While it’s not required to speak Portuguese as an expat (and many expats chose not to learn or simpy feel the can’t) I’m a firm believer that it is well worth the effort.  Even after 2.5 years I am confident in interacting with Portuguese speakers, but it’s not “comfortable or easy” per say.  I wonder if it ever will be even close to as comfortable as English is for me.

However, I am not longer filled with anxiety in the pit of my stomach when I get a phone call with the Portuguese area code or have to interact with someone at the store.

I’m approaching understanding hurmor (which comes last) and can mostly keep up with conversations at girl’s night.  The kids have learned well in school while we keep speaking English at home, although they still have some gaps in their language.

However, most portuguese speak some, if not a lot of, English as they are learning it from 4-years-olds and you can definitely survive with minimal Portuguese.  Translation services are plentiful, affordable and easy to engage.  I’d recommend hiring help for any regulatory activities with government offices, schools, etc.