My Language Learning Story: How I Went from Basic Words to Fluent in Portuguese
My language learning story began in September 2020 at the age of 27. At the time, I wasn’t exactly a language prodigy. Sure, I had studied French and Irish in high school, but I wouldn’t describe myself as particularly gifted in language learning. What I did have, however, was plenty of motivation.
I had fallen in love with a Brazilian woman, now my wife, and was planning to spend a significant amount of time in Brazil. To truly enjoy that time, I needed to speak the language. And to really thrive there, I wanted to speak it well.
The Early Days: Duolingo and Basic Conversations
When I began the Portuguese course on Duolingo, I was excited. I believed that if I worked hard enough to complete the course, I’d be fluent by the end. I committed to studying at least 30 minutes a day, often an hour. I completed the course quickly, but to my disappointment, I was far from fluent.
I could barely hold a one-on-one conversation and constantly needed explanations for words, limited by my small vocabulary. As of September 2023, Duolingo’s Portuguese course includes only about 2,855 words—not nearly enough for fluency! Worse, many of those words were given minimal focus and inefficient repetition.
When I first arrived in Brazil, I quickly realized that while Duolingo had helped, it wasn’t the magic solution I’d hoped for. I could hold basic one-on-one conversations if the person I was speaking with was patient enough. Gestures, pointing, and the occasional word guess became my best friends.
But let’s be honest—eking out simple sentences gets old fast. Group conversations? Forget about it. If I missed a critical word, I was either an inconvenience or unconsciously left out. Even after completing the course, I realized I needed something more to truly connect with people and thrive in Brazil.
A New Chapter: Discovering the Power of Reading
So, what’s the next step in a language learning story when apps aren’t enough? For me, it was reading. I couldn’t find any advanced resources that clicked, so I decided to challenge myself. Reading seemed logical—it lets you go at your own pace and exposes you to countless words in context.
I’m an avid reader in English, but reading in a second language is a completely different beast. Never one to shy away from a challenge, I picked a book from my list: The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm by Christopher Paolini. At first, I had to look up new words almost every sentence.
Even in our first language, reading plays a big role in building vocabulary, so why not apply the same principle? I believed that if I wanted to speak Portuguese as well as I speak English, I needed to read—and read a lot. Starting with something I was emotionally connected to, like The Inheritance Cycle, felt like the perfect way to ease into reading in Portuguese.
Struggles and Spreadsheets: My Secret to Retaining Words
Reading in Portuguese wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. At first, I’d only manage seven pages a day, translating nearly every sentence. Paolini’s rich vocabulary made it challenging, but the real hurdle was remembering all those new words.
To fix this, I started recording every unfamiliar word I came across in a spreadsheet. Each day, I spent 15 minutes reviewing those words before diving into 45 minutes (or more) of reading. While effective, this system quickly became cumbersome.
To make my process more efficient, I wrote macros for the spreadsheet. These simple programs helped me sort words based on when they were last studied and introduced a structured spaced repetition system. Here’s an article explaining the science behind spaced repetition, which ensures new words are reviewed at just the right intervals to stick. It worked incredibly well.
The Turning Point: Fluent Reading and Real Progress
By the time I reached my third book, my reading speed and confidence had improved dramatically. I had added over 2,000 lemmas to my vocabulary—a lemma being a base word, like “run,” which covers variations like “runs” and “running.”
By the time I finished The Inheritance Cycle, I was reading fluently, barely needing to look up words, and sometimes I’d get so into the story I’d read for hours.
Fast forward to today: I’ve completed 11 books in Portuguese and, according to my Kindle, have read over 1.5 million words in the language. Now, I can tackle challenging texts and understand words as obscure as headland (promontório), grimace (careta), and giblets (miúdos).
Building a Better System: The App That Changed Everything
While my spreadsheet worked well, it wasn’t perfect. Managing hundreds of words manually got overwhelming, so I developed a simple web app. By my third book, I had a tool that streamlined my studies and made vocabulary retention easier than ever.
Over the past year and a half, I’ve used the app to learn over 4,000 new lemmas. It not only reinforced my vocabulary but also allowed me to progress faster than I ever thought possible. My speaking skills have improved immensely, and I can now confidently participate in multiway conversations. I can attend doctor’s appointments with my wife and new baby and understand every word being said with ease.
Lessons Learned: Tips for Your Own Language Learning Story
If you’re starting your own language learning story, here’s my advice: focus on vocabulary first and worry less about grammar. Learn words in context by reading and listening. Apps like Duolingo are great for beginners, but to truly achieve fluency, you’ll need more tailored tools.
That’s where my app comes in. It’s the system that has made a huge difference in my language learning journey. It’s designed to help you retain vocabulary efficiently through structured spaced repetition—a method proven to enhance learning outcomes. Learn more about the science behind spaced repetition here. The best part? It’s free to download and the best it’s ever been.
Conclusion: Try the App for Yourself
My language learning story is far from over, but I’ve come a long way—and my app played a huge role in that. Today, I read fluently, engage in conversations with ease, and navigate life in Brazil confidently. If you want to take your own language learning to the next level, give my app a try.
Check out the app on the home page. It’s completely free and ready to help you on your journey.
