Algarve, Spoken: Learn Portuguese through local life. 52-hour course

Each module combines structured Portuguese learning with the places, practices and people connected to that theme.

Module 1 - Querença: Stories, Places and Conversation

25 September & 2 October

• - Experience: walk through historic Querença, hear local stories and practise conversation in a local café over traditional pastries.
• - Portuguese in practice: talk about the past, describe places and buildings, use idiomatic and regional expressions, and take part in everyday conversations.
• - Explore: Querença's history, oral traditions, architecture and local social life.

Module 2 - Water and Biodiversity

9 & 16 October

• - Experience: take Portuguese outdoors through guided walks, plant identification and a practical environmental activity around Fonte Benémola.
• - Portuguese in practice: build vocabulary around plants, wildlife and the environment, follow routes and instructions, and express opinions.
• - Explore: native and medicinal plants, water resources, biodiversity and the landscape of the Algarve Barrocal.

Module 3 - Almond, Fig and Carob

23 & 30 October

• - Experience: learn through food, from preparing figs with almonds to making a traditional carob cake.
• - Portuguese in practice: read and follow recipes, talk about flavours, ingredients and food processes, use measurements and practise the imperative.
• - Explore: the role of almond, fig and carob in the traditional economy and food culture of the Algarve Barrocal.

Module 4 - Local Materials and Crafts

6, 13 & 20 November

• - Experience: collect and work with natural materials, make traditional objects and learn directly from local artisans, including a practical cane-mat workshop.
• - Portuguese in practice: learn the language of natural materials, tools, processes and traditional occupations, while practising direct conversation with native speakers and artisans.
• - Explore: cork, rushes and cane, traditional uses of local materials, craftsmanship and the environmental impact of invasive cane.

Module 5 - Winter Harvests: Medronho

27 November & 4 December

• - Experience: take part in the medronho harvest and visit a local distillery to learn how the fruit is traditionally transformed.
• - Portuguese in practice: use agricultural and production vocabulary and practise future forms and the conditional through conversation and discussion.
• - Explore: medronho cultivation, traditional stills, winter harvesting and the role of medronho in the rural economy of the inland Algarve.

Module 6 - Create the Guide to Querença

11 & 18 December

• - Experience: bring together the learning, conversations and field experiences from the programme to create a collaborative Guide to Querença.
• - Portuguese in practice: review key language, write and edit texts, organise vocabulary and field notes, and prepare an oral presentation.
• - Final result: a shared Guide to Querença built from the places, people, expressions and knowledge encountered throughout the programme.