Olá! I’m Adelina, the founder of The Sounds of Portuguese, and I teach European Portuguese both in Tavira (Algarve) and online. I’m a native bilingual speaker of Irish English and European Portuguese. I was born in the Netherlands to an Irish mother and a Portuguese father.
We lived in Amsterdam until I was seven. Then we packed up and moved permanently to Tavira, Portugal, where I’ve lived ever since.
Thanks to my dad and attending public school in Portugal, I grew up fluent in Portuguese and was raised bilingually and bi-culturally at home. This blend has given me a deep understanding of the cultural nuances and communication barriers that many learners of European Portuguese face – especially those relocating to Portugal.
On top of that, I’ve personally experienced what it’s like to learn a new language and adapt to a new country. Moving to Portugal at a young age, I didn’t have the internet or translations to rely on, nor did most people speak English as they do today. This journey shapes how I teach, with empathy for how overwhelming the process can be.
How I got into Teaching
Teaching Portuguese wasn’t something I originally planned to do.
In 2011, after the global financial crisis led to my job in Real Estate being made redundant, I needed an income. Around the same time, several people kept suggesting that I should teach Portuguese.
I resisted the idea for quite a while. Teaching wasn’t really part of my plan.
But eventually I thought about the parable of the talents (something I had learned earlier in life), and it made me think differently about the skills I already had. I had always been good with languages, and I already had Portuguese and English as part of my everyday life. Perhaps this was something I could actually use to help other people.
So I gave it a try.
I started helping a few expats with their Portuguese and, much to my surprise, I discovered that I really enjoyed it. I began teaching myself more about my own language and about how to explain it to other people. This eventually became Sakura Communications, the first name I operated under.
There was another reason I became particularly interested in helping people with Portuguese: I know what it feels like to get things wrong.
Growing up between languages and cultures meant that I experienced my fair share of misunderstandings. Kids can be cruel, and I remember being laughed at or mocked when I said something incorrectly or misunderstood something in another language. Those experiences stayed with me.
They taught me that learning a language isn’t simply about memorising the correct words. It’s about understanding how people actually communicate: the little differences, cultural references, expressions and assumptions that aren’t always obvious from a dictionary.
That’s something I want my students to have help with.
After a few years, I took a break, and life led me to Scotland, England, Ireland, the U.S. and finally back to Portugal.
Over time, teaching stopped being simply something I did because I needed an income. I found a genuine passion for it. I particularly love the creative side: designing lessons, making videos, drawing, researching Portuguese culture and finding new ways to make the language interesting and accessible.
That’s really where The Sounds of Portuguese came from.
I still live in Tavira, now with my husband and our young daughter. In 2020, I launched The Sounds of Portuguese, combining my passion for the language with creative ways to help others learn it.
How I Teach
I focus on teaching European Portuguese through Comprehensible Input and TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling), alongside other approaches that help learners encounter Portuguese naturally and in context.
I’m less interested in having students memorise endless lists of grammar rules and more interested in helping them understand and actually use the language.
That’s also why you’ll find quite a lot of Portuguese culture throughout The Sounds of Portuguese. Food, traditions, history, everyday life, places and the way people actually speak all give language somewhere to live.
I’m constantly experimenting with new ideas and creating lessons, videos and resources that I hope make learning European Portuguese more enjoyable, practical and memorable.
Let’s stay in touch!
I’d love to hear from you, so don’t be shy – tímido/a is no excuse! Here’s where you can find me:
- Catch me on YouTube or join our community on Facebook.
- Sign up for my bi-monthly newsletter, Beyond the Pastel de Nata, where I share tips, stories and practical resources for learning European Portuguese.
- Email me anytime at info@thesoundsofportuguese.com. I’ll reply as soon as I can: though sometimes life with a little one keeps me a bit behind schedule!
I mean it! Ask questions, share your thoughts, or just say “Olá!” I’d love to hear from you.
Whether you are living in Portugal, planning a move to the Algarve, or simply fascinated by the Portuguese language and culture, my goal is to help you speak European Portuguese with clarity and confidence.