The American never had any doubts about the need to learn Portuguese. She started doing it online while still in the United States, but in class she studied a lot of grammar and rarely had the opportunity to practise speaking. In Portugal, she realised that she didn't speak or understand anything.

She then looked for face-to-face classes, but the problem remained: ‘Grammar and more grammar, which I sometimes didn't understand because they didn't explain it.’ Over two years, she stopped learning the language for months and went through different schools and teachers until they recommended Conversa Portuguese, a school specialising in teaching European Portuguese to foreigners online.

‘For the first few months in Portugal, I felt lost. I had lessons, I studied, but in real life... I couldn't understand or speak! After trying various schools and teachers, I thought it was my problem and I was about to give up,’ says Harriet. In her first lesson, she started speaking Portuguese straight away. Ten lessons later, she was able to have a simple, short conversation in Portuguese. ‘Cláudia corrected my pronunciation, which was terrible, and gave me the self-confidence to speak. I still have a lot to learn, especially in listening comprehension, but I'm finally on the right track,’ she says.

Cláudia Taveira is Harriet's teacher and the founder of Conversa Portuguese. According to Harriet, the teacher's qualifications, experience in teaching Portuguese and concern for the students' learning make all the difference: ’Cláudia makes sure that the students don't end up with any doubts. When I have more difficulty with a topic, she creates specific materials for me, which help me a lot. She works hard for her students.

Harriet also says that the lessons are structured and based on the real needs of the students: ‘Cláudia knows that the aim of the lessons is to prepare the students to communicate in Portuguese, so after working on grammar or vocabulary, we always practise orally. These are classes where all the skills are worked on.’

‘Conversa Portuguese wants to be a school of excellence. We try to have the most qualified, experienced and dedicated teachers,’ says Cláudia. Like her, the teachers at Conversa Portuguese have decades of experience in the field of Portuguese as a Foreign/Second Language, have a degree in Portuguese and a master's degree in Portuguese as a Non-Mother Tongue. Some are studying for a PhD in the field. The school also has teachers for English and French speakers, so teachers can compare the two languages, which helps with learning.

Conversa Portuguese offers classes for those with no knowledge of Portuguese and at all levels: beginner (A1 and A2), intermediate (B1 and B2) and advanced (C1). Students can opt for individual or group lessons for English or French speakers. The group courses, with a maximum of six students, take place more intensively and at least three times a week so that students have more contact with the language, which leads to better results than many group courses in other countries.

Conversa Portuguese classes are attended by students of different nationalities: expats living in Portugal or in Portuguese-speaking African countries, people with families in these countries, business people, students preparing for exams, particularly the CIPLE, tourists visiting Portugal, people who are passionate about the language and culture, children and teenagers. For everyone, the success of learning the language and the friendship remain.

In addition to the quality of the teachers, the school stands out for its learning platform. As in all physical schools, at Conversa Portuguese students have access to rooms, but here they are virtual: their own classroom, with all the lesson materials organised, an autonomous learning room (with videos, interactive exercises, games), a reading room (with chronicles, short stories, poems, which include translation and/or explanation of difficult vocabulary and cultural and historical references), as well as a digital library (a repository of films, series, Portuguese music, among other resources).

Highly qualified and experienced teachers, a focus on real communication, structured lessons tailored to students' needs, a platform with hundreds of exclusive materials for students to practise with, as well as a digital library or intensive courses to ensure rapid progress are some of the ingredients that make Conversa Portuguese a different school.

For more than two years, Harriet thought she wouldn't be able to learn Portuguese. ‘I'm sorry it took me so long to get to Conversa Portuguese.’ Don't waste any time and sign up for the group courses for English and French speakers starting in March.

For more information please contact Conversa Portuguese.