What kept me going is the step-by-step explanation of concepts, unlike brushing over concepts as other courses do. I also like the exercises, lots of them, all with answer key so you get to test yourself.

In my experience of language courses most exercises either are boring drills or fancy games that do not help much. In this course the exercises are excellent. They address situations you can see yourself in when you go to the country. They give you the opportunity of practising what you feel you should know, with no nonsense, no wasting time.

There is only simple grammar in the first units but the little there is is made to work for you in the exercises. Through them you rehearse how to construct the basic sentences you need to communicate in different situations. You don't even notice the grammar because you are interested in what you are doing. Some exercises are really fun, with a good sense of humour, and that helps too.

The author has done a splendid job of making Portuguese approachable to the beginner. The book starts slowly and (unlike others) proceeds in a clear and logical manner. I can truthfully say that this has been the most useful book for me in my attempts to learn Portuguese. I am happy with what I have achieved.

My husband has seen my enthusiasm and is learning Portuguese too, using this course. My husband learning a language, believe me, means a lot. He has now reached unit 5. When he got past the first unit, this course passed its toughest test. I recommend this course 100%.

The course is very practical, lively and fun. Something I particularly enjoyed is that it encourages learning through understanding. You are shown how to make sense of the written and spoken Portuguese you see and hear around you and you learn how to use it yourself. It is all based on down-to-earth real life situations. You learn how to fill in your hotel room laundry list and leave a written note saying when you want your clothes back. You learn how to tell noisy guests to keep their voice down, adapting the words on the 'do not disturb' sign for your hotel room door. In this course public notices come to life. Instructions how to open your train door or how to operate a coffee dispensing machine are converted into language you can use to communicate. I liked this approach because you feel immediately involved and a sense of achievement is quickly achieved. I found this course extremely useful and would recommend it to everyone.

I also like the fact that the book educates you as to the cultural aspects of the country eg Fado singing as well as historic landmarks to visit eg the tower of Belim. I have also found this useful in helping me build up business relationships in that I can show I know something about the country and I always have a place in mind for when I am offered as a trip somewhere as part of my visit! Yet another strong point is that the book also covers Brazilian Portuguese. I shall be needing that too.