Archive for June, 2010
Brazilian Portuguese vs. European Portuguese Posted by Rachel on Jun 16, 2010
We get a lot of questions on Facebook about why we don’t feature content teaching European Portuguese. The simple answer is that none of the Portuguese bloggers know European Portuguese – only Brazilian Portuguese. The longer answer, which follows in detail, is that the two are so different that they are taught individually, almost as…
Umbabarauma by Jorge Ben Posted by polyana on Jun 15, 2010
Today Brazil takes on North Korea in both teams’ first matches in the 2010 World Cup hosted by South Africa! And here in Brazil, everyone’s breathing World Cup season, especially sponsors and anyone who can make any money with “World Cup” specials. And as usual, Nike has a pretty interesting campaign going on. They’re putting…
Transparent Language Words App Posted by Rachel on Jun 14, 2010
We have a brand new language tool from Transparent that everyone can use for all of our languages: our fantastic new Words App. This program works through Facebook, and all you have to do to use it is log in through Facebook connect. Here, you’ll be able to see and create words and phrases in…
Poetry in Portuguese | “Círculo Vicioso” by Machado de Assis Posted by polyana on Jun 9, 2010
I’m reading a book called, “Como Transformar Defeitos em Virtudes,” and it claims to be a good humored view on the seven deadly sins… which so far it is! And each chapter for each sin starts off with a poem. The first chapter starts off with a poem by Machado de Assis, one of Brazil’s…
How to Get a Tourist Visa for Brazil Posted by Rachel on Jun 8, 2010
Not everybody knows that Americans require a visa to travel to Brazil — tales abound of travelers showing up at the airport only to be turned away, or more recently, a famous American director, Oliver Stone, actually managed to fly to Brazil without a visa and had some trouble getting into the country. They didn’t…
Caldo Verde Recipe Posted by Rachel on Jun 7, 2010
It’s June, which means that it is winter in Brazil, and that it’s time for festas juninas! A popular dish at these celebrations is caldo verde, or green soup, which originally comes from Portugal. Don’t let the name turn you off – this soup is perfect for chillier weather and is absolutely delicious. Caldo Verde…
Listening Comprehension: Fortune Telling Posted by Rachel on Jun 3, 2010
Today we’re going to do a little listening comprehension exercise using a short report from BBC Brasil (which by the way, is a fantastic resource for Portuguese students). Questions 1. Where is the healer from? 2. What does the healer foresee about the World Cup, and how did he find out? 3. How many people…