Government and Politics

Susana calls the tax authority’s phone line for help with her tax return. In Portugal, IRS refers to Imposto sobre o Rendimento das Pessoas Singulares (personal income tax / “tax on the income of natural persons”.)

The Portuguese Language Orthographic Agreement of 1990 (Acordo Ortográfico da Língua Portuguesa de 1990, a.k.a. the ) came into effect in May 2009. Its goal was to standardize the spelling of Portuguese across Portuguese-speaking countries, particularly Brazil and Portugal. However, its implementation was met with criticism and many practical challenges. First, let’s address a common […]

Learn more about gender equality in Portugal.

Navigating bureaucracy in Portugal can be quite the adventure.

Global warming presents pressing concerns for humanity.

Don’t get caught off guard during a traffic stop in Portugal! Follow along to see how this driver communicates with authorities and learn useful vocabulary, such as the names of documents you may need to show. These “operações STOP” can be performed by a GNR officer (Guarda Nacional Republicana) or by a PSP officer (Polícia […]

Learn more about a turbulent period of Portugal’s history: the French invasions and the revolution that followed.

Joel gets an inside look into the strike happening in Lisbon tomorrow. Márcia explains the reasons behind the strike, including the struggle for fair wages and better working conditions. Practice your Portuguese listening skills and learn vocabulary as you hear about the challenges workers are facing in Portugal!

Learn more about the structure of Portugal’s government and the different political parties.   *Quick lesson on the word ‘chato’: This word has a lighthearted connotation, similar to annoying/boring/pesky/unpleasant. If the grocery store doesn’t have your favourite brand of cereal, that’s ‘chato’, but a dictatorship is obviously much worse than ‘chato’. When we use this […]

Learn more about the life of António Costa, the prime minister of Portugal.

Clark visits the local Loja do Cidadão to get his NIF (Portuguese tax number). He has to wait a while, but once his number is called, it’s a quick and easy process! One important vocabulary word to note is senha. This translates to password, but it also refers to the tickets you take from a […]

The 25th of April is Portugal’s Freedom Day! Learn more about the revolution that restored freedom to the people of Portugal.

Explore the history of how the European Union was formed and learn the names of its member countries in Portuguese. **Correction: The United Kingdom left the EU on 31 January 2020 and entered a transition period.

An unconventional political candidate uses his campaign ad to manage voter expectations.

A few days ago, Joel overheard some enthusiastic Portuguese natives talking about how António Guterres had been chosen as the new secretary-general of the United Nations. So in this episode, we take the opportunity to explore António’s life and the experiences that led up to this proud moment in Portugal’s history!

How the cradle of Western civilization became one of the greatest concerns of the world at the moment.

Listen to this dialogue about the 25th of April, a Portuguese national holiday commemorating the Carnation Revolution.