While speaking Portuguese with Brazilians is one of the best ways to improve your speaking skills, you’ll sometimes find that some people don’t want to talk in Portuguese, but rather practice their English! That may have been the case with a host from the Multishow channel, who interviewed Shakira on the way to the stage during Rock in Rio last week, and kept falling back into English – even though Shakira was speaking to her in Portuguese.
It’s a conundrum, since sometimes the person just wants to practice their language skills, just like you! So it’s important to keep in mind that you should just go with the flow – maybe engage in English for a bit, and then start to respond in Portuguese. You can also be honest and tell the person that you’d really like to practice your Portuguese, and would he or she mind trying it for awhile? But if the person is very insistent and continues in English, é melhor deixar para lá. (It’s better just to leave it be). You’re bound to find someone who doesn’t speak English who will speak to you in Portuguese.
I also think it’s important to keep in mind that if the information is very important, you should go with the language that both people communicate best in. I’ve sometimes encountered Brazilian businesspeople very eager to practice their English, but when it came down to discussing important details, it was much easier to do in Portuguese. But of course, the opposite can be true as well, depending on the speakers.
What has your experience been with this issue? How have you dealt with it?
This is always the death of me. I can’t even count the number of Brazilians that insist on speaking English to me & not give a rip about me speaking Portuguese. Or some may be a bit mindful & say it’s okay for me to speak Portuguese, but they respond in English, which doesn’t make sense to me at all. If that’s the case, I could spend time speaking to myself in Portuguese. 🙂
willem:
olá,
I’m Dutch and lived 4 years in São Paulo mesmo and I scarcely met persons who wanted to talk English with me. Going to the doctor and many official places (especially Policia Federal to get my permanência) was a torture in the beginning. So the above mentioned problem doesn’t apply to me, apart from some jolly youth who love to show that they know some English phrases they’d like to share with you.
I live now in interior, Jaguariúna, and it’s the same. Like in São Paulo some people are a bit scared if they hear my Portuguese and they block: especially when I ask Brazilians to help or correct me with my Portuguese! That’s quite frustrating because making errors and being corrected at the same moment is the ultimate way to learn the lingo! Ok, there are some youth and older persons who speak good English but even they will continue speaking Portuguese when they hear that I can deal reasonably with their language.
No persons talking English to me, almost.
Like the blog by the way: very good place to improbe my Brazilian Portuguese!
Willem
Leanna:
When I lived in central Brazil, I found it brought a smile to my face when someone would unexpectedly address me in English. However, people were often quite patient with my learner’s Portuguese. One plus about listening to the English spoken by a Brazilian who is just learning, you can sometimes pick up on Portuguese language patterns that they are applying to English. These patterms might be missed in the midst of trying to understand Portuguese.
Comments:
Kalani:
This is always the death of me. I can’t even count the number of Brazilians that insist on speaking English to me & not give a rip about me speaking Portuguese. Or some may be a bit mindful & say it’s okay for me to speak Portuguese, but they respond in English, which doesn’t make sense to me at all. If that’s the case, I could spend time speaking to myself in Portuguese. 🙂
willem:
olá,
I’m Dutch and lived 4 years in São Paulo mesmo and I scarcely met persons who wanted to talk English with me. Going to the doctor and many official places (especially Policia Federal to get my permanência) was a torture in the beginning. So the above mentioned problem doesn’t apply to me, apart from some jolly youth who love to show that they know some English phrases they’d like to share with you.
I live now in interior, Jaguariúna, and it’s the same. Like in São Paulo some people are a bit scared if they hear my Portuguese and they block: especially when I ask Brazilians to help or correct me with my Portuguese! That’s quite frustrating because making errors and being corrected at the same moment is the ultimate way to learn the lingo! Ok, there are some youth and older persons who speak good English but even they will continue speaking Portuguese when they hear that I can deal reasonably with their language.
No persons talking English to me, almost.
Like the blog by the way: very good place to improbe my Brazilian Portuguese!
Willem
Leanna:
When I lived in central Brazil, I found it brought a smile to my face when someone would unexpectedly address me in English. However, people were often quite patient with my learner’s Portuguese. One plus about listening to the English spoken by a Brazilian who is just learning, you can sometimes pick up on Portuguese language patterns that they are applying to English. These patterms might be missed in the midst of trying to understand Portuguese.