Archive for September, 2007
Brazil in Google Earth Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 26, 2007
Explore Brazil (and the whole world for that matter) in 3-D right from your computer! Google Earth is a fantastic free tool developed by those geniuses out on the West Coast that allows the user to virtually explore the entire world! Successfully leveraging user-generated content, you can enhance your personal copy of Google Earth to…
How to Say Dude in Portuguese Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 25, 2007
Dude! Man! Mate! Bro! For many learners who are seeking to speak the informal Portuguese of Brazil, the following vocabulary items are an absolute ‘must.’ Though the terms vary from region to region, a firm grasp of these words will help the casual Portuguese speaker fit in and make friends in no time. Cara dude…
The Sound of X (part 2) Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 25, 2007
In a previous post, I discussed the sound of the letter ‘X’ in Portuguese. This polyphonic letter can trip up many non-native Portuguese speakers, and there are no hard and fast rules regarding its pronunciation. In this post I’d like to show some more common uses of the letter X as well as some words…
GloboRadio Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 21, 2007
GloboRadio is the broadcasting giant O Globo‘s new online radio portal. Offering 30+ different radio stations for free (you can stream the audio through your browser), GloboRadio has programming for almost every imaginable taste. From Pop/Rock stations that place American favorites alongside Brazilian classics to Latin, Gospel, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Bossa Nova and more, you are…
1000 Words You Already Know in Portuguese Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 20, 2007
Did you know that you can use a large swath of your English vocabulary in Portuguese? It is no secret that Portuguese is a Romance Language and that it shares many cognates with languages such as French, Italian, Spanish and English. Since this blog focuses on helping English speakers learn Portuguese, let’s dive into an…
To Become Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 19, 2007
How do you translate the English verb ‘to become’ into Portuguese? Short Answer: it depends Long Answer: It is very helpful to examine 5 common applications of to become and the most appropriate counterparts in Portuguese. 1. To represent a long gradual change, or a change that results from a great intellectual effort, use the…
Brazil’s Middle Class Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 18, 2007
This great article from the BBC (in English) details some of the recent growth of the Brazilian middle class. The gist of the article is that stabilization of the Brazilian economy, particularly the currency (the Real) has provided increased lending opportunities and augmented the buying power of the lower classes. I am no economist, so…