| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| City | Lisbon, Portugal (arrival at Lisbon Portela airport) |
| Your teacher | A native Portuguese teacher who hosts you in their own home; you are the only student |
| Price from | €1,410 per week: 15 hours of private lessons with full board |
| Minimum stay | One week, from Sunday to Saturday (6 nights), all year round |
| Included | Your private room, 3 meals a day with the family, your one-to-one lessons, personalised teaching material, an online level test before arrival, a certificate of attendance on request, a local Regional Manager and a 24-hour helpline |
| Levels | All levels, from beginner to advanced |
Your contact: Ioana
I’m the one who replies to you, in English, French or Italian. Before you commit to anything, I send you the profile of the family who would host you, together with the full proposal.
In Lisbon you live in the home of a Portuguese teacher. Your lessons take place there, one to one, and then Portuguese carries on at the table, at the local market, or on a visit to Belém or Alfama if you add Cultural Visits. It works for an adult who wants to progress quickly as much as for a teenager travelling alone, because there is only one student in the house.
Your teacher-host
Your teacher is a native Portuguese speaker who teaches at home and welcomes you into the family. The home has been inspected before any student stays there. As you are the only student, the lessons follow your level and your goals, with teaching material prepared for you.
A local Regional Manager is there for you throughout your stay, and there is a 24-hour helpline if you ever need it.
Formulas and prices
Prices are per week and include one week of full board in your host’s home.
| Programme | Hours per week | Price per week |
|---|---|---|
| Home Tuition Programme | 10 hours of lessons* | €1,185 |
| Home Tuition Programme | 15 hours of lessons | €1,410 |
| Home Tuition Programme | 20 hours of lessons | €1,635 |
| Home Tuition Programme | 25 hours of lessons | €1,860 |
| Home Tuition Programme | 30 hours of lessons | €2,085 |
| Lifestyle Programme (no lessons) | 10 hours of activities** | €1,190 |
| Lifestyle Programme (no lessons) | 15 hours of activities | €1,370 |
| Lifestyle Programme (no lessons) | 20 hours of activities | €1,550 |
| Lifestyle Programme (no lessons) | 25 hours of activities | €1,730 |
| Lifestyle Programme (no lessons) | 30 hours of activities | €1,910 |
The Home Tuition Programme includes 1 week full board accommodation and private language lessons. The Lifestyle Programme includes 1 week full board accommodation, the accompanied general activities and the related costs, with no lessons.
*10 hours must be combined with General Activities and/or Cultural Visits. Students under 18 must book General Activities and/or Cultural Visits with their Home Tuition Programme. **For the Lifestyle Programme, 10 hours must be combined with Cultural Visits.
Options
| Option | Price |
|---|---|
| General Activities (includes the accompanied activities and the related costs) | 5 h €300 · 10 h €600 · 15 h €900 · 20 h €1,200 per week |
| Cultural Visits (includes the accompanied visits and the related costs) | 3 visits €305 · 4 visits €385 · 5 visits €465 per week |
| Excursion to Sintra or Cascais (includes the accompanied outing, transport and entrance fees where applicable) | €220; other excursions on request, at net prices |
| Professional & specialised vocabulary | €180 per week |
| Exam & academic preparation | €180 per week |
| 10 online lessons | €450 per week |
| Private bathroom | €180 per week |
| Superior homestay | €360 per week |
| Accompanying person, accommodation only | €730 per week |
| Extra night | €95 |
| Transfer, one way to or from the nearest airport (Lisbon Portela) | €110 |
| Closer supervision | €150 per week |
| Special needs | €180 per week |
| Special diets | €110 per week |
| Christmas or New Year | €150 per week |
Cultural Visits and General Activities are decided between you and your host and vary depending on the host location and availabilities. The visits on the Lisbon list include Belém (the Monument to the Discoveries, the Jerónimos Monastery, the Tower), Alfama (the Fado Museum, the Tile Museum, St. George Castle), the Gulbenkian Museum and Gardens, the Oceanarium in Parque das Nações, and in the region Sintra, Cascais, Mafra and Almada. The general activities include cooking, shopping, the local market, bowling, mini-golf, the historic downtown, a typical village, a local festival or event, a sport event and the cinema.
Practical information
You arrive on a Sunday and leave on a Saturday: one week means six nights, and you can come at any time of year. The nearest airport is Lisbon Portela; the transfer is an option at €110 each way, and if your flight does not match the dates, an extra night with your host costs €95.
Questions
Will I learn European or Brazilian Portuguese?
European Portuguese. The programme is in Lisbon and your teacher is Portuguese, so the language you study and hear at home every day is the Portuguese spoken in Portugal.
What does the stay cost in total?
The weekly price covers full board in your host’s home and your lessons: from €1,410 for 15 hours up to €2,085 for 30 hours. Your single room is included; a private bathroom costs €180 a week and the airport transfer €110 each way. Activities, visits and the other options in the table are added on top.
How many hours of lessons should I choose?
You can choose 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 hours a week, for €1,185, €1,410, €1,635, €1,860 or €2,085. The 10 hours come with General Activities or Cultural Visits; from 15 hours, an adult can take lessons only.
Do I really live in my teacher’s home?
Yes. You have your own bedroom in your teacher’s home and you eat three meals a day with the family. Your lessons take place there, one to one.
What is the minimum stay?
One week: you arrive on a Sunday and leave on a Saturday, which makes six nights. You can come at any time of year and choose how many weeks you stay.
Can I start as a complete beginner?
Yes. The programme is open to all levels, from complete beginners to advanced learners. You take an online level test before you arrive, and your teacher builds the lessons on your level and your goals.
How is my teacher chosen?
Hosts are carefully selected and their homes inspected. Before you confirm, I send you the profile of the teacher and family I have in mind for you, with the full proposal, and you only decide once you’ve read it.
How do I get from the airport?
The nearest airport is Lisbon Portela. The transfer is an option at €110 each way; for a student under 16 it is part of the proposal unless you travel with them. Send me your flight details and I’ll book it.
Can a teenager go on their own?
Yes, and being the only student in the house helps. Alongside the lessons we add General Activities or Cultural Visits, so they go out accompanied and the week isn’t only lessons. Under 16, we arrange the airport transfer unless you bring them yourself, and under 13 we add Closer supervision (€150 a week), so an adult is with them at all times. You see the family’s profile before you confirm, so you know who will be looking after your child.
Ask for a quote
Tell me when you would like to come and what you want to be able to do in Portuguese; if it is for your child, tell me their age. I reply with a proposal and the profile of a family in Lisbon. You can write to me through the form here.