These days, most people who are learning European Portuguese will want to do so via a course or an app. We all have our phones on us all the time, making it easy to study whenever we want, and, besides, most apps or websites offer a lot more functionality than a book.
That said, there’s a lot to be said for picking up a book — especially if you already have to sit in front of a computer for work. With that in mind, here’s a selection of textbooks, past papers, children’s books, and novels that you can use to improve your European Portuguese.
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Textbooks
Before there were apps, audio courses, and video courses, there were textbooks. In fact, most language schools in Portugal still work with textbooks rather than multimedia.
Some of the textbooks can look a little intimidating, and they’re not always the most engaging or entertaining, but they are the materials used by language schools.
And, unlike many online courses, many of the textbooks also cover the advanced levels of Portuguese (C1 and C2).
Tip: Look out for books that have an accompanying CD or MP3 as well.
Beginner
The beginner level is split into two levels: A1 and A2 on the CEFR scale or ACESSO and CIPLE on the Portuguese CAPLE scale. There are lots of books to choose from at this level – some that only cover the beginner level and some that have other books covering intermediate and advanced Portuguese.
- Get Started in Portuguese Absolute Beginner Course – A popular book with accompanying audio that covers A1 & A2 Portuguese (or Novice High proficiency on the ACTFL).
- Novo Português Sem fronteiras 1 Book 1 (A1) and Book 2 (A2)
- Português XXI Book 1 (A1) and Book 2 (A2)
- Colloquial Portuguese: The Complete Course for Beginners – 13-lesson textbook that takes you to around A1-level in Portuguese.
- Português em Foco 1 – Book 1 of the Português em Foco series, this textbook covers A1 and A2 Portuguese.
- Passaporte para Português 1 – Book 1 of the Passaporte para Português, covering A2 and A2 Portuguese.
- Dialogar em Português – Popular textbook covering A1 and A2 Portuguese.
- Olá! Como Está? – This textbook covers several levels of Portuguese: A1 – B2.
- Aprender Português 1 – Level 1 of the Aprender Português series, covering A1 and A2 Portuguese.
- Português Atual 1 – Level of the Português Atual series, covering A1 and A2 Portuguese.
Intermediate
The intermediate level is split into two levels: B1 and B2 on the CEFR scale or DIPLE and DAPLE on the Portuguese CAPLE scale. Many of the books are a continuation of a series that also covers the A1 and A2 levels.
- Português XXI 3 – Book 3 in the Português XXI 3, this time focusing on B1 Portuguese.
- Vamos Lá Continuar! – Grammar and Vocabulary exercises for levels B1, B2, and C1
- Passaporte para Português 2 – Book 2 in the Passaporte para Português series, covering just the B1 level.
- Olá! Como Está? – This textbook covers several levels of Portuguese: A1 – B2.
- Aprender Português – Book 2 and Book 3 in the series cover B1 and B2 Portuguese.
- Avançar em Português – Texbook for advancing your Portuguese that covers the B2 level.
- Português Atual 2 – Book 2 of the Português Atual series, covering B1 and B2 levels.
Advanced
Like the beginner and intermediate levels, the advanced level is split into two levels: C1 and C2 on the CEFR scale and DEPLE and DUPLE on the CAPLE scale.
- Português Atual 3 – The 3rd book in the Português Atual series, this one covers both C1 and C2.
- Portugues outra Vez (C1-C2) – A book that focuses on Portuguese sayings and proverbs.
- Hoje em Dia… – Modern-style textbook covering the C1 and C2 Portuguese levels.
Phrasebooks
If you just need a tourist level of Portuguese, or want to learn the most useful phrases for everyday Portuguese, take a look at the following phrasebooks.
- Rough Guide Portuguese Phrasebook – Phrasesbook (digital or print) with accompanying MP3s
There’s also 50 Languages, which is a free website that covers essential phrases for tourists visiting Portugal, as well as other phrasebooks but most don’t include an audio component.
Grammar
- Practice Makes Perfect: Basic Portuguese – Basic Portuguese grammar exercises.
- The Language Lover’s Guide to Learning Portuguese – Focuses on Portuguese grammar and pronunciation.
- Gramática Aplicada – Covers levels A1, A2 and B1
- Gramática Aplicada – Covers B2 and C1
Pronunciation
It might seem strange to get a book on Portuguese pronunciation (rather than an audio or video-based course) but there is at least one book that aims to teach pronunciation through a book.
- The Language Lover’s Guide to Learning Portuguese – Focuses on Portuguese grammar and pronunciation.
Past Papers
- Exames de Português – CAPLE-UL – Past papers covering A2, B1, and B2 European Portuguese.
- Exames de Portugues B2 – Preparacao e Modelos – Past papers specifically covering the B2-level.
Children’s Books
There are quite a lot of children’s books available in Portuguese although, as with adult fiction and non-fiction, many of the books are translated into Brazilian rather than European Portuguese.
That said, there are some great options out there including translated books like the David Walliams books, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and of course Harry Potter.
AudioBooks
For whatever reason, audiobooks aren’t popular in Portugal at all and, with the exception of 1-2 books on the Fnac website, it’s almost impossible to find any European Portuguese audiobooks. Which is a shame because the speed at which these books are read is often more manageable than TV shows or movies.
However, they are quite popular in Brazil and you can find a good selection of fiction and non-fiction audiobooks on Audible. If you’re struggling to understand what’s being said, you should be able to find the print version of the book on Amazon.
Novels
Portugal has some fantastic novelists including José Saramago, António Lobo Antunes, and Eça de Queirós. Unfortunately, most of these books are very challenging (if not impossible) for beginner and intermediate-level language learners to read.
Books that were originally written in English and then translated are often easier to read, and some genres are easier to read than others. A good place to start is more modern, contemporary literature.
Sophie Kinsella books (author of Confessions of a Shopaholic) may not be what you’d normally read, but the translated versions of these books are very accessible — especially as they often stick to the present tense.
Unsurprisingly, the majority of these books are translated into Brazilian Portuguese rather than European Portuguese simply because the Brazilian market is so much bigger.
There doesn’t seem to be an easy way to find books that have been translated by Portuguese translators but, after a while, you’ll start to recognise some of the translators’ names.