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Portuguese in Africa and Asia | ||
Tags: Africa | Lingua franca | Cultural Identity | China | Usefulness | Portuguese | Choosing a Language | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages |  | |
| brian91 Senior Member Ireland Joined 5443 days ago 335 posts - 437 votes  Speaks: English* Studies: French | Message 1 of 7 21 June 2010 at 3:28pm | IP Logged |
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Hi,
I'm thinking of starting to learn Portuguese; it's not just that it is spoken by 250 million people, but also about where these people are; Portugal in Europe, Brazil in South America etc. I know Portuguese is the main language in Portugal and Brazil, but how popular is Portuguese in Angola (and other African countries) and Macau? It seems that Portuguese is not popular in Macau, but maybe it is common in Angola? However, I fear Portuguese might be a lingua france in African countries (for business etc) and not spoken by people at home. 
A map of countries with Portuguese as an official language; but how widely spoken is Portuguese really spoken in these countries is what I want to know. Thanks in advance, Brian 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Captain Haddock Diglot Senior Member Japan kanjicabinet.tumblr. Joined 6767 days ago 2282 posts - 2814 votes Speaks: English*, Japanese Studies: French, Korean, Ancient Greek | Message 2 of 7 21 June 2010 at 6:26pm | IP Logged |
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I believe in Angola, the majority of the population speak it as a first language now. In Mozambique and other
African countries it would still probably be a lingua franca for education and business, with most people speaking tribal languages or Portuguese creoles as mother tongues. I've heard that a few countries in Africa where Portuguese is not official have also introduced it in schools to facilitate trade with neighboring Lusophone countries. Edited by Captain Haddock on 21 June 2010 at 6:28pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| alang Diglot Senior Member Canada Joined 7220 days ago 563 posts - 757 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish | Message 3 of 7 21 June 2010 at 8:23pm | IP Logged |
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Even though I think creoles are separate languages, I like the idea of being able to communicate in the language it was based in. Some information on Portuguese creoles and location here. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Fat-tony Nonaglot Senior Member United Kingdom jiahubooks.co.uk Joined 6139 days ago 288 posts - 441 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, Russian, Esperanto, Thai, Laotian, Urdu, Swedish, French Studies: Mandarin, Indonesian, Arabic (Written), Armenian, Pali, Burmese | Message 4 of 7 21 June 2010 at 10:15pm | IP Logged |
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Portuguese in Asia is virtually useless (sadly). In East Timor it was ditched in favour
of English after independence, only to be nominally reinstated to maintain funding from the Lusophone (equivalent to the) Commonwealth. It's quite understandable because the new administration was trying to spread Tetum as a new national language, while admitting that Indonesian would continue to play an important role and also trying to teach English so they could reach out to Australia and PNG. As a result, Portuguese is currently a poor fourth, although it has had a massive influence on Tetum vocabulary and grammar. In Macau and Goa it's also just a nominal official language. However,in Lusophone Africa it is certainly the first language of the administration in a similar fashion to English and French in their respective former colonies. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| brian91 Senior Member Ireland Joined 5443 days ago 335 posts - 437 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French | Message 5 of 7 22 June 2010 at 10:35am | IP Logged |
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It would be cool if I could live in Macau with just English and Portuguese;
I found out there are three daily Portuguese language newspapers there. Although only 3% of the population speak the language. :/ Edited by brian91 on 22 June 2010 at 10:35am 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| vilas Pentaglot Senior Member Italy Joined 6959 days ago 531 posts - 722 votes Speaks: Spanish, Italian*, English, French, Portuguese | Message 6 of 7 24 June 2010 at 12:55pm | IP Logged |
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I have been in Angola and almost everybody speaks portuguese. It ia also the main language of Angola in Tv, Radio, Web, Newspapers . The mother tongues of angolans are many like Umbundu,Kimbundu etc. more or less is like English in India.
I know that is the same situation in Mozambique,CapoVerde and Guinea Bissau . Portuguese is rapidly disappearing from Goa. It is now spoken only by a small segment of the upper class families and about 3 to 5 % of the people still speak it (estimated at 30.000 to 50.000 people). In the Goan school it is taught as third language . There is a department of Portuguese at the Goa University. However, the "Fundação do Oriente" and the Indo – Portuguese Friendship Society (Sociedade de Amizade Indo-Portuguesa) are still active. There is a radio program in portuguese "Renascença Portuguesa" 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| tritone Senior Member United States reflectionsinpo Joined 6119 days ago 246 posts - 385 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish, Portuguese, French | Message 7 of 7 27 June 2010 at 4:32am | IP Logged |
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Angola: Portuguese is the first and only language of the majority of Angolans to such a point that the indigenous (Bantu) languages are being lost. Mozambique/Guinea Bissau: Portuguese is widely spoken, but mostly as a second language. Cape Verde/ Sao tome and Principe: Portuguese creole(s) and standard portuguese have a disglossic relationship. East Timor/Macau: Portuguese is spoken as a second language by a small minority. 1 person has voted this message useful |
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