5 Reasons Why You Need to Learn Portuguese
Posted by Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world and one of the ten most powerful nations, which means it should definitely be on your radar if you’re trying to narrow down which country you’d like to do business in. However, contending with Brazil’s size and growing economy isn’t the only reason why you need to consider Portuguese as a must-know language: additionally, there are widespread opportunities to put this language to use in countries across the globe. So take into account these five reasons for why learning Portuguese is an excellent idea.
1. Brazil’s massive economy.
Brazil has the largest economy of all the Latin American nations – Mexico included! Brazil’s 5% yearly growth rate may not seem like a lot to work with, but Brazil is the most powerful nation in South America and has one of the steadiest and quickly growing economies. On a global level, Brazil is the 6th largest economy in the world and it is recognized as a nation which is quickly narrowing the gap between itself and world leaders such as China and the USA. Learning Portuguese will help you to be able to take advantage of the economic opportunities this flourishing nation has to offer.
2. Portuguese across the globe.
Globally, there are over 230 million Portuguese speakers and, believe it or not, they aren’t limited to the country of Brazil. If you master Portuguese, you’ll be able to put it to good use in nations such as Mozambique, Angola, and Portugal –all countries where Portuguese is the official language. There are also plenty of cultural reasons to learn Portuguese; namely, you’ll be able to really delve into some of the biggest cultural hot spots around the world. Brazil has a particularly colorful culture and having the ability to infuse your life with the rich flavors of Samba and Bosa Nova should be more than enough motivation for learning Portuguese!
3. Working in the energy sector in Brazil.
If you work in a business where energy is the focus, you’ll be pleased to know Brazil is one of the world leaders in certain sectors of renewable energy. Hydropower is the most significant form of renewable energy and not only does Brazil have the largest hydroelectric dam in the world, but it provides electricity in the form of renewable energy to many nations (one example being that close to 80% of Paraguay’s electricity is provided by Brazil’s hydroelectric capacities). For anyone interested in making their mark in the renewable energy division, Brazil has endless openings.
4. Portuguese eases the way for other languages.
Portuguese is one of those languages which bears enough similarities to Latin and European languages that if you master it you will be able to easily transition to many others. It is a known fact that understanding Spanish is easy for Portuguese speakers and learning both Italian and Spanish is an easy next step. Look at it as killing 3 language birds with one stone: hone in on Portuguese and you’ve broken the seal to learning French and Spanish.
5. Portuguese is important in professional sectors.
If tourism and international trade are your areas of expertise, then Portuguese is definitely the language you need to know. Why? Tourism is big in Cape Verde, Madeira, Brazil, and Portugal and these are all countries where you’ll need to know how to speak Portuguese in order to make a successful break into the tourism trade. On the other hand, Brazil is the USA’s 10th largest trading partner and has a gross domestic product of around $2 trillion, which means that delving into international trade in Brazil is not only a great area of work, but will make learning Portuguese completely worth it.
If these great reasons for learning Portuguese haven’t quite convinced you, you should be happy to know that Portuguese is considered to be one of the easiest languages out there to pick up. Of course, making sure you get your hands on some top-notch Portuguese language lessons is the best way to ensure that getting a grasp on this language is a fun and easy experience. A placement exam is also an excellent way to find out where you stand in your Portuguese language learning journey. Conquer Portuguese and you’ll find it easy to conquer your chosen field and country – whether you’re working in energy or tourism, or traveling to Brazil or Portugal.