Welcome
Olá, Sou a Joana!
I'm the founder of Nana Portuguese. I'm from Lisbon but I've exchanged the busy city for the peace and quiet of the Algarve. I love different cultures and I'm also a bit of a nerd.
I've always had many international experiences: as a teenager, I spent summers abroad babysitting to learn English (it was crazy); I completed my Bachelor's and did my Master's Degree in the Netherlands and also lived in Morocco for work and France to learn the language.
During my time in the Netherlands I experienced how easy it is to feel like an outsider in a new country – it can be overwhelming, demoralizing, and frustrating. I not only didn’t speak the language but also didn’t really get the cultural differences. When I was waiting for the train and an announcement came up, I had no idea what was going on. Also, relating to people wasn't easy.
It was easier in France, I already knew the basics, but still, I attended boring French Lessons, where I learned “proper French”. The classes were great but it didn't really help me understand how the services worked, how social differences like “if a dinner is at 19h30 what time should you actually arrive and what should you bring?” worked, and what the expressions everyone used actually meant.
My family calls me Nana, Nana Portuguese is my passion project that aims to help all of you who had the courage and adventurous spirit to move to sunny Portugal understand the Portuguese language, culture, and people so you feel welcomed, empowered, and at home.
Olá!
Mission & Values
Help you feel at home in Portugal
learn the language, the culture, the unspoken socially agreed norms and much more!
Tailored to each students' needs
What do you need to know right now? How to go to the market? Speaking to your kids’ teachers? Let’s start with that!
Fun & Engaging
Research shows that students learn better when they are having fun. Having fun helps sustain students’ memory, motivation, and attention.
We respect your learning style
Are you a visual learner? What's your first language? Let’s make use of who you are to help you learn more efficiently.
Our method
According to research having fun helps sustain students’ memory, motivation, and attention. Did you know that dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter that is released when you’re having fun, leads to memory stimulation?
Personalized learning is a teaching approach that considers each learner's strengths, weaknesses, learning styles, and interests. Our aim is to create a learning experience centered on the individual rather than on the teacher.
There are many different ways of learning the same thing so in Nana Portuguese we look for the most pleasant way for each student to learn and we encourage each individual to set their own goals, track their process, and reflect on what has been learned. This way we keep the engagement, motivation, and attention and get better learning results.
Our classes
Learn the basics
Do you just want to learn how to ask for the things you need in shops, markets, restaurants, etc? Then this is for you!
Learn all the necessary phrases and vocabulary to express what you need and be able to greet your neighbours. This track includes A LOT of conversational practice to make sure you don’t feel blocked when you speak outside the class.
Speak like a local
pass the CIPLE exam
Congratulations! Looks like you are ready to make Portugal your permanent home.
One of the requirements for citizenship is passing a Portuguese language exam (CIPLE) or another equivalent A2 level exam. We can get you ready for the exam’s structure and type of exercises so that you can feel confident and prepared on exam day.
If you want to have a full grasp of the language then this is your track.
This learning approach follows the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and focuses more on grammar so you have the freedom of talking about any topic in Portuguese and following what’s going on around you.
Testimonials
"I can only recommend Nana Portuguese. Lessons are tailor made to your needs, you can take private lessons or small group courses and timings are convenient. They make easier (and fun!) to learn that damn difficult pronunciation."
Nynke NM
Nana portuguese e' a melhor professora que tive e ainda tenho! Ela e' divertida, clever e sabe tudo! As aulas sao sempre divertidas e aprendo muito cada vez! Obrigadissima Nana portuguese. The best teacher I ever had! Funny clever and very smart! Every lessons is fun and every time I learn a lot! She knows it all... Thanks Nana...
Johanna Haensch
"This was the absolute best thing I did to continue my difficult journey of learning Portuguese. Joana is a wonderful teacher, she explains everything in a fun, considerate way, using excellent examples and making lessons a laugh and a joy to go to. I cannot recommend Nana Portuguese enough to help you learn Portuguese . She tailors lessons to your level and you will be having fun and learning in no time.
Waste no more time thinking about if you should take lessons or not, with Nana Portuguese you 100% should! Enjoy. Aproveita"
Katie Gee
"Joana is such a great teacher ... always fun, always interesting and always challenging - if you’re trying to learn Portuguese I can thoroughly recommend her."
Simon Beard
"Joana is professional, funny, intelligent, and extremely skilled.
She makes learning a second language incredibly fun.
I would highly recommend Joana for Portuguese classes!"
Laura Rhoden
"If anyone is thinking about having Portuguese lessons I really recommend Joana Feio. In just a few weeks I have learned more Portuguese than I did in the three years with my previous tutor and have gained in confidence with speaking and writing in Portuguese. Joana is very patient and her lessons are fun, current and informative. Last week she told us about the popular saints holidays. We have also been introduced to some simple Portuguese poetry and expressions. Each lesson is different. They are mainly via Skype but it was great to meet Joana in real life for the practical lessons recently in a cafe and a shop. I am so pleased I signed up."
Sue Dawson
"Great lessons with an amazing teacher! Great fun, informative and engaging...after a year of trying alone, my Portuguese improved enormously within a month of learning with Joana-can't recommend enough!"
Carlos Cervantes
I had about 10 online classes with Joana to study Portuguese and practice my conversational skills. I really enjoyed the way of how Joana teaches. While she always finds fun topics to talk about, she also manages to explain the grammar in a very simple and structured way. Joana’s happy and enthusiastic personality makes it very easy to enjoy the classes and it feels more like a nice chat over coffee with a friend than a Portuguese class. Muito obrigada, Joana!
Katherina Ballerina
"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart." (Nelson Mandela). Thank you so much Joana for your patience, grace, and humour in my Portuguese lessons - I love living in this beautiful country, and with your help let’s hope I can touch the hearts of its people soon
Claire Friedlander
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