it a valuable language. Living in Lisbon for a semester was a great opportunity to improve my Portuguese and learn the culture. In addition, I had the chance to make new friends, try different foods and explore the city. I am grateful for this experience and will always cherish the memories of my time in Lisbon.

In summary, I can say that my study abroad in Lisbon was a challenging and rewarding experience. The Portuguese language is not easy to learn, but by immersing myself in the culture and the language, I improved my skills and gained a better understanding of the language. Therefore, I highly recommend studying abroad in Lisbon or any other Portuguese-speaking country to anyone who wants to learn the Portuguese language. The experience is priceless.