Language, Culture & FUN

I first whet my travel appetite in 2014, when I spent nine months studying abroad in Northern Ireland. That experience cultivated my love of culture and connection, but there was no language barrier. In Cape Verde, I had the amazing and challenging opportunity to be immersed in a country very different from any place I had ever visited, where locals spoke a language I did not know. The Aprende Portuguese program did a great job easing me into the culture, while forcing me to pick up Portuguese in order to communicate.

Beyond the strides I made in language learning, the fellowship was a wonderful time to grow close to other participants, make local friends and experience the glorious natural beauty of the African islands.

Three wonderful memories remain in my mind. On one day of the program, we traversed the island of Santiago, seeing villages, rugged shoreline, and sunset over the mountains. Another day, we visited the U.S. ambassador in Praia, Cape Verde's capital. Finally, we crashed zumba classes with locals, to the beat of energetic island tunes. These three examples give just a taste of the multifarious experiences you'll have with Aprende Portuguese.