Following foreign-language social media accounts isn’t just a smart way to supplement your usual language lessons. It’s also somewhat in keeping with the spirit of the language to add Portuguese Twitter accounts to your daily digest.
A decade ago, when Twitter was just getting warmed up, Brazil was clocking in as the country with the highest rate of Twitter participation in the world. Early adoption by famous soccer stars, as well as an appetite for more diverse media sources, contributed to its popularity.
Today, you can still encounter a vibrant Portuguese-language Twitter scene composed of athletes, journalists, celebrities and regular people — some of whom are specifically devoted to helping you advance your language skills.
Here are a few of the best accounts to follow for learners.
Portuguese Twitter Accounts To Follow
1. Bruno Aleixo @brunoaleixo
O meu programa Aleixo FM de hoje foi sobre o tema: Reabertura da fronteira com Espanha. Ouçam já em: https://t.co/EKytkUpk4w
Ou onde vos der mais jeito, a mim que me importa. pic.twitter.com/8B6kClMIs1
— Bruno Aleixo (@brunoaleixo) July 8, 2020
Getting language lessons and meme humor from an animated dog character? Sounds about right. Bruno Aleixo is a character who originated on Portuguese television but became famous through a series of internet videos. Today, Bruno’s main occupation is as a radio host, but you can also catch him on Twitter, where he flexes his meme skills.
2. Lucas Berti @lucasberti
Iván Duque, presidente da Colômbia, é talvez o líder mais à direita na América do Sul depois de Bolsonaro. Perguntado sobre a pandemia, defendeu duas coisas: a ciência e o multilateralismo. Literalmente o que o governo brasileiro nunca fez e nem vai fazerhttps://t.co/HIW3lHMXNG
— Lucas Berti (@lucasberti) July 21, 2020
Lucas is a reporter for The Brazilian Report, and his personal Twitter feed is worth a follow. Not only does he tweet in Portuguese (as opposed to The Brazilian Report, which tweets and publishes in English), but he’s also pretty opinionated. This can help personalize some of the news you might read about otherwise.
3. Street Smart Brazil @stsmartbrazil
In English you say the last straw. In Portuguese it is a gota d’água. Watch this quick Portuguese lesson to learn this great Brazilian Portuguese colloquial expression: https://t.co/zMo6wDaK19 #portugueselesson #idiomaticexpressions #colloquialportuguese
— Street Smart Brazil (@stsmartbrazil) July 18, 2020
If you’re specializing in Brazilian Portuguese, this is a good learning resource. Street Smart Brazil’s bread and butter is video content, but their Twitter feed includes helpful language tips and resources to learn more about the arts, food and culture of Brazil.
4. Paulo Coelho @paulocoelho
Como eu disse em 1975:
Você será capaz
De sacudir o mundo
Tente outra vez— Paulo Coelho (@paulocoelho) June 7, 2020
Most well-known for his novel The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho is one of Brazil’s foremost living authors. He tweets in a mixture of English and Portuguese, which, depending on your experience level, can be helpful — you get to see his cultural commentary written in both a language you’re familiar with and a language you’re trying to learn.
5. RTP @rtppt
A sua personalidade, as vivências, as ousadias, as canções, as alegrias e tristezas e um percurso que a levou a todo o mundo.
“Eu, Amália”, hoje às 21h na @RTP1 e RTP Internacional. pic.twitter.com/BS1dfMZo3D
— RTP (@rtppt) July 23, 2020
RTP, otherwise known as Rádio e Televisão de Portugal, is Portugal’s public radio station. It’s never a bad idea to subscribe to the major news outlets that are published or broadcast in the language you’re trying to learn. That way, you can stay current with the same information a native speaker is absorbing on a regular basis.
6. Brazilian Portuguese Teacher @brazilian_ing
Live Class Today about bizzarres verbs in Portuguese.https://t.co/y9UQfinH5G
— Brazilian Portuguese Teacher (@brazilian_ing) July 15, 2020
Daniele’s account is still very new, but it’s a promising resource for learners of Brazilian Portuguese. She does live classes on topics ranging from bizarre verbs to expressing your opinion in Portuguese. For more fun, she also curates Spotify playlists of Brazilian music to listen to.