A Taste of Portuguese with Jasmin Bella 

Learning a new language can open a door to a whole world of new ideas, cultures, and opportunities – but mastering one takes patience, curiosity, and commitment. Mass Academy senior Jasmin Bella took that challenge head-on as she dove into learning Portuguese for her Senior Independent Study Project (SISP), dedicating a hundred hours of her time towards her goal.

“I chose [language learning] for my SISP because I liked learning Spanish, and I liked being able to speak Spanish, so I wanted to do something similar,” Bella, who studied Advanced Spanish at Mass Academy with Ms. Wildfong, shared. “I chose Portuguese [specifically] because I wanted something [close to] Spanish, something that wasn’t a non-Latin language, as that was a little intimidating.”

Bella explained that she’s been taking the traditional route for language learning by watching YouTube videos, studying vocab, and using websites like Conjugeumos for practicing conjugation. “I started by just doing very basic practice online, like flashcards and mini quizzes,” Bella said. “I would also listen to music a lot. Then, I started watching some shows on Netflix, and I understood what was happening generally.” Bella also shared her favourite source for studying Portuguese: “I’d say the most helpful thing that I’ve been doing so far is listening to this podcast I found on Spotify. They go through scenarios of an everyday life situation you’d encounter, and they do it in Portuguese. They repeat it a couple times, and then they go back and break it down. They have different versions of it for different languages. …[And] it’s also been difficult to get speaking practice in. I have some friends that speak Portuguese, but besides that, it just isn’t feasible for me to have speaking practice all the time.”

In addition to all the usual language learning methods, Bella has also added her own spice to this journey by cooking Portuguese food to immerse herself in the culture. “I wanted to incorporate something different and fun. I start by finding recipes from Portuguese-speaking countries, like Portugal and Brazil, and then finding videos on YouTube, and following along with the cooking.” Bella has mostly been making desserts thus far, noting “ I’ve tried things like sweet rice, which was pretty good. It used things like rice, condensed milk, some cinnamon, nutmeg, and other spices.”

Portuguese food prepared by Jasmin Bella for her SISP. Pictured on the left: pão de queijo. Pictured on the left: sonhos.

But the road to unlocking a new world through any language doesn’t come easy. “The hardest part is probably being consistent,” Bella admitted. “Language learning is something that requires a lot of consistency. If I were to stop after my SISP, I’d lose all of the progress I made.”

“There are a lot of resources online, surprisingly,” Bella added. “That’s made the whole process a lot easier. I’ve found a website for children’s books, and it’s pretty cool. It has a split screen where you can read the Portuguese version, and then unhide the English version if you want. … I definitely don’t recommend Duolingo, though. I tried it for a week to orient myself in the language, but it got very boring very fast. I’d spend 10 levels just learning something random.”

While the process has required patience and consistency, Bella’s project showcases just how rewarding learning a new language can be. Even after her SISP hours are complete, she hopes to continue practicing Portuguese and immersing herself in the culture.