Our Level A1 is the start point for adult students (+16 years old) who had never studied Portuguese before. No previous knowledge is necessary and it doesn't matter whether you are a seasoned language learner or if this will be the first time you are taking a language course as an adult. During the course, you will have a Classbook (where most of the classroom work will focus on) and a Workbook (for your homework taks). This can be bought as a pack and I will send all the details to you once you complete your registration. It's also a good idea to have a notebook just for the course and a pack of record cards. In a glance, the course will equip you with three essential tenses (present, past and future) so you can start to interact in Portuguese in a number of topics related to your experiences in Portugal. You will be still conducting small talk in a simple way, but this is a fantastic kick-start ! By the end of the first module, you will be able to: - say where you live, introduce people, talk about possesions, express likes and dislikes. - describe people and places; - locate objects , places and people; - understand menus and place orders in restaurants; - understand prices and use numbers effectively; - interact with shop attendants; - speak about your routine; - make plans for the future; - make and reply to invitations; - understand and give instructions; - speak about past events and much more! (credit for image: Technology vector created by freepik - www.freepik.com)

This is the second module of the Complete Portuguese Course. Students starting this module are beginning to be able to function in social situations. They can make simple transactions in shops, post offices or banks; get simple information about travel; use public transport, ask for basic information, ask and give directions, and buy tickets. Throughout the module, students will learn how to: - Describe events, people and settings related to the past; - Understand instructions from a variety of services related to the day-to-day activities; - Understand and express opinions about Portuguese TV and Radio programs and compare them to those from their home country; - Tell the main events of a story, film, book etc; - Consolidate the way they describe the weather and discuss consequences deriving from extreme weather events; - Express predictions for the future, ask questions expressing doubts; - Express and defend points of view; - Describe results of opinion polls; - Report on what has been said; - Speak about activities that they have been conducting for a while back; - Understand articles from different written media styles (newspapers, blogs, magazines etc), Among many other practical skills! A2 Module is the last level before moving on to an intermediate level of fluency. By the end of this module, students will have been exposed to all indicative tenses (present, past, future etc) and the imperative mode. Hence, students who successfully completes this module may be invited by the teacher to prepare for the CIPLE exam (CAPLE) or to register for the Portuguese GCSE. This module tipically takes between 36 - 45 hours of guided instruction.

This is the first module of the Intermediate level. Students starting this module have already been exposed to all verb tenses in the Indicative Mode (Present, Preterits, Future etc) and are ready to move on to the Subjunctive Mode so they are able to describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans. By the end of the module, students will be able to demonstrate that they can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. The Roadmap: Throughout the module, students will improve their ability to express the main point they want to make comprehensibly and keep going comprehensibly, even though they may have to pause for grammatical and lexical planning and repair, especially in longer stretches of free production. Moreover, They will learn how to cope flexibly with problems in everyday life, for example coping with less routine situations on public transport; dealing with most situations likely to arise when making travel arrangements through an agent or when actually travelling; entering unprepared into conversations on familiar topics. What is included? Describing wishes, opinion, agreement Expressing opinions Expressing agreement/ disagreement Talking about films and books Initiating and closing conversation Checking understanding Managing interaction (interrupting, changing topic, resuming or continuing) At level B1 students are able to maintain interaction and get across what they want to express in a range of contexts. They can also follow the main points of extended discussion around them, provided that speech is clearly articulated in standard dialect.

B2 Module has a focus on effective argument. On the road to fluency! This module is aimed at an adult audience that intends to deepen and improve their knowledge of the Portuguese language, expanding the lexicon and mastery of certain grammatical and discursive uses and constructions of greater complexity. This module addresses diverse and current topics that serve as a starting point for reading and understanding a variety of authentic texts and for developing oral expression. Students will further develop their language skills through: A. Texts, Contexts and Pretexts; B. Grammar and Vocabulary; C. Spelling and Pronunciation; D. Written Production; E. Communicative tasks. At the B2 level, students should be able to understand the main ideas of complex texts on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in their field of specialisation. They can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. Students who successfully complete this module may advance to the last stages of the Portuguese Complete Course and, if invited by the teacher, start preparing for higher CAPLE certificates and English A-Level examination.

Students at C modules 1 and 2 have good access to a broad range of language, which allows fluent, spontaneous and almost effortless communication. They can produce clear, smooth‑flowing, wellstructured speech, showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices. can express themselves fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. They can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. In this module, students will consolidate the following: Expressing attitudes and feelings precisely Expressing certainty, probability, doubt Synthesizing, evaluating, glossing information Speculating and hypothesising about causes, consequences etc. Expressing opinions tentatively, hedging Expressing shades of opinion and certainty Expressing reaction, e.g. indifference Critiquing and reviewing Developing an argument systematically Conceding a point Emphasizing a point, feeling, issue Defending a point of view persuasively Responding to counterarguments Discourse Markers Markers to structure and signpost informal speech and writing Markers to structure and signpost formal speech and writing – especially logic markers

At the C2 Module, students can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read.They can demonstrate a degree of precision, appropriateness and ease with the language which typifies the speech of those who have been highly successful learners. They can summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation and are able to express themselves spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations. No matter how competent a language may be, it is always necessary to reflect on it, exercise it, because language is something alive and its knowledge depends on many factors, including the different way in which each speaker understands it and uses. The C2 Module allows the improvement of the same in several aspects, especially for a better understanding and clarification of subtleties of Portuguese. The module is divided into three parts: 1st part: idioms and proverbs 2nd part: verbal rules 3rd part: grammatical structures and contextualization Why proficient speakers should take this course? 1. The decoding of idioms and proverbs will allow a deeper knowledge not only of the Portuguese language, but also of the culture of the Portuguese people. 2. With the practice of the exercises, the learner will be able to use the Portuguese language correctly, either in oral form or in writing.i 3. The learner will improve his/her understanding of issues of daily and current life in the Portuguese-speaking world through a selection of texts / audios and videos intended for the development of Portuguese as a foreign language, second language and non-native language for students who already know the language Students studying C2 Module may also start preparing to take the exams of the CAPLE highest certificates and A-Level.

The course will begin on the 2nd June 2025, and lessons will run every Monday, from 7.30pm to 8.30pm. The course comprises 24 lessons and the exact end date will be confirmed further into the course, when the Christmas break calendar is released. Check the special page for the Portuguese Beginners Crash Course for more info

The Beginners Course is delivered in our classroom, in the address below: The Methodist Church Emanuel Road Langdon Hills, Essex SS16 6EX You can find a map with the location in the contact page of this website.

Not at all, this is a course designed to cater for adult students without any previous knowledge of the language. You will learn the foundation so the language without the commitment to study it as a full course. Should you wish to continue your study, then you will be recommended to join the A1 course.

The course is designed to teach the foundations of Portuguese language to adult students who have no prior knowledge of language study, who wish to try a different laguage for whatever reasons they may have. Lessons are well paced, according to the group characteristics and student support help is offered via e-mail or telephone to those who wish to obtain extra explanations and help outside the classroom. Portuguese on Demand works under a strict policy of "no student left behind" and offers many different learning tools to suit many learning styles. It doesn't matter if you are 20 or 70 years old, you won't be left behind. My credentials as a language teacher is the satisfaction of my current and past students. Many of whom have started studying Portuguese at a senior age and had no other language skills apart from English.

The book is published by Lidel Editora Técnica, a reputable publisher in Portugal specialised in technical and teaching books. It brings free downloadable audio tracks accompanying the dialogues which students can play in their mobiles or computers, making it easier to study on the go. This is not a phrase book or a "listen and repeat" material. The coursebook covers the four abilities: reading, writing, listening and speaking and it is in full colour. It brings, dialogues, texts, exercises, games, role-play activities, glossary (in 4 languages), revision sheets and a fact-sheet explaining some cultural differences influencing the language learned in class. It has 5 units and each unit may be covered in 4-5 lessons, giving enough time for the teacher to consolidate the content before moving on to the next unit.

Lessons will run for 60 minutes and are typically organised in this way: First 15 minutes: checking of homework/commentary 40 minutes: introduction of new content and practice Final minutes: explanation of homework assignment During the initial lessons, students usually spend more time taking in information and making sense of the language (pronunciation, construction, intonation, cultural aspects etc) than actually making sentences - this happens because I believe adult students need to have a solid foundation of the content they are being exposed to before they feel confident to produce what they've learned. However, as we progress into the second unit of the book, this "input" time progressively diminishes and gives way to more practice, with special attention to speaking and listening. Some lessons will focus on exposure to the language rather than production, other lessons will focus more on the oral practice of the content. Some lessons will deal with oral drills to consolidate structure, others will allow free speaking. It all depends on the group's needs and the content being studied. One thing I can garantee: you won't feel bored. :)

At the end of every lesson, I will assign a short, simple task to be completed for the following session. Students are expected to work with the language independently for at least 1 hour per week, outside their lessons. This can be translated into spending some minutes revising content using our paper or eletronic flashcards, watching films, working with Portuguese supermarket brochures, magazines etc. This extra study time helps to ensure students retain the content seen in the lesson and return to the classroom feeling more confident and in control of what they have achieved.

Yes, there will be a short, non-compulsory, multiple choice style test at the end of the course. This test is by no means designed to punish students or add pressure, it is simply a final task to help measure how much they have achieved and which aspects of the course content need to be revised should they wish to continue their journey and enrol in the first level of our regular courses. Students will receive a certificate of completion provided they have at least 80% of attendance.

Most students enrol in the course because they have family ties with Portuguese people, or they have a holiday home in that country - or plan to retire in there or like to travel to the country often. So they come to the course with a lot of interest in the language and motivated to learn. This makes the whole process much easier as they grow in the language. The course will cover basic structures of language and simple oral exchanges with vocabulary matching the students' realities and communication needs. Grammar wise, the course will cover the present tense and the future expression, basic prepositions, questions and answers and some basic expressions. The progression is paced according to the overal abilities of the members of the group and is made in a logycal order: from the most basic to the more complex. Students usually are surprised when they realise how much they have achieved by the end of the course. Since the presentation of content is measured and delivered in systematic building blocks, lesson after lesson, students do not feel overhelmed.

As this is a group course, unfortunately catch-up lessons are only available upon payment of a fee. However, the teacher will let you know what aspets of the lesson you can cover on your own if you give plenty of notice of your planned absence. In case of unplanned absence, the teacher will send you an e-mail with a summary of the lesson and the task you need to complete for the following session. Should the student require one to one assistance, private sessions are charged at £28 per hour. Please, check the T&C for more information.

Please, kindly fill in the form on the Beginners Portuguese Crash Course page, and proceed with the payment of the enrolment fee. Once you submit your details and your payment reaches us, you will receive a confirmation e-mail and your name will be added to the group. Monthly invoices for the tuition payments will be sent via e-mail.

This will depend on the following aspects: a) the length of time students spare to dedicate to the course OUTSIDE their lessons on a weekly basis; b) the frequency of the lessons; c) previous language learning experience; d) the student's attitude towards the language Students who spend more hours in contact with the language outside their lessons usually perform better and advance quicker through the 6 stages. Students who are fluent in another language (other than their own) also tend to navigate through the levels more easily. On average, a (dedicated, interested) newcommer to language learning will spend approximately 32-36 hours on the first stage.

Yes, but note that groups can only be formed if: - all participants are in the same level AND - all participants are adult students (over16 yrs) Children can only study together if: - They are in the same level AND - Their age difference is no greater than 2 years. Learning is a cognitive process that happens differently in adults and children. The method and techniques used to teach a 10 year-old are not the same ones applied in lessons with adults. In children, age plays an important role, as the brains mature as they grow. A 9 year old child cannot perform the same cognitive functions a 12 year old is able to. When teaching different age groups, different methodologies (and objectives) need to be assessed. Hence, for the sake of everyone's learning experience and enjoyment, I don't work with mixed age groups (adults and children).

Unfortunately, I don't teach outside my classroom in Essex. You can book online lessons if you cannot come to the classroom.

Yes. teaching beginners courses is my passion! You don't need to have any previous knowledge, just motivation and a positive attitude towards your learning.

Yes, from the very beginner to the higher, advanced levels.

I have been teaching both Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese in England since 2006. However, my experience teaching these two wonderful varieties spans over 23 years! I was brought up, worked and lived in the two varieties, having spent significant time living in Brazil and Portugal. It doesn't matter which type of Portuguese you wish to learn, I speak, read and write in both varieties fluently.

I will be very happy to welcome you in the beginners course. You don't need to have any previous knowledge or special skills to learn a language. You need to have motivation and time available for your lessons and independent study at home.

Yes, if you have previous knowledge or experience with the language, I will ask you to sit an informal and brief placement test, so that we can find out what course is best for you. This placement test can be taken either online or in the classroom.

Yes, and the course materials usually comprises of classbook, homework book and a notebook. All these materials can be bought online.

Yes, provided all participants belong to the same level.

You can book your lessons any day and time within my working hours. I deliver lessons from Mondays to Thursdays between 1.30pm and 8.30pm and Fridays between 11am and 4.30pm. You can start your course once you register, agree on a timetable and pay for the lessons you plan to have on the month you wish to start your study.

Students usuallly have weekly lessons, but you can book as many lessons per week as you need. A minimum of two lessons per month applies.

Yes, I am happy to offer all my courses via internet or in person, in my classroom, in Essex.

Yes, all my online courses happen with the presence of both teacher and student, via skype or zoom

We use SKYPE or ZOOM , all information regarding SKYPE or ZOOM installation and set up is sent to the student upon registration.

You will need to have the following: - a computer (laptop, desktop, tablet) connected to the internet. - a good internet connection. - a headphone (microphone and ear phones) - a camera

It is important to have a camera connected to your computer, so the teacher can see you. Being able to see students is a fundamental aspect not only for online tuition, but for classroom lessons. You can find cheap cameras online and nowadays they are very easy to install.

Yes. However, make sure you have the following: * a reasonably big screen so both of you can see the teacher and the 'whiteboard'. * a Headphone Y Splitter, so both of you can listen to the teacher with a better sound quality. (you find these types of splitters in Amazon or any other specialised shops. Also, you need to buy your individual coursebooks.

Absolutely! Courses delivered online and in the classroom follow the same program, the same books and have the same pace.

Yes, you can study all our courses online.

For information about prices, please check our page here.

At the moment, I only offer teen courses for private students, so you can start your course anytime of the year you wish.

Students can have their lessons online or in the classroom, or even both, by mixing online and face-to-face meetings to suit their needs.

The reduced price for 2 persons from the same family only applies when students are taking the course together, on the same calendar slot.

Yes, if they belong to same level AND if the age difference between them is not significant. THis is because the coursebooks and teaching approach changes considerably according to the age group I am teaching. E.g., 10 year old children have different interests and learn in a different way when compared to 14 year old teens. Books and the classroom technique changes to accommodate these differences.

Children and teenager lessons are scheduled on a fixed day of the week and time, that is, parents tell me what their availability is and I will try my best to accommodate that within my working hours. Any changes are negotiated, if necessary. My working hours are stated in the CONTACT PAGE (bottom of the page).

Coursebooks for the Portuguese Young Teens courses are available in specialised bookstores and also on Amazon and E-bay. All details are sent to the parent upon registration.

I use either SKYPE or ZOOM.

It depends on how much the child can already produce in Portuguese language. If necessary, I can run a placement test to find out which of our courses fits better with your child. We can discuss this further via e-mail.

Only if they are also learning the language and tuition fees will be adjusted accordingly.

Sure! Fifteen year olds are welcome in the course. They start at Level 1 and, if they wish, when they finish the first level, they can switch to a 'young adult' course once they turn 16 - although most prefer to carry on studying with the same book series as it is very engaging.

It depends on how well your child does throughout the course and the final assessment. If I believe the child is ready for the GCSE, then I will invite her/him to join a Portuguese GCSE preparation course. You can find out more in here.

Please fill in the contact form located in CONTACT page. I will get back to you to proceed with the registration asap.

Please note that Portuguese on Demand is NOT an exam centre. I cannot provide help on this matter to members of the public beyond the information stated below: If you are still studying at a regular school, please contact the Language Department to find out if they are able to accommodate the Portuguese GCSE into their GCSE Exam timetable. Most schools would do, but if they don't, you will need to find an independent centre. Independent Centres can be found via the JCQ website. Choose the exam tittle and the Awarding Body: Pearson. Adult candidates must find an exam centre (via the JCQ website).

Portuguese on Demand is NOT an Exam Centre, so I only offer the Portuguese GCSE Preparation Course.

Yes. Everyone is entittled to take Portuguese GCSEs and A-Level Examinations regardless of age. You must entry as an independent candidate and will need to sit the exam at an independent examination centre. You can find the centres currently accepting Pearson examinations candidates via the JCQ website. Choose the exam tittle and the Awarding Body: Pearson. Please note that Portuguese on Demand is NOT an exam centre. I cannot provide help on this matter to members of the public beyond the information stated above.

Portuguese on Demand is NOT an Examination Centre, so you will need to contact a centre that accepts independent candidates. You can search centres via the JCQ website. Choose the exam tittle and the Awarding Body: Pearson.

If the student is still of school age, they should contact their school's Language Department. Adult students should contact an independent examination centre via the JCQ website. Choose the exam tittle and the Awarding Body: Pearson. Portuguese on Demand is not an examination centre so I am unable to assist members of the public on this matter.

I offer evaluation tests to verify your languistic ability based on the CEFR (Common European Framework for Languages) which is the scale by which both Portuguese GCSE and A-Level examinations are guided. Students currently enrolled in my Portuguese GCSE Prepration Courses or A-Level Preparation Courses can take this test free of charge. Members of the public not studying with me can also take advantage of this test for a fee. Please contact me for more information.

The Pearson Edexcel GCSE in Portuguese consists of four externally examined papers based on the following skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Students must complete their speaking assessment in April/May and all other assessments in May/June in any single year. Each paper is available at Foundation tier or Higher tier. Students must be entered for a single tier across all papers. Please refer to Pearson Specimen Guide for full information on content syllabuses and mark schemes.

Unlike past examinations run by OCR, the new Portuguese GCSE (from 2020 onwards) offer students the option to take the exam with content from either a Foundation or an Higher Tier level. The choice of tier of entry must be determined by teachers responsible for the preparation course. On a Higher Tier paper, a candidate will encounter content targeted at grades 9 to 4. • On a Foundation Tier paper, a candidate will encounter content targeted at grades 5 to 1. • A candidate predicted to achieve a grade 5 is likely to feel much more at ease with the overall demand of the Foundation Tier papers. • The same candidate will encounter content targeted way beyond grade 5 in the Higher Tier papers and may well find this very challenging and demotivating. • Grade 3 is not a default grade at Higher Tier. Although there is some overlap of content at each tier* and some safety‐netting it is important to remember that borderline students will encounter content targeted at levels 9, 8, 7 and 6 in a Higher Tier paper and are likely to find this very challenging – well beyond grade 5. If entered at Foundation Tier they should be more at ease with the overall demand of the assessments and could potentially access a grade 5, which may teachers equate with a B‐/C+ type grade. Students entered for a GCSE at Foundation Tier can access grades up to 5 and those entered at Higher Tier may access grades 4‐9. It is possible that a grade 3 can be issued to a Higher Tier candidate if the marks are extremely close to those required for a grade 4, but a grade 3 cannot be regarded as a default grade at Higher Tier. This is in line with the regulatory requirements. For more information about the tiers, please visit: https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/GCSE/French/2016/teaching-and-learning/Advice-on-tier-entry-decisions-MFL.pdf

Portuguese on Demand is NOT an exam centre and we are unable to assist students and their parents with exam registration or Exam fees. Parents of children and young people should speak to their school's Language Departament regarding their registration. If the school your child attends does not accept to run Portuguese GCSE examination for your child, please contact an independent centre near your location via the JCQ website Adult students who wish to register as an independent candidate must first contact an independent examination centre via the JCQ website : https://www.jcq.org.uk/private-candidates/ We regret we unable to reply to e-mails seeking information about Exam Registration. Please contact Pearson Edexcel for more information about registration.

Written examination Foundation tier: 35 minutes, including 5 minutes’ reading time; 50 marks Higher tier: 45 minutes, including 5 minutes’ reading time; 50 marks 25% of the total qualification Content overview This paper draws on vocabulary and structures across all the themes and topics. Assessment overview Students are assessed on their understanding of standard spoken Portuguese by one or more speakers in a range of public and social settings. Students will respond to multiple-response and short-answer open-response questions based on a recording featuring male and female Portuguese speakers. Students must answer all questions in both sections. There is no requirement for students to produce written responses in Portuguese. Foundation tier ● Section A is set in English. The instructions to students are in English. ● Section B is set in Portuguese. The instructions to students are in Portuguese. Higher tier ● Section A is set in Portuguese. The instructions to students are in Portuguese. ● Section B is set in English. The instructions to students are in English.

Internally conducted and externally assessed Foundation tier: 7–9 minutes plus 12 minutes’ preparation time; 70 marks Higher tier: 10–12 minutes plus 12 minutes’ preparation time; 70 marks 25% of the total qualification Content overview This paper draws on vocabulary and structures across all the themes and topics. Assessment overview Students are assessed on their ability to communicate and interact effectively through speaking in Portuguese for different purposes and in different settings. There are three tasks which must be conducted in the following order: ● Task 1 – a role play based on one topic that is allocated by Pearson ● Task 2 – questions based on a picture stimulus based on one topic that is allocated by Pearson ● Task 3 – conversation based on two themes. The first theme is based on the topic chosen by the student in advance of the assessment. The second theme is allocated by Pearson. The assessments are conducted by teachers in one session within a prescribed assessment window, the recordings are then submitted to Pearson for external marking.

Written examination Foundation tier: 45 minutes; 50 marks Higher tier: 1 hour; 50 marks 25% of the total qualification Content overview This paper draws on vocabulary and structures across all the themes and topics. Assessment overview Students are assessed on their understanding of written Portuguese across a range of different types of texts, including advertisements, emails, letters, articles and literary texts. Students are required to respond to multiple-response and short-answer questions based on these texts. Students must answer all questions in each of the three sections: ● Section A is set in English. The instructions to students are in English ● Section B is set in Portuguese. The instructions to students are in Portuguese ● Section C includes a translation passage from Portuguese into English with instructions in English.

Written examination Foundation tier: 1 hour 10 minutes; 60 marks Higher tier: 1 hour 20 minutes; 60 marks 25% of the total qualification Content overview This paper draws on vocabulary and structures across all the themes and topics. Assessment overview Students are assessed on their ability to communicate effectively through writing in Portuguese for different purposes and audiences. Students are required to produce responses of varying lengths and types to express ideas and opinions in Portuguese. The instructions to students are in Portuguese. Word counts are specified for each question. Students must answer all questions. Foundation tier – three open-response questions and one translation into Portuguese. Higher tier – two open-response questions and one translation into Portuguese.

Our Portuguese GCSE Preparation Course is delivered on a one-to-one basis, either in the classroom or online. We do not offer Portuguese GCSE group lessons due to the very characteristic of the exam, which demands tailor-made course planning matching individual abilities, close teacher-pupil assistance during the lessons as well as the design and marking of an intensive regime of home assignments.

One year, at least, with weekly lessons and extra independent study at home. Students must register in the course at least one year before he/she intends to take the examination, unless the candidate language ability stands 2 levels higher than the level required in the Portuguese GCSE exam, that is, the student whose Portuguese speaking and writing skills fall in the B2 level and beyond. Not sure of your level? Please get in touch to arrange an evaluation test. I reserve my right to decline the registration of students currently on A1 and A2 levels who plans to sit the examination prematurely.

I strongly recommend students not to register to take the Portuguese GCSE exam before they sit the assessment test I provide and are approved to enrol in the preparation course. Cost: £45 - redeemable as a lesson credit if the student enrols in any of my courses. In order to be accepted in the Portuguese GCSE Preparation Course, students must pass an assessment test, regardless of their current language level. This assessment test comprises 4 parts and can be taken online. Students who do not achieve the minimum grade mark are invited to switch to a Portuguese Regular Course instead, so they can gain the necessary foundation before they embark on an exam-driven course.

Students can start their Portuguese GCSE Preparation Course with Portuguese on Demand at any time, although I recommend they start their course at least 12 months before the exam is due. Kindly note that this recommendation is based on the scenario where a student has surpassed the minimum cut mark in the initial assessment. For those who fail to achieve the minimum cut mark, the GCSE preparation course is not recommended. Rather, these students should enrol in a regular course.

Students usually work with the following materials: - A grammar exercise book; - A Vocabulary builder book; - A Listening Comprehension exercise book; - An exercise book for reading and writing development. All these books can be bought online. Besides that, students also need to have a notebook and a collection of record cards. All details regarding these books and other materials are sent via email upon enrolment.

Portuguese GCSE candidates are expected to study independently a minimum of 4 hours per week. They need to have access to a computer and internet and make sure that they have enough available time to dedicate to their assignments. At the end of every lesson, I will assign a number of tasks to be completed for the following session. These assignments play a crucial role in the program and the teacher keeps a record of homework completion and send this record to the parents on a monthly basis (when the student is not the one paying for their course).

Throughout the Portuguese GCSE Preparation Course, students are tested and their performance measured from time to time, so that a realistic expected grade can be issued prior to the test. These mock tests are taken online and are done as homework assignments (except the speaking component, which is conducted during the lesson).

The Portuguese GCSE Preparation Course is taken individually, that is, candidates sign up for private tuition which can be delivered in our classroom or online. Each lesson lasts for 1 hour and is charged at £30. Note that the £45 paid for the Assessment test is redeemable in the first invoice, so the student has a "free" lesson in the first month of the course. Students can book as many lessons they wish per month, but a minimum of 2 lessons applies. Every month, students receive a link to the Booking Website where they access a calendar of available slots for the month. They choose the dates and times that suit them and an invoice is sent to their email. If a fixed timetable is preferred, students should contact me to arrange it. Payment is expected within 48 hours once the invoice is sent. Bookings are confirmed upon payment. The confirmation email has a link through which students can manage their upcoming lessons: they can cancel them or reschedule them online. Changes can be made up to 24 hours before each lesson is due. Lessons cancelled inside the "24 hour-policy" will be forfeited.

The Terms ans Condtions document describes all the rules and particularities regarding the course, student attendance, how lessons are delivered, payments and the cancellation policy. Students securing their places (via the payment of the enrolment fee) automatically agrees with the T&C stated in that document. I strongly recommend students joining the course to read and download the document and keep it for their records. The T&C idocument can be accessed here.

Please, kindly fill in the form available in the Portuguese GCSE Course page. Once I receive your details, I will get in touch asking any further question I may have in order to proceed with the booking of your Assessment Test. Once we agree on a date for the Assessment test, I will send you an invoice for the £45. Upon payment of the test fee, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with full instructions regarding the test. Once your test is completed, you should receive the results of your level with a full commentary, in case you have reached the minimum level to be accepted in the Portuguese GCSE Preparation Course, detailing the expected length of your course and a suggested timetable in 3 working days. Otherwise, in case you haven't reached the minimum level, I will recommend the ideal level you should start your study in our Portuguese Regular Courses. If you decide to enrol in the preparation course, I will send the enrollment form along with the link for the Booking Calendar, in which you should already book your first lessons. Please, note that Portuguese on Demand is not an Exam Centre. All enquiries regarding Exam registration should be sent to the centres listed on JCQ website.

CIPLE stands for "Initial Certificate of Portuguese as a Foreign Language" and corresponds to level A2 of the Council of Europe's Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. CIPLE attests to a basic general ability to interact in a limited number of predictable everyday communication situations. It is also expected that in professional and study areas, CIPLE users will be able to interact in situations that require a very limited use of Portuguese, which does not differ from a general use of the language. The exam consists of three components: - Reading Comprehension and Written Production - Understanding of spoken language - Speaking and Interaction (The three components take place on the same day) The narrative below is based on a journalist's experience in taking the CIPLE test at Faro University. Except for some differences in the details of the overal experience, if you decide to take the test at the Portuguese Embassy in London or at the University of Lisbon, the test itself is exactly the same. "The Test Tests take place on Saturdays, so be prepared to either walk to a café for lunch or take a sandwich with you, as the Faro University canteen closes before the candidates break for lunch. How long you have for lunch depends entirely when you are timetabled to do your oral test. I was lucky and fairly close to the start of the afternoon session, but if you are unlucky you may have to wait until much later in the day. You are expected to be back for the test 15 minutes before your scheduled time. The schedule is available on arrival at 9am, so you can plan your lunch and travel but it’s worth turning up a bit earlier because on my test day some of the candidates didn’t come back for the afternoon session so gaps were filled with waiting students. I can only assume those that didn’t return knew they hadn’t done sufficiently well in the morning sessions. The test is in three parts: reading and writing (1 ¼ hours); listening to conversations and answering questions (30 mins); oral face-to-face with an examiner (15 minutes). I was asked to arrive at 9am and be prepared to stay until 6pm. This is because there might be high numbers of candidates. There were around 40 on my test day. Be prepared to only speak in Portuguese to the staff. The first element of the test is reading comprehension and creative writing. The only things you are permitted to have is a pencil, eraser and a blue or black ballpoint pen. All bags, phones etc are held at the back of the classroom. You are permitted 1 ¼ hours and a clock ticks down for all to see. Part two is the oral comprehension where there are a total of 25 questions in 30 minutes. Some recordings have five questions and each question has three possible answers, so if effect you have 20 sentences to read in one minute before the recording begins. The recordings can be one of a variety of situations and each is played twice but be aware that each comes complete with background noise so if a conversation takes place in a street then there are blaring horns, cars, trucks etc and speech is at the normal Portuguese rate. I found this test to be the hardest due to the pressure of the limited time between one text and the next. What I imagined to be time to consider my answers was in fact the time to read through the next question. Part three is held in the afternoon and two candidates are teamed together. The first element is around 5 minutes, telling the examiner about you. It is not a question and answer session but a monologue, so this is something you can practice well beforehand. For the second element the two candidates are given a topic to discuss – we had to arrange a picnic. If you are unlucky enough to have a partner that dries up, the advice from my tutor was to keep talking and fill in those gaps yourself. In the final 5 minutes each candidate is given a topic to talk about by the examiner. I was given the choice of telling the examiner about the worst journey I had ever made or the difference between living in the UK and Portugal. I chose the latter. Everything is recorded for marking later. After this each student is given a candidate number and a URL and asked to check the URL for the results in approximately 7 weeks. The certificate is available 3 weeks or so after that. 55% is the passmark"

Please, kindly fill in the form on the CIPLE Course page. Once I receive your details, I will get in touch asking any further question I may have in order to proceed with the booking of your Assessment Test. Once we agree on a date for the Assessment test, I will send you an invoice for the £45. Upon payment of the test fee, you will receive a confirmation e-mail and full instructions regarding the test. Once your test is completed, you should receive the results of your level with a full commentary, in case you have reached the minimum level to be accepted in the Preparation Course, detailing the expected length of your course and a suggested timetable in 5 working days. Otherwise, in case you haven't reached the minimum level, I will recommend the ideal level you should start your study in our regular courses. If you decide to enrol in the preparation course, I will send the enrollment form along with the link for the Booking Calendar, in which you should already book your first lessons. The Assessment fee can be redeemed as a one-off discount in your first invoice, should you decide to enrol in either the Preparation Course or any Portuguese Regular Courses I offer, provided your enrollment is completed within 30 days from the date you receive your Assessment Test result.

Registration for the test is made online, following this link: https://caple.letras.ulisboa.pt/inscricao Disclaimer: Portuguese on Demand offers registration assistance for our students enrolled in the preparation course. We are unable to assist the general public and regret that all enquiries from non-students seeking assistance regarding exam registrations won't be replied to.

The CAPLE website offers a search facility with all the centres where CAPLE tests are available, as well as dates, fees and registration. In the UK, the tests are held twice a year (May and November) at the Embassy of Portugal, in London. To check the next dates for CIPLE tests in London, click here.

Ciple stands for 'International Certificate of Portuguese as a Foreign Language' and corresponds to the A2 Level. The A2 level is around that of ‘O’ level/GCSE in the UK. You can download a table of content matching the expected abilities of a foreign speaker at A2 level in this link.

Details about tuition fees can be found in the page Pricing. Beginners Crash Course (October 2024) prices are detailed in the course's page. All prices are up to date (2024)

Every month an invoice is sent to your email address with the payment instructions. Payment is made by bank transfer by the 4th of each calendar month. Lesson bookings are confirmed upon payment. OBS: We don't accept cheques.

We don't offer packages,all courses are paid for by month, according to the the number of hours you have booked.

We don't sell complete courses, all our courses are charged per hour of tuition. You can complete any course in your own pace, studying the amount of hours that suit your needs.

Discounts for 2 people from the same family studying together are detailed in our Pricing page.