Why interactive short stories in Portuguese?
Have you ever wondered this:
-> Why do some people learn Portuguese so much faster than other people?
Is it simply due to intelligence? Is it because they are living in the country where the language is spoken? Is it because they are more motivated?
In an attempt to answer this question, I researched and researched and I even asked some of my students to let me know what they were doing to learn Portuguese, besides following my courses.
And that is when I found out something:
I realized that there’s this ONE thing that made such a big difference for these students when it comes to learning a language…
The most successful students were not the ones that studied the most, nor the ones that were living in Portugal (sure this helped, but some people are living in Portugal for years, and still aren’t capable of speaking Portuguese fluently…) or spoke the most in Portuguese.
No, what differentiated the most successful students from the others, that ONE thing, was the fact that they actively listened to Portuguese texts and tried to engage with them.
They listened, dissected and dove into a story or an interview or any other Portuguese text that they could get their hands on, and they explored it slowly but steady, until they almost knew it by heart. And they did this systematically.
This was my AHA moment!
See, I studied linguistics and once I found out about what these students were doing, I understood that it made perfect sense, if I thought for a second about what I had learnt.
A famous linguist from the 80s, Stephen Krashen, once came up with a theory that said the way to learn any language successfully is by getting a comprehensible input.
What does this mean? It means that in order to learn a language, you should hear that language in a way that you will understand.
What is more, he even went as far as to say that it is not speaking that will help you acquire a language. Shocker, right? I was also puzzled. I have always thought that speaking is the most important thing to learn a language, but apparently I was wrong.
Sure, speaking IS important but the most important thing is to actively LISTEN.
This has also been proven to me by experience, because the students that were more successful, were the ones that implemented at least 20 minutes of listening exercises a day to their study plan.
This brings me to my new product that I am about to introduce to you: Story Time with Mia – Interactive Stories in Portuguese.
This course was made based on this idea that what you most need to learn a language successfully and much faster is comprehensible input.
But this cannot be any kind of input. You have to learn through an input that will also talk to your emotions…
This is really the KEY!
For example, if you create a little story about the word “Staubsauger” in German, you might remember it better when you want to say “vacuum cleaner” in German next time.
I use this example, because when I was learning German, I wanted to remember this word and I never could.
Until I created a story: Bsauger was the name of a German guy who sold vacuum cleaners. And then someone would tell me, “Olha, está o Bsauger” à porta.” Está o sounds a lot like Stau (the first part of the German word), and I created an emotional connection with the word, by imagining someone named Bsauger, a German guy who sold vacuum cleaners, standing at the door.
I tell you, I never forgot this word again, and I will likely never forget it… I created an emotional connection to this word, I made a story with the word and by doing so I opened up new pathways in my brain and I retained and actually added it to my permanent memory…
And the same goes for grammar…
If instead of studying the rules, or as an addition to it, you start actively listening to the language, and hearing it in context, through stories, then you will be creating new connections in your brain and connecting emotionally to it…
And I have made this so much easier for you with Story Time with Mia – Interactive Stories in Portuguese.
This course will help you train your ear, so you can learn vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, while improving your reading, listening and even speaking, naturally, until you reach fluency.
You will listen to these stories and answer to questions related to them.
Instead of studying how to ask and answer a question in Portuguese, you will dive directly in and start doing it almost without thinking. You will be creating those new pathways and connections in your brain, without much effort 🙂
For example, you will listen to the following text:
A Maria vai para Espanha.
…and then you will hear a question, like:
Para onde é que a Maria vai?
And you will be asked to answer it:
Para Espanha. A Maria vai para Espanha!
What I want is for you to engage with the story and actively start creating new brain pathways that will help you learn Portuguese more efficiently.
And the best thing? They are an excellent addition to my other courses, as each story covers one or two grammar topics that I cover in my other courses. 🙂
But if you don’t have any of my other products, don’t worry! You don’t need to, as Story Time with Mia – Interactive Stories in Portuguese is totally self-sustainable. All you have to do is follow my instructions carefully to take the best out of this course, and you will see improvements soon. :)
If you want to check how this story goes (word pun intended), you can check the video below that will show you a bit of the behind-the-scenes of Story Time and what this course is all about. Feel free to like and share the video with your friends 🙂
What other students say about Story Time with Mia – Interactive Stories in Portuguese
I believe that this course will really help you! But I have also asked some students to try it out and tell me what their impressions were about it, and this is what they have told me:
– Most of the students found the idea behind the interactive stories to be really revolutionary and different from all the other courses they have followed;
– Most of the students thought that learning Portuguese through short stories is challenging in a fun way and they were excited to continue studying the stories and learn what was going to happen with the characters of the story;
– Most of the students (beginners and more advanced students) understood the value of these stories, and said that they felt that their knowledge had improved in all levels of the language – reading, writing, speaking and listening;
– Most of the students stated that they learnt a lot of vocabulary and new grammar constructions by following the short stories in Portuguese;
– Most of the students understood that for these stories to really work, one has to commit fully to them; when they committed, that’s when they saw the best improvements;
– Most of the students said that the price is quite fair;
– Most of the students thought it was a good idea to offer this course as a membership, giving the student 4 new stories per month (since you should take at least one week with each story to really get it and store the relevant vocabulary and grammar in your permanent memory).
Sooo… I am really happy with the results!
I wanted to know what people thought about this idea before launching it, as I want to put valuable content out there... I don’t want to just create something that is not relevant to my students.
I want to serve your language needs and I believe that Story Time is an excellent addition to your study plan.
Plus, by getting this feedback, I was able to improve the layout and to understand what difficulties my students had navigating the course (there is always place for improvement!).
So, do you want to try this innovative study method and see if it works for you? It may actually be the breakthrough you were looking for!
What will you get with this course if you enroll now?
You will have access to:
- 7 days for free to try Story Time – if you cancel within the first 7 days, you won’t have to pay anything;
- A great bonus: A compilation of free resources to help you get in touch with the language (music, TV, Radio, and so much more!) – Value: $15
If you enjoy the course, you don’t have to do anything and after the first 7 days, you will be charged $12 (+VAT) and your membership will keep running.
You will then continue to be charged $12 (+VAT) per month, as long as you are a member of Story Time.
Think about it… it is just the price of a lunch out. Or even less than that… do you think that possibly having a breakthrough in your Portuguese is worth this little investment?
You will get four new stories each month and you will have access to one of the best techniques to improve your Portuguese!
Ready to start? Click here for your 7-day free trial
But what is this course really about?
Now, what is this course about?
In a few words, this course consists of short stories in Portuguese, that will help you acquire the language in a more natural way. You will develop your grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation, without realising that you are doing it.
You will also develop your language skills – listening, reading, writing and speaking – all by just following these stories.
As long as you take your time and you really engage with the story, you will see a huge improvement in your language learning.
If you want to read a more in-depth description of the “why” behind this course, be sure to check this file that I wrote about it.
Become a part of my new Story Time Membership. You have 7 days to try this product out for free!
If you cancel before the 7-day trial is over, you won’t be charged anything to your credit card.
If you stay beyond the 7 days, you will be charged $12 dollars (+VAT) per month until you cancel. You can cancel your membership at any time you want 🙂
Using the strategies I teach in Story Time, students all over the world were able to stop the frustration of trying to learn a language, and actually started speaking naturally and almost without studying any theory.
And now, I’m showing you how to do it, too. And for such a symbolic price! Isn’t it great? 🙂 I hope you see the value in it and that you take this step forward. You can cancel at anytime, so you won’t lose anything.
Enrollment is NOW open.
Click here to enroll now for the 7-day free trial!
Can’t wait to see you in the course!
You will get the opportunity to see inside some of the best resources that are out there for FREE and that I recommend to all my private students, when they want to get in contact with the language for extra learning!
Course FAQ
Meanwhile, I have received quite a few questions about Story Time, so I’m going to give answers to some of the most popular questions I’ve been asked so far!
FAQ 1: What is Story Time?
Story Time with Mia – Interactive Stories in Portuguese is a course in the form of a membership. You will get 4 short stories in Portuguese a month, with clear instructions on how to follow them for better results. These stories will help you acquire Portuguese in a more natural way, by improving your grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation through interacting with the story. You will be asked to answer questions about the story quickly, in a way that will create pathways in your brain that will allow you to understand Portuguese more clearly in the future.
Do you struggle when a native speaker speaks to you at their natural speech rate? Do you fall out of words when you want to answer? Then try Story Time and if you stick to it, you will likely see a great improvement.
FAQ 2: Who is Story Time for?
If you are someone who doesn’t like the more “traditional” approach to language learning, this offer is definitely for you!
If you are someone who wants to improve their Portuguese through a more “natural” method, this course is for you!
If you enjoy hearing Portuguese and learning by doing, this course is for you!
Even if you are a more “traditional” kind of learner, and you want something that will build on the other courses you are following, this course is also for you!…
Sounds like you? Click here to enroll for the 7–day free trial
FAQ 3: What makes Story Time different from other offerings?
The fact that you will have to interact with the stories will make you create emotional connections with them, which will help you retain the vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation much more naturally.
You might say “but I have already seen other courses where we listen to stories and learn vocabulary”. While this is true, I have yet to see a Portuguese course, where you actually have to answer to questions related to the stories as fast as you can. This might seem irrelevant, but this is exactly what will bring you further in the language.
It’s science and it works!
FAQ 4: How much time will Story Time take?
You might not know this, but students who take longer to learn, are also the most successful ones, in general. What do I mean by this? You must take your time to really dive in the stories and not only learn, but also acquire and retain what you are learning. You should take at least one week per story (sometimes more!), to see the best results. This membership is renewed every month, so you can take as much time as you need and cancel at any time.
FAQ 5: Is Story Time going to work for me and help me learn Portuguese?
The answer is simple: If you are able to follow simple instructions, I don’t see why not. When needed, I even go right down to the smallest details and guide you step-by-step. Story Time was created to be the game plan for my students to learn Portuguese in a natural way, without wasting months or even years trying to trial and error their way to success.
FAQ 6: Should I buy now?
A wise man once said, “The best time to plant a tree was yesterday. The next best time is now.”
The same applies to you. If not now, then when? Imagine where you would be in a few months if you started today. You can do this!
I would advise you to get Story Time now, because you will have instant access the moment you purchase, and you can stay and receive 4 new stories a month for as long as you want. You can start improving your Portuguese TODAY.
Click here to enroll in Story Time now! 😉
FAQ 7: How can I enroll in Story Time? I am a bit lost…
I know, sometimes the technical part of things get in the way (I know it does for me!). So, if you are having trouble knowing how to enroll, please check the video below where I tell you all about it, step by step. If you still have questions after watching the video, do not hesitate to contact me 🙂
FAQ 8: I have your other courses. Should I follow this one, too?
This course is an excellent addition to the other courses, as it will help you put in practice what you have learnt in my other courses. So, if you want to develop your Portuguese even further, you can definitely join Story Time 🙂
FAQ 9: I don’t have any of your other courses. Can I still join?
Absolutely! While this course is an excellent addition to the other courses, you can definitely do it on its own. This course is self-sufficient and you will learn as you go. Stories will start simple and continue on to being more complex. You will learn the language, while following the stories 🙂
Come learn Portuguese with me 🙂
Now’s the time for you to get started. You deserve this. If you start today, imagine how your life will be like 30 days from now!
Are you still afraid to commit? Do any of these common fears pull you back?
Common Fear #1: “I can’t afford it”
How much is being able to speak Portuguese with no fear of not being understood worth to your life or business?
Think about it, for as little as $12 (+VAT) a month (less than what you would normally pay to go out for dinner), you will be equipped with the skills and strategies that you need to start speaking Portuguese and profiting from this knowledge for YEARS to come. The course will pay for itself again and again.
Also consider this: What is the COST of NOT purchasing Story Time? How much wasted time, energy, and effort will go down the drain if you continue as you are, reading articles written by unqualified “gurus”, trying to piece things together, or being frustrated daily as you try to reach fluency in Portuguese?
There’s a cost to not purchasing Story Time: You know what they say – Time is Money – so if you don’t enroll in Story Time, you will probably continue wasting your time and, hence, your money, especially if you need to know Portuguese to find a job or build trustworthy relationships.
So, if you’re ready to start taking your Portuguese seriously for just a little investment per month, click here to get started with Story Time with Mia – Interactive Stories.
Common Fear #2: “I don’t have time”
As I already mentioned, Story Time SAVES you time by giving you a step-by-step plan of what you need to do in order to reach fluency in Portuguese. Instead of wasting your time searching and researching in the internet, and not knowing what direction to take, you will be sure to be doing something that will improve your Portuguese immensely. It took me some years to get all the knowledge I needed and bring this course to you, but I don’t want you to spend the same time researching for the best way to learn Portuguese.
So, if you’re ready to save MONTHS of your time and shortcut your way to fluency in Portuguese, click here to get started with Story Time.
Common Fear #3: “I have no confidence in myself”
Here’s the thing. If you are 110% confident that you will be fluent in Portuguese, you won’t need my help! It’s my job to help people who are not confident about their Portuguese to reach the confidence they need.
Also, I’ve created Story Time to be as easy as possible, because all you have to do is follow a story and really commit to it. You will learn while having fun and everyone and anyone can do it! You just have to want it…
Besides, I am here every step of the way, so if you have any questions, you can always reach me by email or message and I will answer you 🙂
This is as good as it gets.
Click here to learn more about Story Time
Common Fear #4: “Now’s not the right time”
If not now, then when?
I’ll tell you why NOW is the BEST time to join Story Time: You will have access to Story Time for FREE in the first 7 days, so you can try it out, and if you don’t like it, you can say “bye-bye” and we part our ways. No strings attached! No hard feelings 🙂 I want you to enroll only if you see the value of this membership 🙂
One small step at a time! No matter how busy you are, it is much better to do something small every day (as long as it’s in the right direction), than to do NOTHING at all and wait for the “perfect” time. All you need is around 20 minutes a day, and you will see your Portuguese improving, slowly but steadily.
Are you a bit shocked that I know your secret fears so well?
Don’t worry —I’m not spying on you! I’ve simply been where you are and helped hundreds of students just like you, so I can relate to your situation very well.
Plus, I have been through this myself – I too have had the same doubts about purchasing some courses that I could not see the entire value of from the beginning. But time and again, I have seen that investing in me is ALWAYS worth it, so I hope you see the same 🙂
So, where will your life be 30 days from now?
You could continue being where you are now, and probably nothing would change. We all know that if you keep doing the same thing, you’ll get the same results.
Or you could sign up for Story Time and start working towards being fluent in Portuguese and maybe finally being able to get that job that you wish for, or even that relationship or you will finally be able to move to Portugal and feel comfortable and a part of the Portuguese community… wouldn’t that be great?
It’s your choice 🙂
I would be honoured to have you in Story Time, because I know that it has all the resources and support that you need for you to finally start feeling confident and speak in Portuguese. You can do this!
Enroll in Story Time now and get your 7-day free trial
You have two options:
Option #1 (This is the not-so-good one):
You can sit there scrolling through this, wanting to believe but being haunted by fears and past experiences. Wanting to take action but being plagued by self-doubt… as time passes you by. (Honestly, are you prepared to spend years struggling to speak Portuguese?)
Or… Option #2 (This is the REALLY smart one):
You can choose to say YES to change in your life and take a step forward to become fluent in Portuguese.
You can choose to say YES to getting dedicated help to finally achieve your language goals.
I know what it feels like to want something very much, but not knowing where to go or what path to follow.
I have specially created Story Time for students like yourself who need help with listening, speaking, reading and writing in Portuguese, and you will be exercising all these language skills by enrolling now. Story Time features the exact tried-and-tested methodology that have helped countless students to become fluent in a language.
But if you are still not convinced, check what some of the people that enrolled are saying about Story Time:
“Olá Mia,
I very much enjoyed doing the first story lesson for a week. I listened to the first story every day for a week. The first time I listened to it, I didn’t pick up very many words. It’s very difficult for me to pick up verbally Portuguese words because native speakers cut off vowels or entire words sometimes. If I look at the transcript at the same time as listening, I understand it a lot more. Maybe there are a few words that are new. But I appreciate it that you speak the story at a natural rate since if I go to Portugal I need to be able to understand the language spoken at a natural rate. When I listen to the same story after a week, I can totally follow it without mentally translating it so it almost feels like I know Portuguese.” – Jan –
“Olá Mia!
I have been LOVING this new course!! I’m almost done with the B2 level from your Master Course which has been awesome (I definitely have a few from A2 and B1 that I want to review more in depth just because certain concepts don’t stick as well in my head) and I am so excited for this Story Time option! It is exciting to hear, understand, and be prompted with a question that I can actually answer all in Portuguese. In some ways it almost feels like some sort of structured conversation that just helps to start making the connections to be able to not only know the answer in my native language of English, but be able to start really thinking more all in Portuguese and use the language! ” – Ava –
What do you say?
Do you want to join Story Time now and become fluent in European Portuguese?
I am here to help!
Check out Story Time and start improving your Portuguese TODAY.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Beijinhos,
Mia