More On Portuguese

I started taking Portuguese classes the end of August...actually Aug. 21st. Around the first part of October we started praying about classes and just how to spend my time exactly.

Although I only have classes a total of 4 hours a week, basically 2 full mornings a week are shot, meaning that I don't get to do my normal routine...without routine, things are a bit out of whack. In addition to those 2 full mornings, there is also time spent doing homework...equaling about another 4 hours a week...most of the time an average of 2 hours of homework time for every 2 hours of class time. It just takes a lot of time figuring things out and looking up translations and such.

Being as my priorities go like this:
1. God
2. husband
3. children
4. completing my duties to my family
5. other - church, relationships, things like Portuguese

Well, we were just weighing all the options. Also considering my teacher's teaching style...we have Portuguese conversation. We have great material/textbooks. She also gives me other great assignments...reading articles in magazines, reading books in Port., watching Port. movies, etc. I really do love the way she has taught me and it has really done 2 things...given me a great catapult into the Portuguese language and given me a great foundation to work upon...but, I was feeling the need for more. I needed more vocabulary, more grammar, etc. I am a pretty black and white person by nature. I'm sure that contributes to my learning style and that need. I think that it is extremely important to learn a language by speaking it and hearing it...just diving in there and doing it, even if you don't know exactly how to do it yet. But, like I said...at that point (the beginning of October), I felt the need for more starting to develop.

Of course what I was doing was just doing the vocabulary and grammar part on my own. I actually have some GREAT resources...the material that my Portuguese teacher has been using to work with me, several great websites that I found, and also the best of all in my opinion, I have the Rosetta Stone software for Portuguese. Now that doesn't replace the actual speaking and hearing the language, but that happens naturally all the time in my little Brazilian world, now doesn't it? The bottom line is that I did not have the time to go to classes AND do the amount of work that I was doing on my own with the vocab. and grammar...I didn't have the time to do that AND keep up with the things that are actually Numbers 1-4 on my priority list. So...

We began to pray about it. By the end of October, that need that I was feeling was more than a need...it was a pure dee necessity. We knew and felt peace about stopping classes...at least for November. So, as it stands now, I am "taking a break." The plan is to just do what I've been doing, except not go to classes. I'm continuing to work with material, study from the websites, and go through my Rosetta Stone. Along with that I'm just talking to the people in my life. At the end of November we will re-evaluate and see if I need to start the classes back up or if I'm doing just fine without them. I actually have 8 hours of credit with my teacher as a result of either her or me having to cancel during October (sickness/travel, etc.). So, always an option is just scheduling time with her as needed. She has many students who just schedule time with her if they need a little refresher course before travel or if they are at a point where they just need some questions answered, etc. But, we'll see...

I'm excited to see how this all pans out. Right now I am once again excited about my Portuguese study. At the end I was dreading classes because I felt like I wasn't getting what I needed exactly, but was sacrificing my time with my kids and other duties anyway. Not a good feeling.

We are glad that we stepped back and really evaluated what was important to us and how we could better meet those goals and priorities. We'll keep you posted on how it goes and what we conclude at the end of this month.