Basics

• 1). Listen to the first dialog of your audio series. Pay close attention to the pronunciation of each word. Many of the sounds are the same as those in English, but there are a few that do not exist in English. Repeat the lesson until you can comfortably repeat the dialog with little hesitation.
  
  
• 2). Study the next few lessons of your audio series. Resist the urge to read your grammar book. It may seem easier to just study from a book, but language is primarily spoken. Learning to read and write is secondary.
  
  
• 3). Read the first few chapters of the grammar book. This will help you solidify what you have already learned through listening. Furthermore, it will help you understand the rules behind what you are learning. For example, studying the verb conjugation patterns in Portuguese will help you understand why verbs are pronounced different ways in different contexts.
  
  

Intermediate and Advanced Study

• 1). Seek out more challenging audio materials such as podcasts, children's television shows or short movies. Listen or watch the material once through without distraction or pause. Then go back and try to review the more difficult sections. Continue this process until you have a thorough understanding of the material.
  
  
• 2). Speak the language with a native speaker. You may not have a native Portuguese speaker in your local area, but there are several websites that can connect you with people in other countries for live audio or video chats.
  
  
• 3). Read newspaper articles written in Portuguese. You won't understand everything, but you will increase your vocabulary by repeatedly seeing the same words over and over.
  
  
• 4). Write a few sentences or a short essay about three times a week in Portuguese. Check your grammar against what your grammar book tells you is correct.
  
  
• 5). Sign up for a Portuguese course at a local university or possibly community center. You can learn a lot from self-study, but eventually you need to be evaluated and instructed by a professional. The demand for Portuguese speakers is quickly growing, especially as the Brazil economic market expands.