European Portuguese
Learning Books

Olá!

This page is about European Portuguese learning books. If you wonder  what the best books are for you to learn European Portuguese, here are my suggestions of materials you can use to help you achieve your goals.

These books are "combos", which means, they have text, audio and exercises and, although some of these European Portuguese learning books may be purchased individually, I truly recommend you to get the packs whenever available.

These suggestions are also good for you to use in one-to-one or group classes. They normally present you exercises that will allow you to use the same vocabulary and language structures you have learned in the texts provided, but in different contexts. The purpose of this is mainly to let you realize that you can actually use the same vocabulary and "recycle" the words and structures you have learned before but in the contexts.

Ok, let me go to the nitty-gritty of it!

Olá! Como Está?

Olá! Como está? is an European Portuguese learning book that helps you learn in a fast-paced way.

It is ideal for those of you who are very serious about learning and want to start communicating quickly. You might need the help of a teacher or a native speaker to help you go though it in order for you to learn efficiently.

Your teacher or helper (whoever they are) needs to be sensitive enough to explain to you certain things that this book doesn't explain. Please mind that this book has all its explanations in Portuguese. The first units give you the translation of some useful vocabulary in English, French and German though.

This pack of European Portuguese learning books includes a text book, an exercise book, 2 CDs and a vocabulary book, that you can use to revise what you have learned and build your own series of sentences and ideas by using the chunks of language you have learned.

It is divided into 20 units with at least 4 main dialogues per unit.

This pack of books will allow you to learn the language through a story of 2 families (one lives in Portugal and the other one is visiting Portugal from Brazil).

Giving that the number of Brazilians living in Portugal is increasing every year, some of the voices (from the dialogs) are Brazilian, which may help you get acquainted with the Brazilian Portuguese accent at the same time you learn European Portuguese.getting to know both accents is important.

This pack of books covers pretty much all the main structures of the Portuguese language and respects the new Portuguese Spelling Agreement.

Comparing price with content, I think it offers you a good value for money. Also, on Amazon, you often find these books available in second hand. You might want to get one of those if you are concerned about the environment. I believe the trees will definitely thank you! :-)

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Português XXI - 1, 2 & 3

Portuguese XXI is a series of European Portuguese learning books that will also help you achieve your goals. There are 3 series in total and each of them includes a text book, an exercise book and a CD.

These series are also good for you to use in class and as homework - I know this book has been adopted by many schools.

The book offers you a comprehensive dictionary in 4 languages: German, English, Spanish and French.

The series 2 and 3 are particularly good for intermediate/advanced students as they break down complex language structures such as the cases where the use of the subjunctive is required.

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Novo Português Sem fronteiras - 1 & 2

This European Portuguese learning book is an update of an older version. This new version has a more appealing presentation and it's easier to use. All the book is written in Portuguese. Maybe not the best book for you to study on your own, but if you have a teacher accompanying your study, you will be able to get good results with it. Some people find it a bit old-fashioned though. 
There are a few exercises in which more than one option is possible, and that's why you should get the help of a teacher or, at least, a native speaker. It comes with audio CDs which are useful to train your ear.
These series are normally ideal for group classes when your teacher knows how to use it well.

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Exames de Português - Caple-UL

This is a great European Portuguese learning book which you can use for both learning and testing your language skills. This books is divided into levels (A2, B1 and B2) with a CD. The books is structured in a way that you can practice all the language skills - listening, writing, speaking and reading. If you are are willing to seat an internationally recognized Portuguese exam at the Portuguese embassy in the country you reside, this book gives you a good understanding of what the exam looks like and what you should be focusing on.

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Exames de Português B2

This Exames de Português B2 is a great book for you to reach the extra mile. It contains plenty of exercises with a demanding level of difficulty and it comes with audio and video files. It also covers all skills - listening, writing, speaking and reading. It gives you a good understanding and a good practice for the B2 exam. With it, you'll get familiar with what the exam will look like if you decide to get an internationally recognized exam for Portuguese citizenship, for instance. Some of the tasks require two people interacting with each other - as examples of the tasks you'll be required to perform in a real exam. It's great practice and it will expand your Portuguese skills exponentially.

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And that's it for today. I know that there are other books available out there but these European Portuguese learning books (I recommend you here) have proved great results with my students. I'll keep updating this page as new materials come along and if I find them effective, I'll let you know.

I hope you enjoy your learning! :-)

Rafa x

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