Learn Portuguese
You’ll need
- Printed copies of the Portuguese words and phrases cards
Before you begin
- Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. There’s also more guidance to help you carry out your risk assessment, including examples.
- Make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
- Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help.
- This is a great activity to run during an online session. Check out the advice on using Zoom and other popular digital platforms and the guidance on being safe online.
The World Scout Moot is a global event for Scouts and Guides aged 18 to 25. It's held every four years in different countries, bringing young people together to make new friends, discover new cultures and enjoy exciting adventures.
The next Moot will be held in Portugal in 2025. The event has three parts: a semi-independent expedition, a large camp with Scouts from around the world and a special experience after the main event. Portugal’s a beautiful country in Southern Europe, known for its fascinating history, stunning beaches and warm weather. This year’s participants will have the chance to explore Lisbon’s historic streets, relax by the sea and take part in outdoor activities, such as hiking and surfing.
Learn more about the 16th World Scout Moot.
Planning and setting up this activity
- Print out copies of the sheet that has different words and phrases their meanings, then cut them out. Make sure to have a copy for each group.
Running this activity
- Gather everyone together and ask if anyone knows any Portuguese words or phrases.
- Show the group a list of basic Portuguese phrases. You can write them on a board, show a printed sheet, or use a projector.
- Allow time for everyone to read each phrase out loud slowly. You can also play an audio example from a reliable online source for additional support.
- Split everyone into smaller groups.
- Explain that each group will now match the different Portuguese words and phrases to their English meanings.
- Give each team a set of cards.
- Each team should start making pairs. When they think they’ve finished, they should put their hands up and the activity leader will check their answers.
- If any pairs are wrong, let them know how many are incorrect and allow them to keep trying.
- You may wish to give clues to help identify the incorrect answers.
- You could make it a race, with the first team to correctly match all the words and phrases declared the winner.
- Once everyone has finished, they could practise saying the words again and try to have a short conversation in Portuguese.
Reflection
This activity was all about discovering the beauty of the Portuguese language by learning some common words and phrases. It was a chance to explore a new culture and try speaking in a different way. Had you heard or used any Portuguese words before today? How did you find learning and practising the new phrases? Did you enjoy saying them out loud and hearing how they sound? Think about the words you learned - were they greetings, numbers, or simple everyday expressions? What helped you remember them best? Were there any words that you found particularly fun or interesting? What else would you like to learn in Portuguese - perhaps how to order food, introduce yourself, or talk about your hobbies?
Safety
All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.
You must run your activities in line with the Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults (Yellow Card) and report any concerns to the UK HQ Safeguarding Team.
- To make this activity easier, you could reduce the number of phrases introduced.
- To make this activity harder, you could add more complex phrases or full sentences. You could also hide words around the room for people to find and match them.
- Print or stick words onto thicker card or cardboard to make them easier to handle.
- Make sure cards are easy to see - use large fonts, clear images, or magnifying glasses. Use colour, shapes, or pictures to support readers, and choose colourblind-friendly options.
- Let people move at their own pace. If you want a competitive element, focus on points for teamwork, creativity, or matching words, rather than speed. Encourage positivity and having fun!
- Make sure everyone can take part. Offer other roles like timekeeping, scorekeeping, or music playing if someone prefers not to join the main activity.
- Support reading with buddies, pictures, emojis, or symbols. If someone has dyslexia, light-coloured paper or overlays can help. Always encourage asking for help if needed.
All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.
If you enjoyed this activity, try one of our other Moot 2025 activities.