Among the 128 languages you can hear in the Miami metropolitan area, Portuguese is one of the most commonly used. Although not as widely spread as Spanish, the number of Portuguese speakers is quickly rising due to the high levels of immigration from countries like Brazil. In fact, according to the 2020 census, Portuguese is now the fourth most common language in the state of Florida, with approximately ninety-one thousand speakers. This has caused an increasing number of people in Miami to become interested in the language, as they want to take advantage of some of the many benefits of speaking such a popular language including getting better jobs, meeting new people in the foreign-born local community, and expanding their knowledge of the lusophone cultures. If you happen to share some of these ambitions, learning any of the Portuguese variants is the best thing you can do for yourself this year, as it will take your experience of the city to the next level and grant you many unique opportunities in other countries that can potentially change your life.
Why Study Portuguese in Miami?
Learn Portuguese for Work and Travel
If you’re wondering what’s the best language you can learn to advance your career in Miami, you should definitely consider learning Portuguese. As one of the most commonly spoken languages after English and Spanish, Portuguese is a highly sought-after skill by many employers. Some of the positions you can find in the city that are exclusive to Portuguese speakers are Bilingual Operations Manager at Anzu Global, Bilingual Brazilian Portuguese-English Interpreter at Ops Tech Alliance, and Bilingual Customer Care Expert at Wix.
What’s more, if you have any type of business in Miami, learning Portuguese will help you build useful professional relationships with some of the Portuguese-speaking residents, who can help you expand to other countries or attract more clients from countries like Brazil, Angola, or Mozambique. On top of that, as one of the most spoken languages in the world, speaking Portuguese will allow you to feel at home in any lusophone country and find unique opportunities across the world.
Learn Portuguese for Social
Anyone interested in immersing themselves in lusophone cultures will find many events in the city that celebrate the art, cuisine, and traditions of the countries where Portuguese is spoken. A perfect example is the annual Brazilian Film Festival of Miami, held in September, where Brazilian actors, directors, international producers, as well as American and Latin American audiovisual professionals, gather in the city to celebrate the best Brazilian films. The festival, which lasts eight days, offers the perfect chance to deepen your knowledge of Brazilian culture and language as you enjoy compelling films. It’s also the perfect chance to listen to native speakers in the many Q&A events where Brazilian actors and directors discuss the films. The event takes place at different cinemas around the city, so if you want to attend this year’s festival, make sure you check the venues on their official website.
Another great way to get to know a culture is by tasting its food. Fortunately, there are many great international restaurants in Miami you can check out. If you want to try Portuguese food, a great option is Old Lisbon Restaurant, located at 1698 SW 22nd St. This amazing restaurant has been around for thirty years and offers great Portuguese dishes like bolinhos de bacalhau, which are codfish croquettes, choriço, also known as Flaming Portuguese sausage and mexilhões à casa, which are mussels in Tomato Consommé with Portuguese Sausage Medallions.
Learn Portuguese for Culture
In addition to expanding your horizons, learning Portuguese will help you meet new friends among the various lusophone communities who will help you boost your skills in exchange for your English knowledge. The Miami Portuguese Conversation Club is a great group of language enthusiasts who gather in different local bars to chat in Portuguese and learn about the Brazilian culture. They hold all kinds of events like feijoada no Boteco, where in addition to having conversations in Portuguese, you’ll be able to taste delicious traditional dishes like feijoada and enjoy amazing Brazilian live music at a local restaurant called Boteco, located at 916 NE 79th Str. Their most common event, however, is Bate Papo no Sagrado Café, a language exchange event that takes place every week at a local coffee shop called Sagrado Café, located at 900 Biscayne Blvd. It’s completely free and it offers the perfect opportunity to practice your Portuguese with native speakers and other local learners who love the language as much as you do.
Where to learn Portuguese in and around Miami?
If you’re looking for places to learn Portuguese around Miami, there are many great options you can consider. If you’re not looking for a language course, you might want to check out the Miami-Dade Public Library System, which has branches all around the city and offers many language resources worth exploring like films, music, and novels in many languages that include Portuguese. However, if you’re looking for a language course, the best option in the city is Listen & Learn. Our lessons stand out from the rest because they are flexible and completely tailored to your own learning goals. No matter what your level is or how many hours you want to dedicate to learning every week, if you contact us today one of our team members will make sure you are paired up with a native tutor that will create the perfect language course that suits all of your requirements. So what are you waiting for? Make the first step to becoming a fluent Portuguese speaker now!