How to write an email in Portuguese to a language school

Short answer: state your purpose and make replying easy

A useful email tells the school who is writing, what course they want and which information is missing. You do not need a long introduction or your complete personal history. A greeting, two sentences of context and two or three well-chosen questions can be enough to start the conversation.

The CEFR describes A2 through simple communication about familiar matters. We apply that broad idea to asking about lessons. The structure suggested here is our learning advice. It is neither an official marking rubric nor evidence that someone has reached A2. The Portuguese examples are original and can be changed to fit another everyday situation.

Before writing: choose three questions

First note what you have already found on the school website. If a timetable is published, ask whether it applies to the next group. If the price is unclear, ask for the total and what it includes. Avoid a huge list mixing lesson arrangements, certificates and nationality procedures in one message.

For an initial enquiry, choose three priorities: starting date, timetable and how to enrol. Add your availability when it helps identify a suitable group. Use invented details for practice. In a real enquiry, share only necessary information and check that the address is the institution’s genuine public contact before sending personal information.

Example: ask about a course group

The writer explains the level they are looking for and when they can study. “Gostaria de saber” introduces a polite request; “Podem indicar-me” asks directly without sounding demanding. “Bom dia” works for an initial message, while “Com os melhores cumprimentos” provides a more formal closing.

Read the example and replace the name, time of day and date. Do not claim a certified level when you have only estimated it. If you do not know your level, write “Não sei qual é o meu nível. Há uma avaliação inicial?” The school can then explain its process rather than guessing how much preparation you have.

When the school replies: confirm your understanding

Imagine this reply: “A turma começa a 12 de novembro, às terças e quintas, das 18h30 às 20h. Para reservar uma vaga, contacte a secretaria.” It gives three separate details: a starting date, a weekly schedule and a next action. Simply replying with thanks does not explain whether you can attend.

Confirm the timetable in your own words and ask about the next step. An enquiry or expression of interest is not confirmation of enrolment. This fictional exchange establishes no school’s reservation, payment or certification rules. When you receive real instructions, check the details directly with the institution before making a commitment.

If the timetable does not work: suggest an alternative

You can decline a schedule in one sentence and offer an alternative: “Não posso às terças-feiras. Têm alguma turma ao sábado?” This is easier to answer than a lengthy account of every obligation. If you are available only after a particular time, state that time clearly.

Also practise a clarification: “Quando dizem aulas online, são em direto ou gravadas?” Online alone does not explain how lessons work. Similarly, a course’s commercial name does not establish which document will be issued. The school should clarify its offer; acceptance of a document for an administrative procedure requires a separate check of that procedure.

Exercise: find the missing information

Write an email for this fictional situation: you want Saturday morning lessons, hope to start next month and need to know whether there is an initial assessment. Do not copy the example unchanged. The recipient should identify your availability and answer two essential questions: when you can start and whether there is an assessment.

Then reread without translating every sentence. Is the greeting appropriate? Have you included the day and time of day? Is there a clear question? One possible opening is “Bom dia. Procuro um curso de português ao sábado de manhã.” Add the two questions and a closing. Several answers can work; there is no compulsory wording for this learning exercise.

Move from email to conversation

Open the course enquiry audio and identify the schedule, duration and next step before checking its transcript. Then turn two written questions into spoken questions. Changing the format helps reveal whether you can express the same intention without relying on a memorised paragraph.

Keep a short email as a starting point, but adapt each new enquiry. Repeating messages without reading the school’s reply creates avoidable confusion. Continue with the general A2 writing guide and the certificate checklist. Practice supports communication; it does not replace confirmation of the actual course conditions or feedback on your writing from a teacher.

Sources and scope of this guide

Official sources support the stated legal, language and certification facts. Plans, examples and checklists are independent editorial suggestions, not instructions from an authority.

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