Been sitting on the fence undecided about whether to learn Portuguese? You’re in excellent company and more on trend than you realise.
Why so? Well, the likes of French merci, German schadenfreude, Italian amore and Japanese ikigai have wormed their way into everyday British chat.
But you could say Portuguese has sat waiting on the sidelines, while steadily making its way up the queue over time.
So, here’s why the time is right to learn Portuguese now, in 2026-27.
Why Learn Portuguese?
Hands up if you’ve binged a Brazilian telenovela or hummed along to fado on the radio.
Anybody?
It’s not your fault. The thing is, Brazilian culture is brilliant, but it’s mostly contained within Portuguese speaking countries. For this reason, it doesn’t flood UK screens like French cinema, Italian opera and Scandi noir.
This is just one of many reasons why learning Portuguese is so exhilarating. It equips you to paint your own picture first hand.
But this doesn’t mean it lacks real substance. On the contrary, take a look at what the numbers demonstrate:
- 265-270 million speakers across four continents – This is global powerhouse level rather than a niche hobby
- Official language of burgeoning economies like Brazil, Angola, Cape Verde and Mozambique. The University of Leeds Portuguese course information explains why Brazil is an especially big deal: “Brazil is one of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) ‘powerhouse’ economies and the reputation of Portuguese speaking countries continues to grow on the world stage”.
- Named by the British Council as one of the languages most vital to the UK’s future prosperity
All the same, it’s churlish to underestimate the cultural richness of the bossa nova, fado, and a literary tradition you’ve never had the chance to discover until.
Right, Let’s Get You Speaking Portuguese
At la Academia, we’re launching our new season Portuguese Complete Beginners course this September:
- Where: la Academia, Cheadle
- When: Starts Friday 25th September 2026 for six consecutive weeks, with teacher Eulalia
- Time: 1.00 – 3.00pm
Cost: £120.00 for the full course
A bit further down the line than a beginner?
Intermediate
- Saturdays 12.30 – 2.00pm with teacher Eulalia
- Cost: £90.00
Get in touch to learn Portuguese or fine tune your existing Portuguese skills, for career, travel, heritage, or sheer curiosity.