Iām just starting on this process now, thinking of going down the EdPro route. Suppose I want to schedule classes for (say) Oct/Nov this year - does EdPro let you book in advance from a range of possible start dates? Or do they just offer you the next available slot? tx
They post on their website what slots are becoming available to register. You send an email expressing interest, they respond with the specific class they offer, you register/pay online, then nothing until 2 days before the class starts, then you get login information.
They do not post an advance calendar of classes. They are all taught by different affiliated groups, so the calendars seem to be variable. Our class is Dec 2, 2024- March 13, 2025. 3 hrs/day, 4 days per week with a 2 week break over the holidays. My friendās class is 9 am-1pm, Tuesday through Friday, for 10 weeks.
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Hi @cj807, I reached out to EdPro in February 2024, telling them that I was interested in joining their July 2024 group. On cue, when the registration for the July 2024 group opened, I was sent an email inviting me to register and pay. If you already have a timeframe in mind, I would reach out and speak to Katherine Morino on the admin team. Theyāll put you on their mailing list, and this way you will not miss out on the choice of class you want.
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Can you share your verb conjugation printout, maybe a PDF or whatever is easiest for you?
Iām about halfway through the A1/A2 course with CIPLE Master, and figured it might be helpful to others to read why I went with them, why itās working for me and why it may not be for everyone. Iām happy to provide some updates when I finish if anyone would find them useful, but for now Iāll look at the other options I considered and how things are going so far.
At the moment, there are basically two routes to get the certificate required for citizenship or permanent residency. The most common and longest running option is to study the language and sit for the CIPLE test, or you can take a PLA course that gives you the A2 certificate at the end and does not require a test. If you choose to take the CIPLE, you can either self-study, take a prep course or both. I had looked into a number of self-study options that were all valuable but imperfect. I liked the format of The Journey (Portuguese With Carla) a lot, but it got much too advanced too quickly. Pimsleur is great and provides a really good foundation for pronunciation, but European Portuguese only goes to level 2, which isnāt enough. Practice Portuguese is also great, but by the time I got around to trying it I felt confident that self-studying with a patchwork of apps wasnāt going to cut it.
I looked into a CIPLE prep course with Portuguese Connection, and really liked their approach, but because Iām not in Portugal it would need to be online. They have a maximum number of 10 students per online class, and you need to book A1 and A2 classes separately (they estimate 150 hours for those) and then an additional CIPLE prep course to get you ready for the test, which they can help you book. I didnāt love the idea of having to take 150 hours worth of classes and then have to do test prep and sit for an exam, so I started looking into PLA options.
Most of the PLA options that I found were intensive; four hours a day for eight weeks, with classes up to 30 people. That sounded pretty draining, but maybe better than spending a year doing a couple of classes a week and then still having to take the test. Then I found CIPLE Master, which runs two hours a day Monday through Friday for 15 weeks, and they cap the students at six per class. My class has four students including me. The structure of the PLA course is set by the government so the curriculum isnāt going to be much different regardless of where you take it, and I donāt know how much flexibility any given institution or instructor will have. The textbook isnāt very good and my teacher hates it too, but I donāt know if this is because of the PLA regulations or CIPLE Master itself. The course moves along pretty quickly and without a lot of repetition, so even though Iām spending two hours a day in class, Iām listening to Pimsleur again when Iām in the car just to help with memorization.
Of the options I looked into, CIPLE Master was the most expensive (there are discounts if you pay up front and if youāre represented by one of their partners) but easily the best for me. If the goal is to get the A2 certificate with the least headache, I donāt think you can do any better. Four or more hours a day would be too much to retain anything, and then taking the test comes with a load of other issues because of how theyāre scheduled - if any are even offered in your area at all. If your immediate goal is an in-depth knowledge of the language, I think that going at an even slower pace is advisable, but then youāre looking at a multi-year learning process. Once I finish the class and get my certificate Iāll probably go back to The Journey and/or Practice Portuguese to fine tune things without the pressure of a test hanging over me.
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Thanks for sharing your experience with CIPLE. This may be a good option for my parents who are older and are not sure they can handle a 4 hr/day 4 day/week PLA course lasting 10 weeks. I am currently in an online PLA course with EdPro, and while the schedule is bit grueling, I have been very happy with the quality of the instruction.
I also want to recommend the āTalk The Streetsā series of videos on YouTube. The videos are made by an Englishwoman who speaks flawless European Portuguese, and her videos are especially helpful on pronunciation.
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Me too. Are you in Julianaās class?
Once you get the certificate from CIPLEMaster, please let us know the kind of certificate (if itās PLA then it will be PortugĆ»es LĆngua de Acolhimento) and the institution which is actually issuing the certificate. The site is a little confusing - I assume they have the same model as Edpro where they facilitate the course and some government-accredited institution provides the instructor and the certificate.
Iām interested because though it is extremely expensive compared to Edpro, the 4 hour per day model simply doesnāt work for some people, and this may be the only way out short of giving the A2 exam.
I actually saw a copy of the certificate before I registered for the class, and it is a PLA certificate accredited by Centro Qualifica Escola Profissional Cristovao Colombo. While EdPro acts as a hub to farm out students to classes at other institutions, CIPLE Master has their own teachers, which means all of your classmates are also CIPLE Master clients. This is how they keep the class sizes in check, and gives everyone a lot more flexibility if someone has to miss a class.
Youāre definitely paying for the convenience of it, but the cost is really the only downside for me.
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No, Guilhermeās class
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so how do you get these partner discounts?
In truth I think CIPLEMaster would be best for me. I would do the 4-hr-day version, but as you say it IS a lot, and I probably would overload - sure I would get the certificate, but I wouldnāt know nearly as much as I would wish, and Iāve heard that the ā¦ qualityā¦ of the classes isnāt super high, too many people in it are clearly just clocking the time. I also feel like if I did it, Iād need to be in lisbon, and I really donāt want to have to spend two months in lisbon when I own an apartment in Sao Martinho, and the commute would suck (and be pretty expensive given the tolls on the A8).
2hr/day is a nice compromise, and I suspect the smaller class size would help a lot in terms of a higher quality education. but 5k is a non-zero lift.
Any PLA teacherās hands are halfway-tied by the atrocious textbook. The textbook feels like a first-draft effort that was never reviewed, edited, and finalized. It is loaded with errors and frequently assumes unfamiliar knowledge that it had never introduced. Our teacher was not at all pleased with it, but her hands were tied. When time permitted, she also incorporated exercises from other textbooks written by more conscientious authors.
Perhaps the learning experience will be accelerated in a CIPLEMaster class with literate and motivated students. My paid class, which was coordinated by a different institution, included a contingent of students with limited English proficiency or low motivation. That conundrum occupied a large portion of the teacherās time and mental energy.
I made every reasonable effort to get the most out of the class. I estimate that my time-efficiency of learning in the group class was about 20-25% of what it would have been in private lessons. And completing the 150 hour class yielded my certificate, which was the primary goal.
Exactly. The commodity CIPLE courses I fear will be that. If you pay $5000, the students there are presumably going to be very motivated compared to the norm.
Given I am actually planning to move there soon, I would really like to learn the language not just get the cert. I know I can use appsā¦ butā¦ I need a bootstrap. But I hate to pay $6000 for it, that just feelsā¦high. Iām surprised there isnāt more competition in the space.
When I initially reached out, they quoted one price that could be paid in three installments, or a 5% discount if I paid in advance. Because I donāt yet actually have my residency card, the registration form needed to have the certificate mailed to an address in Portugal, so I gave them Henleyās address. Once they found out I was a Henley client, they added another 15% discount without my asking for it because they have a partnership with Henley. I donāt know how many other partners they have, but I was thrilled that they extended the discount proactively.
More than anything, youāre paying for the smaller class size. They do have a slower 38 week class thatās cheaper and might be worth considering if youāre planning to move to Portugal, but I honestly think that that isnāt quite enough time per week, and I would recommend supplementing that with self study if you do go that route.
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Hi Jeff, what about engage a private tutor for 150 hrs supplementing with an app, then sit in CIPLE (A2) exam? You may need to pay no more than 4000Euro total with more flexible schedules. I did this and passed A2 exam, and another 100hrs or so passed DEPLE (B1) exam. Continuing for B2 in the same way.
I dunno. Itās hard to know how to find a good tutor that you can work with, and somehow I think Iād do better if I was in a group. Itās hard to put a āwhyā on that but on the whole I think I would rather have a group setting.
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I think a small group is ideal. With private lessons you only have the teacher to speak with and you donāt have anyone else asking questions that you may not have thought of. If the group is too big though it becomes unwieldy, and asking questions at all can feel disruptive.
I donāt think that any one approach is going to be the platonic ideal for everyone. Scheduling, cost, class size, frequency, and duration are all variables that have to be contended with, and some people will more sensitive to one or another. Someone living where the A2 tests are readily available will also have more flexibility on approach than someone who doesnāt.
I just received a message this morning that EdPro is starting up conversational groups of 4-6 people., this may be just the thing for you:
Finally Iāve had four 2-hour classes with a private tutor. He has shared three examples of the CIPLE tests, including the oral understanding part. For sure, writing and speaking can only be evaluated by the official exam holder, so neither me nor the tutor can judge, but out of three tests Iāve ended up with 90-100% in reading part and 74-90% in oral understanding part. Generally, it means that the exam will be passed above the minimal mark for sure with the minimum financial and time effort, considering the B1-B2 Spanish as a background.
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