Six months of learning Portuguese twenty minutes a day

What stuck, what didn't, and what I'd skip if I started over.

I started Portuguese in January with a flashcard app and a notebook. Six months later I can read a menu, follow a slow conversation, and embarrass myself at a bakery in a way the locals seem to enjoy.

The flashcards were useful for two months and then stopped being useful. The notebook is still useful. Speaking to a tutor twice a week was worth more than every app combined.

If I started over I would skip the first three weeks of grammar and go straight to listening. Grammar shows up when you need it.