What is Portuguese With Leo all about?
The language course, Portuguese With Leo, is produced by Leonardo Coelho, from Lisbon, Portugal. It is designed for Intermediate learners of European Portuguese.
There are many resources available for beginner European Portuguese, but not so many for Intermediate B1 and B2 learners. Leo has done an excellent job filling that need.
Leo started out his career as a medical doctor, but discovered that his passion for travel, culture and language led him down an entirely different path. He now works in the tourism industry and is the creator of Portuguese With Leo.
He currently has a complete course called the “Perfect Portuguese Pronunciation Program”, and dozens of videos on YouTube. Another course for B1 learners is coming soon.
My story
My own language journey began at the age of 21 in Lisbon, just before the Carnation Revolution on April 25, 1974. Now, in my retirement I have focused intently on becoming fluent and comfortable in any situation that arises. My wife and I own a house on the delightful island of Terceira, Azores. We spend as much time as possible there and love it!
I discovered Leo through the recommendation of one of my online Portuguese teachers. She suggested that I listen to his free YouTube videos as a way to improve my comprehension.
As an Intermediate learner I have found his material very helpful and well made. The videos are all in Portuguese. English is only used for clarification when necessary. Leo speaks clearly and just a bit slower than everyday speech, yet not so slow as to be unnatural.
Learning with videos is a powerful way to get used to the cadence and sounds of the language – plus, you can rewind as much as you want.
Perfect Pronunciation Course
His comprehensive course on perfect pronunciation is essential for anyone serious about learning to speak Portuguese. Everyone knows how painful it is trying to understand some foreign customer service agents on the phone.
The way to avoid sounding like this is to master the sounds of the language and make them the foundation for everything else.
Every language has a limited number of sounds and rules for using those sounds in everyday speech. Once I realized this, everything became more simple. Suddenly Portuguese was not so daunting!
Leo demonstrates how the sounds are made by showing what happens with the mouth. This is really helpful and easy to imitate.
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YouTube Videos
These videos are generally short and cover a wide range of interesting topics, such as the difference between Brazilian and European Portuguese, Leo’s own personal story, the influence of Arabic, common mistakes of students, and much more.
I always find them interesting and informative. The short length allows me to listen while doing other chores or exercising. Leo covers a wide range of topics, and makes it easy to choose what to listen to.
The videos covering grammar are presented in a way that makes them interesting as well, which is saying a lot!
Listening and comprehension are so important in language learning. Even though you might not understand everything, that’s ok. This is exactly how children learn: absorbing the sounds and context.
European Portuguese B1 Course
Coming soon!
Conclusion
Portuguese With Leo is highly recommended for anyone serious about learning European Portuguese. You may find the beginner level is easy to attain, but the intermediate level is an entirely different matter. Leo’s material is designed to help you reach the B1 level and then proceed to B2.
Leo’s YouTube videos are totally free and a great way to passively improve listening and comprehension.
The Perfect Portuguese Pronunciation Program is a valuable investment for anyone serious about learning. It is very thorough and well made.
I can’t wait for the Intermediate B1 Course!
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