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Something Old, Something New...

© Anne Duguid

Fashions in language learning are always changing - there are always "new" theories to account for the difficulties in learning, new methods which guarantee learning with ease.

The truth is probably - as in the sporting world - "No pain, no gain." Learning has to be done, progress has to be made. A once a week session will help you retain previous learning but to make progress, you need incentives and ways of stimulating your interest.

To speak and understand fully, you need a strong and relevant vocabulary. If learning lists is not for you, you need strong motivation to start collecting new words. It is always a temptation to rest on our laurels, especially when we understand enough to get by and can say enough to be understood.

One way of kickstarting your learning is to undertake set translations, giving yourself a deadline in which to complete the task. This is a really formal, academic discipline nowadays when the trend is towards phrasal learning and amassing vocabulary for everyday survival situations like shopping or visiting the doctor.

But it does make you look up your dictionary and collect words for a purpose. The fact that you are choosing the task and the vocabulary makes it more likely that you will be looking up words you want to learn.

In addition, looking up a word in an excellent dictionary like the Porto Editora will provide you with lists of fascinating inter-related words and phrases from which you can select and learn.

A set translation will force you to work out verbs and verb endings, select the right tenses for the job, research uses of the subjunctive - always a terrifying prospect for native English speakers - and send you on a series of language explorations which extend your use of language.

The better the dictionary, the more it stimulates your imagination and sends you on linguistic journeys of exploration.

To use the Porto Editora dictionaries, you must first register - registration is not only free but immediate. The email acknowledging your application comes by return ( por volta) and you can get started instantly.

Remember to check that you are in the right dictionary -the options are listed in the left hand column - then enter the word you wish to find in the search box. Choose pesquisa for search rather than any other option and you are presented with the number of times the word appears by itself or in conjunction with other entries.

The copyright of the article Something Old, Something New... in Portuguese is owned by Anne Duguid. Permission to republish Something Old, Something New... in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.