IP Academy

European Portuguese
as it really sounds.

Language teaching with linguistic precision. From phonetics to fluency.

You can't hear what you can't decode. Learning the sounds of the language isn't an academic detail. It's the fastest shortcut to understanding native speakers, being understood by them, and losing your fear of speaking.

Understand native speakers in real contexts Speak with more confidence Identify and reduce your accent

Book a trial lesson See what I offer

Why phonetics?

Vocabulary
without sounds is just a list.
With sounds, it's a language.

Many teaching methods treat pronunciation as the final step — something to polish after mastering grammar. Classroom experience shows the opposite.

We don't imitate what we can't represent mentally. We don't produce sounds we've never learned to hear accurately. And until that changes, understanding native speakers in natural speech remains difficult — not for lack of vocabulary, but for lack of a sound map.

Perfection is not the goal. Being understood and understanding: that is the threshold phonetics helps you reach faster. It reduces the fear of speaking and trains the ear before anything else.

/ɐ fuˈnɛtikɐ puɾtuˈɡezɐ/ is not an extra. It's the starting point.

About me

Linguist.
Teacher.
European Portuguese specialist.

I'm Iolanda Peleja. I hold a degree in Language Sciences from the Faculty of Arts, University of Lisbon, a Master's in Linguistics with a dissertation in forensic phonetics from the same institution, and a postgraduate qualification in Teaching Portuguese as a Foreign Language from the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, NOVA University Lisbon.

IP Academy was born from a simple conviction: European Portuguese deserves to be taught with the same rigour with which it is studied. Not with memorised phrases, not with generic accents, not with grammars that ignore what is actually spoken in Portugal.

Every lesson is built with the real student in mind — their native language, their concrete difficulties, and their goals.

I teach Portuguese with the precision of someone who has studied the language in depth, and with the patience of someone who knows what it means to learn new sounds in an unfamiliar country. When you understand the sounds, the language stops being noise.

Degree in Language Sciences, FLUL Master's in Linguistics, dissertation in Forensic Phonetics, FLUL Postgraduate in Teaching Portuguese as a Foreign Language, FCSH Certified Trainer, Certificate of Pedagogical Competencies (CCP) Body Language Training, 50 hours

Iolanda Peleja

What I offer

Learning with structure.

Three ways to work on European Portuguese, adapted to your pace and level.

Private lessons

Individual online sessions, fully adapted to your level and goals. Grammar, conversation, phonetics, and real language use. All levels, A1 to C2.

Book a lesson

PT-EU Phonetics Course

An asynchronous course dedicated to the sound system of European Portuguese. The only one of its kind. Learn to hear and produce sounds accurately from the very first module.

Coming soon

Interactive worksheets

Practice materials organised by level (A1 to C2) and topic. Exercises designed for independent study, with a focus on real language use.

Learn more

Testimonials

What students say.

Students from many countries, levels, and goals.

“

I've been studying with Iolanda for nearly a year, and it has been one of the most fulfilling educational experiences of my life. Iolanda is skilled at finding her students' specific needs and addressing them, and she has the flexibility to change her approach as the student's abilities develop. Iolanda makes learning Portuguese feel approachable, and even fun.

“

From literally zero ability to communicate in Portuguese I started talking about pretty much everything. Of course I am making grammar mistakes, but Iolanda encourages me to speak confidently even when it is not perfect. I have not even noticed how suddenly I started having conversations in Portuguese in the taxi, on the phone and at the gym.

“

Iolanda est une des profs que tout le monde cherche. Elle sait bien enseigner de manière efficace et amusante en même temps. En comparaison avec d'autres profs de portugais, Iolanda est le choix numéro un pour moi. Je recommande avec plaisir ces cours, croyez-moi, vous ne regretterez pas!

“

Cela fait près de 6 mois que je prends des cours de portugais avec Iolanda et je suis plus que satisfaite. Non seulement ses méthodes d'enseignement sont efficaces, mais elles permettent également d'en apprendre plus sur la culture portugaise. Ce que j'apprécie le plus, c'est la patience de Iolanda et l'espace sécuritaire qu'elle crée pour permettre d'essayer et de faire des erreurs sans crainte. Muito obrigada!

“

J'entends qu'ils ont bien amélioré leur accent déjà. :)

European Portuguese as it really sounds.

Vocabularywithout sounds is just a list.With sounds, it's a language.

Linguist.Teacher.European Portuguese specialist.