Anita da Silva of Portuguese with Anita

What helps language learners start speaking—and continue long enough to make meaningful progress?Anita da Silva, founder of Portuguese with Anita, joins Rick to share lessons from more than 20 years of teaching European Portuguese. She explains why learners should practice speaking from day one, how humor and real-life situations make lessons more memorable, and why grammar books alone cannot teach someone to communicate.They also discuss the value of learning in a supportive community, how beginners and advanced learners can motivate one another, common misconceptions about learning Portuguese, and why mistakes are an essential part of becoming confident in another language.