European Portuguese Versus Brazilian Portuguese

    In the early sixteenth century, Brazil had a huge sort of European settlings from Portugal, Netherlands, Germany and Italy, they found many speakers of different Native American languages already living there. It has been estimated that there were more than 1,000 indigenous languages spoken in Brazil at the time of the Portuguese arrival. With the advancement of white populations into the coastal areas of Brazil, these native populations were slowly decimated by disease or genocide, so that nowadays we are left with about 170 different Native Brazilian languages in Brazil.

    The development of Brazilian Portuguese is a complex one, but one that is fascinating nonetheless. Portuguese colonization in Brazil really started in 1548 with the introduction of a system of capitanias or territories awarded to Portuguese officials on a hereditary basis. Most of these territories failed economically, except for São Vicente (today’s São Paulo state) and Pernambuco. Later, there was a system of governorships that responded directly to the King of Portugal. With the invasion of Portugal by Napoleon, the Portuguese royal family was transferred to Rio de Janeiro. This transatlantic move had a significant impact on the Portuguese educational policy in Brazil, especially with regard to the development of language instruction.

    The path followed by Brazil after it became independent in 1822 was very different from that followed by other Portuguese colonies, such as Angola and Mozambique. In these countries, the Portuguese-speaking community is a learned minority. In Brazil, Portuguese has been spoken by many generations of Brazilians, giving it a distinctly Brazilian flavor. Also, one has to account for linguistic contact with the Brazilian indigenous population, whose languages, including Tupi Guarani and others, contributed words to the Brazilian dialect.

    In addition, one cannot forget the influence of millions of black Africans who were forcibly brought to Brazil to work in the sugar cane fields, gold mines, and the homes of Portuguese masters. These Bantu and Kwa speakers offered a unique twist to the way Portuguese is spoken in Brazil.

Introducing the Portuguese Language

Not many people know that Portuguese is spoken in Brazil, one of the few Latin American countries where Spanish is not the official language. In fact, Portuguese is spoken in far-reaching parts of the globe, such as Portugal, Goa (India), Macau (China), Guinea-Bissau, Angola, and Mozambique, among other countries. So what are the origins of this language? How is it similar to or different from Spanish? What makes Brazilian Portuguese different from European Portuguese? And why should you learn it? 

Why Learn Portuguese?

Have you ever listened to a bossa nova love song and wondered what the lyrics mean? Perhaps you have always been intrigued by fascinating exotic places such as the Amazon jungle or Copacabana beach. Maybe your grandparents emigrated from the Azores, Madeira, or Portugal, and you always wanted to write to them in their language. Or you might be interested in learning Portuguese to communicate with your coworkers.

Many people in the world (close to 200 million) speak Portuguese. You might be interested to know that many African and Asian countries have Portuguese as their official language. In addition, there is a growing Portuguese-speaking population in the United States. Because it is an uncommonly taught language, being fluent in it will probably serve you well when you look for a job! Also, learning Portuguese will help you understand the lyrics of famous bossa nova songs, the lines in Oscar-nominated Brazilian films, and the prose of an incredibly diverse body of literature.

Whatever the reason, be it reclaiming your heritage, learning more about the diversity of Latin America, or discovering new worlds of cuisine, literature, and history, learning Portuguese is a great step in your life. So put on your samba shoes and let’s get started!