United States Foreign Service Institute
   Brazilian Portuguese (FAST) Course I

Learn Portuguese - Speak Portuguese

These no-nonsense courses have been used successfully by thousands of students to jump-start their foreign language training. No other method has proved more effective than the simple listen-and-imitate method these courses employ. Upon finishing the course the learner should have a good grounding in everyday vocabulary, grammar, and usage, and be able to communicate with native speakers.

Why You Need To Use FSI Language Programs

FSI, or the Foreign Service Institute has been producing government sponsored language programs for over forty years! Developed as a tool in training the United States Government’s top agencies, the programs expansive coverage has provided the much needed tools in educating some of today’s most esteemed government leaders. Ambassadors, Diplomats, and CIA Agents have all agreed that FSI’s programs for language learning are second to none!

FSI’s success in educating top officials and agents is now available to you! Whether you are a beginner or just brushing up, the courses offer a proven and time-tested methodology for discovering your language potential! These audio courses offer a learn at your own pace developmental system that will have you well on your way to speaking any language within weeks of purchasing your’ program!

Educators agree that FSI’s language programs provide the necessary tools in effectively educating the second language student or business professional! Whether you’re a recent high school graduate on your way to Europe or a CEO leading your company into the next great marketplace you will be amazed at how effective FSI programs are at releasing your language abilities! With just a few dedicated minutes a day you can be on your way to enjoying your new language!

Don’t Settle For I,II,III programs! Start learning your next language with the complete power of FSI! Unlike most language programs, FSI is packaged to give all materials to the customer at the time of purchase. This means once you buy an FSI language program you will never have to return to the site to buy subsequent programs within the same language! All the materials are provided for you to develop a complete and comprehensive knowledge of your’ selected language.

About The Foreign Service Institute

As any seasoned vacationer, jet-setting businessman, soldier, diplomat or weekend warrior will tell you, traveling to a foreign country is a truly exhilarating experience. From the moment you first set foot on foreign soil, you're surrounded by a new, exotic world, full of unique sights, sounds, tastes and adventures. Your senses are in overdrive as you feel both excitement about what awaits you, and anxiety about adhering to local laws and customs. It is at this moment--when you desire to make the very most of this experience--that you realize your true barrier to this new world is not a cultural one, but rather one of basic communication. Learning the local language can be the difference between frustration and relaxation on a vacation. It can spell success or failure in a business meeting. It can help insure a safe, fulfilling and enlightening trip for virtually anyone, anywhere. The family of language courses assembled by Learn How To Speak.com is the answer.

Learn-How-To-Speak.COM has been granted exclusive access to the original language courses developed by the Foreign Service Institute the United States Government's primary institution for training diplomats and other officials for assignments in foreign countries. Now you can benefit from the very same programs that America's most distinguished foreign servants have trusted for decades.

Learn-How-To-Speak.COM's exclusive foreign language courses are designed for individuals who desire to learn, experience and enjoy foreign cultures. They are comprehensive, in-depth and most importantly, proven. If you are considering a trip to another country, aiming to strengthen business relationships with foreign counterparts, or just wanting to learn something new, then our courses are for you. Don't just be another tourist; travel with respect, style and the peace of mind that only comes from knowing you can accurately communicate in any situation.

About the Portuguese Language

Between 170 and 210 million people speak Portuguese throughout the world today. Portuguese ranks eighth among the most spoken languages in the world (third among the western languages, after English and Castilian) and is the official language of seven countries: Angola (10.3 million inhabitants), Brazil (151 million), Cabo Verde (346,000), Guinea-Bissau (1 million), Mozambique (15.3 million), Portugal (9.9 million), and São Tomé and Príncipe islands (126,000).

Portuguese entered its modern phase in the 16th century when the first grammars defined Portuguese morphology and syntax. When Luis de Camões wrote Os Lusíadas, in 1572, the language was already close to its current structure of phrases and morphology. From then on, linguistic changes have been minor. When Portugal was under the domination of Spain, from 1580 to 1640, Castilian words such as bobo (fool) and granizo (hail) were absorbed into the language. French influence during the eighteenth century changed the Portuguese spoken in the homeland, making it different from the Portuguese spoken in the colonies.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, the Portuguese vocabulary absorbed new contributions. Words of Greco-Latin origin, reflecting technological advances, were added to the language. Such words included automóvel (car) and televisão (television). This was followed by English technical words from medical, astronautical, and computer sciences, such as checkup and software. The onrush of new words led to the creation in 1990 of a commission of representatives of the various Portuguese-speaking countries. Its goal was to create a uniform technical vocabulary and avoid the confusion that was occurring when different words were used to describe the same objects.

Portuguese Reference Links

» Pimsleur Language Programs from Plurality Language