eu quero falar ..

April 18, 2011 10:49 AM

Can you direct me towards a Portuguese class in Seattle?

I am trying to find an intermediate to advanced (I speak Spanish and more or less understand Portuguese) Portuguese class this summer in Seattle.

I won't be in the city til early July, so something that starts around that time or runs continuing 8 or 10 week classes would be perfect. I'd like a class that meets 5 times a week and focuses on Brazilian Portuguese. Other than that, I'm open to suggestions--the more obvious languages (Spanish, French) are a breeze to find, but I've been wanting to do Portuguese for a while and am having problems locating good options.

Thanks in advance!

posted by queens86 to Education (3 answers total)

I live in Seattle and have tried finding foreign-language classes there. You might find it tricky to find a class that meets five days a week, simply because most people studying a language have day jobs and are just doing it as a hobby.

You might consider the Washington Academy of Languages. They teach Portuguese there, though according to their schedule, only relatively basic one. Still, it's worth contacting them and describing what you're looking for. I took (Japanese) classes there, and since their class sizes are very small, and demand varies, they sometimes will set up custom classes, if they can find enough people to justify the teacher's time.

Ditto for the Seattle Language Academy, though I haven't taken anything there and can't vouch for them.

If all else fails, you might email a Portuguese professor at the University of Washington and tell them what you're looking for. It's a long shot, but sometimes they can recommend conversation groups or other useful language resources.
posted by molybdenum at 1:07 PM on April 18, 2011

Best answer: The Portuguese guy I work with suggested the Seattle Portuguese meetup group. While the primary focus of the group is a general appreciation of the language, he said there are people who are actively seeking to teach the language, that attend the events.
posted by nomisxid at 1:11 PM on April 18, 2011

I am also a spanish speaker and currently studying portuguese. I mostly study portuguese online with a private teacher located in Brazil through skype. I recommend that you start off in the most basic level but take classes for spanish speakers (meaning that you will go faster). Knowing spanish by itself doesnt make you intermediate. Google Brazil Ahead. They are excellent. Memail me if you have any questions.
posted by The1andonly at 1:36 PM on April 18, 2011