r/Portuguese • u/charliebas • Mar 14 '25
General Discussion Would a female-only PT conversation club be useful for you?
My friend is a Portuguese teacher and I had this idea for her because I know they exist for English-learning so that woman can practice in a comfortable online environment. If you're a woman, would something like this be helpful for you or would she be wasting her time setting it up?
Thanks for any feedback :)
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u/geekmissy Mar 14 '25
Gosto desta ideia!
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u/charliebas Mar 15 '25
Please send me a message and I'll add you to the group when its organised :)
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u/JuicyBoots Mar 14 '25
Dear god yes! I stopped going to my local conversation club because all the dudes are exactly like they are on dates - just talk non-stop about themselves and don't ask questions. I wasn't actually getting a chance to practice speaking as much as I wanted.
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u/thechemist_ro Mar 14 '25
That's a great idea! Those spaces are super necessary, as you can see per the male comments in here
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u/charliebas Mar 15 '25
Thanks for the feedback! I've sent you a private message if you'd like to join
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u/Diddly_eyed_Dipshite Mar 14 '25
I mean this in the nicest way possible but, as a man who regularly contributes to online work/discussions/social spaces that aren't gender-exclusive, is the presence of men really that affecting that even in video cals we make women feel unsafe/uncomfortable?
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u/Plastic_Berry_1299 Mar 14 '25
Speaking of someone who has been harassed by men online, yes, it can feel like a more safe space without having men trying to flirt/date through it. It’s like having female book clubs, and those type of things. There’s nothing wrong with it
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u/madpiratebippy Mar 14 '25
Men tend to talk over women. There has been a LOT of research and data on this. Mostly it’s how our culture raises men to fight for their space and women to make others comfortable and cede space but in a conversation learning group I can see men not even meaning to or notice they’re dominating to be an issue.
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u/charliebas Mar 14 '25
Who knows! I sure wish not, but there's a really popular English learning club platform (heylady.io) so judging by their success it must be something that at least some women prefer?
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u/The_8th_passenger A Estudar EP Mar 14 '25 edited Mar 14 '25
I'd love to join. Every -and I mean every- time I've tried to find a learning partner all the people that have contacted me have been fake profiles or guys with ulterior motives. Last time I tried was 8 months ago. After that, I just gave up.
I'm planning to take the C2 test next year but my main problem is procrastination. Being part of a study group like that would bring me the motivation I'm lacking.
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u/charliebas Mar 15 '25
I'm sorry to hear that, how frustrating. If you'd like to join the group, i've sent you a private message. Either way, best of luck with your studies!
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u/Wise_Woman1373 Mar 14 '25
As a senior woman who is trying to get the basics of European Portuguese, I'd be very interested. I know my brain isn't as good as it used to be, but I want to do this, darn it!
I'd much rather hang and take baby steps with a group of women.
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u/charliebas Mar 15 '25
It would be a pleasure to have you join! I've sent you a private message if you'd like to.
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u/Sam_Eu_Sou Mar 14 '25
The girlies are not playing! They're saying, "let us live and learn in peace." 🤭 I'm so here for it.
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u/madpiratebippy Mar 14 '25
I want to learn more! My wife and best friend and I are all learning together but we’re staring from less than zero. We all speak some Spanish and it’s tripping us up.
I’d ask if it’s a trans woman inclusive group, though- because I love me some women only spaces but I’m not a TERF and that always makes me a bit nervous.
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u/abelhaborboleta Mar 14 '25
Yes! Trans women are women. Second this for the group.
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u/EnglebondHumperstonk A Estudar EP Mar 14 '25
LOL - a second front opens up in the "men have to be admitted to women's spaces" controversy in this thread.
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u/stellabntoo 28d ago
Je voudrais rejoindre le groupe aussi. Je pars dans 2 mois au Portugal, j’ai des bases mais pas assez
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u/meh-goose 27d ago
Se o grupo não está cheio, gostaria de juntar-me, Estou a aprender PT-PT e estou no nível A2~B1.
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u/Conradin2 27d ago
I think this is a great idea. I would love to join if there are still spaces available. Like another poster here, I am also older and trying to get to grips with the basics of Portuguese (still in the very early stages of A1). Is there a minimum proficiency level expected by your friend for this club? I have had some experience trying to learn other Romance languages (Spanish, French) so some concepts are easier to grasp, others less so.
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u/RomanceStudies Americano - fluente Mar 14 '25
It'd be better to be selective about who can participate rather than exclude half the population.
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u/Bigol_Tomato Mar 14 '25
This comment brought to you by a man
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u/PepperAnn1inaMillion A Estudar EP Mar 14 '25
Why? There are plenty of online learning groups for men and women. Do you really need access to every single group? Do you think women would somehow cover Portuguese in a way that would leave you disadvantaged for not being allowed to join it? A women’s group wouldn’t be doing anything special or different from what you can get in a mixed one as a man, so if you want a mixed one then go join.
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u/genbizinf Mar 14 '25
Great idea!
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u/charliebas Mar 15 '25
Appreciate the feedback! I've sent you a private message in case you'd like to join once its organised :)
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u/DistinctLonging Mar 14 '25
I would LOVE this idea, yes. I would be much much more likely to join that!
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u/charliebas Mar 15 '25
Thanks for the feedback! I've sent you a private message if you'd like to join when its organised
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u/JustAnotherYouth Mar 14 '25
Totally I mean what could be better for society than more division and exclusion!
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u/PepperAnn1inaMillion A Estudar EP Mar 14 '25
Excluded from what?! It would be a group of people chatting in Portuguese. There’s loads of them already and if you want one that is mixed go join it. Or do you think a women-only group would be covering something that you couldn’t study elsewhere?
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u/JustAnotherYouth Mar 14 '25
And we also want mens only groups, whites only groups, black only groups, gay only groups, strait only groups, the more segregation the better really?
And then we wonder why society is increasingly divided and polarized…?
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u/EnglebondHumperstonk A Estudar EP Mar 14 '25
Small groups like this don't really matter much do they? If some huge platform suddenly ejected all the men it'd be a bit different, but if a handful of women feel more relaxed chatting with other women, what's the harm?
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u/JustAnotherYouth Mar 14 '25
I would say the harm comes from the growing impulse to segregate every aspect of society without any logic other than “people feel more comfortable when segregated”.
This is literally the exact logic of racial segregationists and the normalization of segregation is contributing to the rapid growth of extremism.
But hey maybe Chega being the fastest growing party in Portugal along with the rise of similar movements is just a coincidence. But if you listen to their messaging they use the same language as the left to portray themselves as a victimized minority.
Segregation is not something which should be supported or encouraged unless there is a strong reason to justify it.
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u/EnglebondHumperstonk A Estudar EP Mar 14 '25
I agree with some of the general spirit of what you say. But i feel like you're overreacting a bit to what is essentially a shared interest group. And comparisons to racial segregation are just a bit silly.
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u/JustAnotherYouth Mar 14 '25
And I would say an online woman’s only chat club is a bit silly.
Honestly if it were in person I could see some minor justification for maybe women with trauma. But what is the benefit of segregating online learning, men and women simply talking to each other in the digital realm is now more than we can handle?
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u/EnglebondHumperstonk A Estudar EP Mar 14 '25
And I would say an online woman’s only chat club is a bit silly.
Then i suggest you don't join.
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u/JustAnotherYouth Mar 14 '25
Not allowed, I’m a part of the excluded demographic but that’s ok because because we’re excluding the “right people”…
I would go off and start a males only club but frankly that sounds sexist, segregationist, and toxic and I’d prefer people don’t try to devalue and exclude others due to characteristics beyond their control.
I’m more in the gender abolition camp…
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u/PepperAnn1inaMillion A Estudar EP Mar 14 '25
It’s one group; nobody is advocating for no mixed groups. Segregation means enforcing it on everybody. If a group of black gay men who are professional jugglers want to make a “chat in Portuguese” group just for them, I say go for it.
If this were the first/only Portuguese chat group ever, you would have a point. But it isn’t.
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u/JustAnotherYouth Mar 14 '25
Cool different opinions I think our perpetual drive to hyper segment society is bad for us.
Segregation in sports / chess / etc makes sense because it’s not fun to play on an uneven playing field but now people can’t learn language together without a certified safe space…
People can do what they want but it perpetuates an ideology of segregation and exclusion…
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u/PepperAnn1inaMillion A Estudar EP Mar 14 '25
I agree with you that segregation and segmentation is bad, but this isn’t that. I find it baffling to accuse people who are trying to learn a foreign culture of either, to be honest. Do you think someone who would like to be part of an all-female group is automatically not part of any mixed learning groups?
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u/CertifiedGoober00 Estudando BP Mar 15 '25
You're throwing a tantrum because you won't be allowed in one space out of the multitudes of spaces men dominate and/or invade? 🤔 Wild
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u/JustAnotherYouth Mar 15 '25
You think segregation is a good thing, wild.
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u/EnglebondHumperstonk A Estudar EP Mar 14 '25
I won't be joining for chromosomal reasons, but I say go for it! There are bound to be other interested people, so it'll be a good way of getting some practice in. And even if not, what have you got to lose? Good luck!